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Steve Nguyen

Artist. Filmmaker. Storyteller. 
Steve Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American director, writer, artist and producer. Nguyen and fellow director Choz Belen formed Studio APA, a multimedia collective that specializes in the production of animated films and music videos. Nguyen has worked as a production assistant at Universal Pictures (Jarhead, Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift). Since 2006, Nguyen has written, directed and produced over fifty feature length and short independent films ranging from a wide variety of genres.

In 2012, Nguyen co-directed and produced an animated film, Hibakusha, which chronicled the early life of a Hiroshima bombing survivor, Kaz Suyeishi. The animated film stars Karin Anna Cheung, Connie Lim, Daisuke Suzuki, Jane Lui and William Knight. The film was dedicated to the American Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors in an effort to spread awareness for nuclear disarmament and was completed on the 67th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, August 6, 2012. Nguyen and the Studio APA crew have toured with Hibakusha throughout the United States since October 2012, and the film has been screened at the Japanese American National Museum, Vietnamese International Film Festival, Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, Dragon Con in Atlanta, University of Michigan, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, UC Davis, UC Riverside, DisOrient Film Festival, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and California State University, Fullerton. Hibakusha has gone on to receive nominations and awards, including the Special Achievement Award and Best Animated Short at the 2013 International Uranium Film Festival held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Nguyen released his first children's book on June 2020 with Sky Pony Press and Simon & Schuster titled To Baby From Daddy, which feature his own illustrations and personal composition of paternal love and advice to his daughter.

Best Animation

Asians on Film

2015

Best Music Video

Harlem International Film Festival 2015

Best Music Video

Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood 2015

Best Music Video

Topanga Film Festival 

2015

Best Music Video

Asians on Film

2015

Best Music Video

 Intendence Film Festival 2015

Best Music Video

Orlando Film Festival 2015

Best Non-Broadcast Production

Telly Award

2015

Best Animation

Asians on Film Winter 2015

Excellence in Directing Music Video

 IFFCAALA 

2015

Best Musical

Poppy Jasper

Film Festival

2015

Outstanding Music Video

Zed Fest Film Festival 

2015

Awards & Nominations

Hibakusha
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  • DragonCon - [Official Selection]
  • Asians on Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • International Uranium Film Festival - [Official Selection/Special Jury Award]
  • DisOrient Film Festival - [Official Selection/Jason D. Mak Award For Social Justice]
  • Los Angeles Movie Awards - [Official Selection] 
  • Los Angeles Shorts Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • New York City Independent Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Vietnamese International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Seattle Shorts Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • ANGAELICA Miami Beach - [Official Selection]
  • Peace on Earth Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Aspen Shortsfest - [Official Selection]
  • Tupelo Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Ojai Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Women's Independent Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • DOXA Documentary Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • California International Animation Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Seattle Asian American Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Columbia Gorge International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
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CHOPS feat. Tiger JK and Yoonmirae - Turn It Up 
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  • Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • DisOrient Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Poppy Jasper International Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival - [Official Selection] 
  • FilmQuest - [Official Selection/1 nomination]
  • Intendence Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • Blue Plum Animation Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Topanga Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • HollyShorts Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Action on Film International Festival - [Official Selection]
  • The Ottawa International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Orlando Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • NYC Independent Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts Los Angeles - [Best Music Video]
  • NYC Independent Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Harlem International Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • Desert Rocks Film and Music Event - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • NYC Independent Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Zed Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • San Diego Asian Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Irvine International Film Festival - [Official Selection/1 nomination]
  • Asians on Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
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Mansions on the Moon feat. Zee Avi - Heart of the Moment 
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  • CAAMFEST - [Official Selection]
  • Los Angeles Arthouse Film Festival - [Official Selection/Best Music Video]
  • California International Shorts Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Berlin Music Video Awards - [Official Selection] 
  • FilmQuest - [Official Selection/1 nomination]
  • Huntington Beach Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Newport Beach Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Denver Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Wiper Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Berlin Music Video Awards - [Official Selection]
  • Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival - [Official Selection] 
  • Los Angeles Movie Awards - [Official Selection/1 nomination]
  • California Women's Film Festival - [Official Selection] 
  • Studio City Film Festival - [Official Selection] 
  • Bahamas International Film Festival - [Official Selection] 
  • The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival - [Official Selection]
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Blast Burn
​
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Lonely Whale
​
  • 18-55 Cine en Corto - [Official Selection]
  • Andromeda Film Festival - [Award Winner]
  • ANGAELICA - [Official Selection]
  • Anim!Arte - International Student Animation Festival of Brazil- [Official Selection]
  • Art All Night International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Asian American International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Benson Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Fillum International Storical & Short Film Festival (FISSF) - [Official Selection]
  • FILMÓPTICO - INTERNATIONAL ART VISUAL AND FILM FESTIVAL - [Official Selection]
  • Huntington Beach Cultural Cinema Showcase - [Official Selection]
  • International Nature Film Festival GödöllÅ‘ - Nature and Environmental Protection Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Kino Pleme / Live Soundtrack - [Official Selection]
  • Lagos International Festival of Animation, LIFANIMA - [Official Selection]
  • The Lift-Off Sessions - [Official Selection]
  • New York Animation Film Awards - [Semi-Finalist]
  • Noble International Film Festival and Awards - [Official Selection]
  • Our Heritage, Our Planet - [Official Selection]
  • paus Premieres Festival - [Award Winner]
  • SCREAM it off SCREEN - [Official Selection]
  • Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest - [Official Selection]
  • streetside cinema - [Official Selection]
  • T-Short Animated film Online Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Tsiolkovsky Space Fest - [Official Selection]
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Stella
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  • ANGAELICA - [Official Selection]
  • Black Cat Award International Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon - [Official Selection]
  • Festival del Cinema di Cefalù - [Official Selection]
  • International Festival of Audiovisual Production for Children and Adolescence Kolibir - [Official Selection]
  • King Film Awards - [Official Selection]
  • Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Palm Springs Animation Festival - [Official Selection]
  • Student World Impact Film - [Nominated for Best Animation]
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