White Butterfly

Upon learning of her mother’s passing, May returns to Vietnam after 20 years, determined to learn about her parents’ separation in relation to the Mother Goddess Worship. Despite family opposition and cultural barriers, May remains committed to uncovering the truth.

Directed by Catherine T. Nguyen
Produced by Jenni Trang Le and Catherine T. Nguyen

Director’s Bio: Catherine T. Nguyen’s passion for producing and directing drew her to the NYU Tisch School of Arts, where she graduated cum laude with a B.F.A in Film and Television and a minor in Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology at Stern. Leveraging her diverse suite of skills, Catherine served as a producer for “Chicken”, which world premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. “White Butterfly” is her directorial debut which will have its world premiere at the 2023 Hawai’i International Film Festival.

Plays in

Home as Character

The scent of your neighbor’s garden, the hustle and bustle of people flowing in and out of the bodega down the block, the laughter of children playing silly games in the street – home is more than just a setting. It’s the people, the places, the history, the memories, and the way they all come together. These short films all depict a home that can be described as a character in and of itself. From the quiet resilience of a city in “Kathmandu Monsoon” to the smoldering generational anger of Hawaiʻi in “Inheritance,” these films depict a home that holds as much weight and depth as the people that inhabit it.