Kim Nguyen - Oscar-nominated director, will receive the 2013 Vanguard Award at the closing night ceremony of the 9th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 7pm at the Imperial Theater

MONTREAL, Sept. 27, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - KIM NGUYEN, award-winning and Oscar-nominated director, will receive the Montreal International Black Film Festival's very first 2013 VANGUARD AWARD. The award will be given to Nguyen at the festival's closing night ceremony, presented by Zupim.com, on September 29, 2013, 7pm at the Imperial Theater. The MIBFF is thrilled to grant him this award, which was recently created to recognize Canadians for their exceptional efforts to raise awareness about black realities.

"Kim Nguyen is a director who can capture black realities with accuracy and talent, and brings them to the world stage, as we have seen with his latest film, War Witch (Rebelle). We also hope to encourage filmmakers from a variety of backgrounds to follow this path, in order to provide new global perspectives through the powerful seventh art," stated Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the Festival.

"By honouring Kim Nguyen with the new VANGUARD AWARD, we are also celebrating the diversity, vitality, and international recognition of Quebecois and Canadian cinema," declared Emile Castonguay, Co-Founder and Programming Director for the Festival.

The award ceremony will be followed by the screening of the festival's closing film: Lionel Bailliu's DENIS, a French comedy starring Fabrice Éboué. Tickets for the Closing Night are available on www.montrealblackfilm.com for $25.

KIM NGUYEN - BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Born to a Vietnamese father and a Quebecois mother, Kim Nguyen is a Concordia graduate with a degree in Film Studies. Known for his originality, the young director was quick to stand out. Le Marais, his first feature-length film, received six Jutra nominations (including Best Film and Best Screenplay). His following film, Truffe, received the award for Best Film at the Karlovy Var Film Festival. He went on to film La Cité in Tunisia.

A truly international filmmaker, Nguyen made waves worldwide with his film War Witch, which tells the tragic story of child soldiers. The film was an official selection for the famed Berlin International Film Festival, where it received a special mention from the Ecumenical Jury. Nguyen's fourth feature-length film also brought Quebec to centre stage when it was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2013 Oscars.

The MIBFF also paid tribute to world-renowned actor and producer Danny Glover with the 2013 Humanitarian Award at its opening ceremony on September 18, at the Imperial Theatre.

The 9^th Montreal International Film Festival, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, will run until September 29, 2013, and is presented by Global Montreal in collaboration with Zupim.com.

About the Montreal International Black Film Festival - MIBFF

The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cinema, art and culture. As Canada's biggest Black Film Festival, MIBFF's mission is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to foster the creation of films on international black realities. The Festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema: cinema from both here and abroad that doesn't always make it to the silver screen. We showcase ground-breaking cinema that both moves and shocks us, all while raising awareness. Join us for a fresh look at black cinema from all four corners of the globe! www.montrealblackfilm.com

Get festival news at:
www.montrealblackfilm.com  / www.facebook.com/blackfilmfestival / www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl

SOURCE: Montreal International Black Film Festival

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