One Summer Night is based on the true story of my dad's passing in 2019 and the journey of grief and growth that my family and I are still on.

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014, and he tried his hardest to be there for us. When he passed away, I remember as clear as day, my older brother turning around to me saying, "At least he made it to my graduation." And it broke me.

Graduation is an important milestone in my family, and in May 2023, I graduate from USC. My dad actually never knew that I got into USC, and I actually don’t know my dad’s last words. But, through One Summer Night, I hope to send him a message:

Ba, I made it.

The story of One Summer Night follows two brothers, Huy and Hai, who struggle with their differences when deciding to admit their ailing father into hospice care.

Huy copes with the fear of a future without their father by rejecting opportunities to create his own, individual future. He is desperately afraid of change. On the other hand, Hai avoids the reality of losing their father by barreling toward a disconnected future, burying himself in his efforts to make his father proud of him.

As Hai prepares for his high school graduation, Huy turns down another job offer that will take him away from his family. While taking care of their dad, Ba, they discover something gravely wrong. Huy makes the ultimate decision to take Ba in for hospice care, frustrating Hai for not confiding in him before such a big decision.

Throughout the night, Huy and Hai criticize each other for their flaws, vices, and mistakes. Huy struggles with an unbreakable addiction to cigarettes as a high school dropout afraid to move forward. On the other hand, Hai is a valedictorian with a chip on his shoulder, but too busy looking ahead that he fails to care for what's right in front of him.

It's only when they take a moment to reflect on their relationships and values that they can understand each other and make the difficult changes that they've always needed to.

One Summer Night is about Huy and Hai's journey of grief and brotherhood. It's about a family learning how to take and let go of responsibility. It's a reminder to cherish every moment with your loved ones.

With such a special and deeply personal story, we want to treat it right, so we're not skipping any steps on the safety of the film set and the authenticity of the characters and their world. Unfortunately, this makes a movie really expensive, so we need your help to reach our goal. Every dollar you donate will be put towards taking care of our cast and crew, renting gear and equipment, PPE in compliance with covid safety protocols, locking locations, and buying production design elements. 

Anything we raise past our goal of $13,000 will be put toward paying our crew. This film comes from our passion for the script and storytelling, but as recent and upcoming college graduates, getting paid would be great too!

Tom Dang (as Huy Tran) — Tom Dang is a Vietnamese-American film, television, and stage actor. Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Tom moved to the US at an early age, grew up in Seattle, WA where he earned two degrees in Drama and Dance, and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter to pursue film and television. Since then, Tom has worked for companies such as Netflix, Nickelodeon, TNT, CBS, NBC, Freeform, and Peacock. He is best known for his roles on Syfy's Z Nation and Netflix's award-winning film, The Resemblance, and is currently recurring on HBO and A24's The Sympathizer.

David Vi Hoang (as Hai Tran) — David Vi Hoang is a Vietnamese-American actor born in Vung Tàu, Vietnam. He immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 4 and grew up in Denver, Colorado for the majority of his life. He grew up performing in his school theater productions and knew he never wanted to stop acting. 

Since moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, Hoang has worked with director Quentin Lee on ‘Last Summer of Nathan Lee’, multiple USC films such as Matt Oflas’ ‘Godspeed’, and even had the pleasure to work with Jackson Wang on a Beats commercial. Keep an eye out for his upcoming project ‘Newspapers’ with director Vu Hoang and producer Minnie Nguyen. As an AAPI in the entertainment industry, Hoang is determined to break through stereotypes and tell meaningful stories that can make a difference.

We have a consciously diverse team bringing this project to life! Each member of this crew is extremely capable with years of experience producing their own films, some earning grants of $25,000+ and receiving awards from film festivals, such as Los Angeles Cinefest.

This team is on the cusp of disrupting the film industry with their unique perspectives, creativity, and skills. All while having the care and compassion to tell this heartfelt and bittersweet Vietnamese story of family, understanding, and growth.

LONG LE (Director) — Born to Vietnamese immigrants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Long (he/him) has always held a passion for storytelling, focusing on character-driven plots and advocating for more Asian representation in media. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Long’s work has been recognized by film festivals such as the Louisiana International Film Festival and Los Angeles CineFest. Throughout his career, he has garnered diverse experience from unscripted Jubilee Media shows to K Period Media and Thunder Road Productions’ The Accidental Getaway Driver, a Sundance award-winning feature film. In 2019, Long was selected from filmmakers across the globe to participate in Jubilee Media’s Fellowship of 2019, where he collaborated with Jubilee Media and a team of three other filmmakers on a film made in two weeks.

In addition to his physical production skillset, Long interned for companies, like Skydance Media and Aperture Entertainment, providing script coverage and shadowing creative executives in meetings. While at USC, Long founded USC’s premiere Asian arts magazine, Descent Magazine, and held the presidential office for the Asian Pacific Cinema Association, which both promote and connect Asian creatives at USC. Outside of filmmaking, Long enjoys playing board games, video games, and Dungeons & Dragons.

KENNETH WHITE (1st Assistant Director) — Kenneth White (he/him) is a Director, Cinematographer, writer, and Baton Rouge native. Kenneth has spent the last three years of his early career interning and working at NOVAC(New Orleans Video Access Center) as a workforce program coordinator. He also works in partnership with Warner Bros Discovery, NBC Universal, and more in contract with their inclusivity programs. Kenneth spends most of his time traveling, pursuing film photography and beekeeping. Kenneth's credits range from Short films, commercial work, documentaries, and feature films.

ANN NGUYEN (Producer) — Ann Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American writer, director, and producer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She recently graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in Film and Television Production as a Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholar. Ann has produced and directed various short films, including the 2022 recipient of the CreateLouisiana $25,000 grant, “Tambou,” the first-ever film made in Louisiana Creole about a grandfather’s quest to share his culture and heritage with his grandson and coming-of-age drama “The Unreachable Star,” starring Tamlyn Tomita, about a child's perspective living in a Japanese internment camp. She is committed to advocating for greater representation in the entertainment industry through lifting up fellow underrepresented voices and telling AAPI and LGBTQ+ stories in particular. Aside from film and entertainment, she enjoys painting, cooking, singing slightly off-key, and watching LSU and Saints football.

VICTORIA WANG (Associate Producer) — Victoria Wang is a senior at UCLA studying Psychology, Film, and Theater. Her passion for storytelling has driven her to explore many facets of the entertainment industry, including acting and directing for the stage through UCLA’s LCC Theatre Company and interning in development at FilmNation Entertainment and management at Echo Lake Entertainment.

Victoria currently interns for producer Joy Gorman Wettels' social impact production company, Joy Coalition, and is the Social Media Coordinator for the Center for Scholars & Storytellers.

She champions projects that are authentic and diverse, both in front of and behind the screen. Victoria gravitates most to stories that are gentle and introspective, reflecting on the radiant and painful realities of love.

THYTHY DO (Cinematographer) — Thythy is a Vietnamese-American-born DP in San Jose, California. Currently, she is a Cognitive Science major with a minor in Cinematic Arts at USC.

Since coming to USC, Thythy has worked on multiple projects, including shooting a feature film at just 20 years old. She is passionate about Asian American representation in media and entertainment and driving these stories through visual cinematography techniques. 

Aside from her involvement in the film industry, she also works as a product designer. She is particularly passionate about ethics in tech and entrepreneurship, which reflects her drive to make a positive impact on the world.

COURTNEY CHAPMAN (Production Designer) — Courtney Chapman (she/her) is a production designer, animator, and sculptor based in Los Angeles. Her love for telling visually compelling stories spans from creating stop-motion animation for companies like WebToon and Bomb Pop to her production design work on numerous short films and series in the past few years. Courtney is an MFA graduate student at UCLA studying Animation, and is so thrilled to be working on this project! She hopes her experience in art— and her personal experience as an Asian American storyteller will help make this film as rich, beautiful, and deeply personal as it exists on the page.

Red Boat Fish Sauce — After moving to the United States, Cuong Pham was hungry to recreate the flavors of his childhood in Saigon. But not even the vibrant Asian markets of San Francisco offered the intensely fragrant first-press fish sauce, nước mắm nhĩ, that Cuong remembered from Vietnam. So in 2011, Cuong decided that if he couldn't find it, he would make it — and started Red Boat Fish Sauce. Returning to Vietnam, Cuong expanded a small, family-run facility on the tropical island of Phú Quốc. With its clear waters and traditional fishing communities, Phú Quốc has long been renown for producing the world's greatest fish sauces. Cuong partnered with expert fishermen and continued a centuries-old fermentation tradition. Today, the Red Boat brand is stronger than ever. In an era where transparency, traceability, and sustainability reign supreme, Red Boat is just as committed to quality ingredients and its time-honored fermentation tradition as the day it was founded. That means no additives, no preservatives, and no flavor enhancers. Just the purest fish sauce on earth.

Vivian Nguyễn, VivMakesThings — Vivian Nguyễn (she/her) is a child of Vietnamese refugees and a multi-passionate person. She is an educator, designer, and entrepreneur who has always loved the magic of turning ideas into reality. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in social justice, a thread that connects to her store’s mission to increase representation of Vietnamese culture and community. The best-selling "Troi Oi” hat was born in 2022 as a fun, “why not?" idea and practice of confidence which led to the inspiration of other items that can now be found in homes across the states. Vivian feels very lucky that the community response has been overwhelmingly positive thus far, and her favorite part is seeing and hearing about the joy that comes from her designs. She is very grateful and excited to be a part of this film’s journey! Find more of her products on her Etsy page!

Little Saigon Official — We are the children and grandchildren of these strong-willed immigrants, and together, our community represents courage, endurance, and adaptation, but also kindness, sympathy, and support. Little Saigon Official’s mission is to preserve the culture and history of the Vietnamese American community and breathe life into it through art, fashion and food. Visit https://littlesaigonca.com/ for more info and merchandise.

Your support and contributions mean the world to me and the One Summer Night team. I began writing this script in November 2021, and it has been a long journey of learning, healing, and growth since then. I hope that you'll join us on this journey and help us bring this story of grief and healing to life. Our team's undying dedication is ready to put your contributions to use and craft a beautiful and heartfelt film.

Any donation amount helps, as well as sharing on social media and telling your friends. Follow us on Instagram @onesummernight.film to see all of our updates and progress!