Scarlet Silence
Services
- Film Pre-Production
- Planning
- Scheduling
- Budgeting
- Film Production
- Team Management
- Production Documentation
- Production Coordination & Management
- Organic Social Media Marketing
What’s the story?
Synopsis
As an up-and-coming painter, Harvey, works on his newest exhibit piece, surrounded by the company of his girlfriend, Mimi, and the art critic Zoe, things start to ruminate around love and jealousy.
Year: 2023
What’s the project?
This project involved the production of the film along with a strong online presence through social media.
The film was also presented live with the English orchestra Guildhall Orchestra, composed and conducted by Eleanor Fineston-Robertson, offering audiences a unique audiovisual experience.
It was showcased at various international festivals and received awards, with particular recognition in Canada at Canadian Screen Awards qualifying Festival TINFF.
The production stood out for its strong female presence on set and its artistic dimension, as it integrated the art of painting in collaboration with a visual artist whose original works were created specifically for the film.
Mari Yamamura worked as the cinematographer, and the project was featured in Film and Digital Times, issue number 127 (September 2024), highlighting her work in capturing the key moments of this short film.
The recordings were filmed in London at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, a perfect location to bring to life a film about art and painting.
Technical sheet
Story & Directed by: Zen Nguyen
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Starring: Celina Chien, Benjamin Jia, Quanna Luo Masterson
Written by: Jyn Garcia
Produced by: Anna de Escobar
Director of Photography: Mari Yamamura
Production Designer: Jess Windred
Artist:Jessica Woo Jung Ghil
Music Composer: Eleanor Rineston Robertson
Art Director: Haden J Holme
Costumer Designer: Cynthia Guw
Award: Best Thriller – London Global Film Awards, Best Short Drama – Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TNIFF), Canadian Screen Award Qualifying Festival.
Nomination: Best Female Filmmaker – TNIFF, Canadian Screen Award Qualifying Festival.
Official Selection: Budapest Movie Awards, Stockholm Short Festival, Liverpool Indie Awards, Femme Filmmakers Festival.
Running time: 11:36 minutes
Who’s the director?
Zen Nguyen is a Vietnamese director and producer based in London. She holds a BA in Communication, a Master’s in Creativity and Marketing, and a Master of Arts in Directing. After nearly a decade producing commercials across Southeast Asia for global brands such as Nestlé and KitKat, she transitioned into narrative filmmaking to focus on directing.
Her short film “Scarlet Silence” won Best Thriller at the London Global Film Awards and Best Short Drama at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (a Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival), where she was also nominated for Best Female Filmmaker. The film was an official selection at the Director Talents Movie Awards, Stockholm Short Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, Liverpool Indie Awards and Femme Filmmaker Awards.
In 2022, Zen worked as a line producer on the feature film “The Girl from The Past”, which received awards for Best and Visual Effects.
She recently directed the miniseries “Blue Season” (currently in post-production, set for release in Q4 2025), and is now developing her debut feature film, “Your Son”— a story exploring the bond between a Vietnamese adoptee and his Scottish mother, scheduled to begin shooting in May 2026.
You may also like
Sylvia Wang, 2023, 11' 55''
Worldwide, 2022
Anna de Escobar, 2021, 8'44''
Moevir Paris, 2022