Awards | Honors

Filmography

Van Phan is passionate about creating WOW experiences by using emerging technology, psychology, and animation as a tool to push the boundaries of storytelling for social impact. Van uses his multidisciplinary background and platform to explore new processes, solve problems, and share his experience to help further the new storytelling medium.  He has produced several short films that screened at over sixty film festivals internationally, including Cannes, Tribeca, SXSW, and SIGGRAPH.  His movies have gone on to win numerous awards, including two Student Emmys. His thesis film "Values" qualified for the Academy Award for "Best Animated Short" after winning SIGGRAPH Best of the Show.

His most recent project, Upstander, has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Bifan, and the Nashville Film Festival.  Upstander won Best Non-Interactive VR for the XR Must 2020 Awards.

What the Press has been saying

Honors/Awards

Best 360 film XR-Must 2020 Awards
CannesXR VeeR Future Awards 2020
Tribeca Film Festival Official Selection 2020
Oculus Start                              2020

LaunchPad Fellowship 2019
Creator's Lab 3.0 Filmmaker 2018

USC Classic Shorts
Best of Show  SIGGRAPH Academy Award-eligible

Academy Award Eligible for Best Animated Short 

Student Emmys Award Animation 

Best of Show  3D Design Big Kahuna
Best Animation Tehran International Short Film Festival

First Place Media One Student Short Film Contest
Best Animation Palm Spring Short Animation Festival 

Finalist - Digital Video Media Master Award

WorldFest Houston Platinum Award
New Haven Film Fest Audience Choice Award
Finalist - Japan Digital Animation Festival -

Honorable Mention - Rhythm a Hues Scholarship 

Honorable Mention - Smog Dance Festival 

Best Experimental Film - GTCN Film and Video Festival 

Best Animation - Rhythm and Hues Animation Contest 

Best Student Animation  -  Santa Clarita International Film Festival
Classic USC Shorts Screening

Screenings of Upstander

Zlin Film Festival                                                  2021

Febio Film Festival                                                2021

VRE Film Festival                                                 2021

Games for Change Festival                                   2021                                               

XR MUST               Festival                                  2021

Tribeca Internation Film Festival                        2020
Cannes International Film Festival                     2020
BIFAN International Film Festival                      2020
Nashville International Film Festival                  2020
Chianiartoonfest Film Festival                             2020

Verse Internation Film Festival                            2020

360 Film Festival                                                    2020

International Children Rights Film Festival       2020 

Palm Spring International Animation Festival   2020

Real World XR Awards                                         2020

African International Film Festival                     2020

* Contributed as an animator on Arden's Wake, winner of Best VR at Venice Film Festival 2018. 

Screenings of Values 

South By Southwest Film Festival     |     SIGGRAPH Asia     |     SIGGRAPH  Electronic Theatre  Best in Show     |     Academy of Television College Awards     |     Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival     |     Chicago International Children’s Film Festival     |     Cinequest Film Festival      |     Anima Mundi     |     Palm Spring International Shortfest     |     American Digital Arts Festival     |     Future Film Festival     |     Multimedia Grand Prix     |     GTCN Film Video Festival     |     CSUN International Animation Festival     |     USC classic shorts program     |     First Look Film Festival     |     Tehran International Film Festival     |     Hollywood Shorts Film Festival     |     Berkeley Film Festival     |     Rhode Island Film Festival     |     Woodstock Film Festival     |     Potsdam Film Festival     |     International Festival of Kerla     |     Lisbon Film Festival     |     3D Design and Animation expo     |     Film Fest New Haven     |     Newport Beach International Film Festival     |    

Screenings Wild Card

 Carolina Film and Video Festival     |     New York Animation Festival     |     Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film and Video Festival     |     Bucheon International Animation Festival     |     Tahoe International Film Fest     |     Hollywood Short Film Festival     |     George Lindsey Film Festival     |     Flicker Film Festival     |     Toronto Digital Film Festival     |     British Short Film Festival     |     Dream Centenary CG Grad Prix     |     Vancouver Effects and Animation Festival      |     Seoul International Animation Festival     |     DV Media Master Awards     |     West Virginia Film Festival     |     Smogdance Film Festival     |     CineVegas International Film Festival     |     The Utah Film and Video Center     |     Side on Cinema     |     Sydney Australia     |     Archipelago Film Festival     |     Atom Films     |     Brooklyn Film Festival     |     Smog Dance Film Festival     |     Out of Bounds Film Festival