Date: April 1st 2009

From: DFW International Community Alliance
On behalf of: Vietnamese community

Contact: Justin Hung
Cell Phone: (214) 507-0615 pr@againstthegrainproductions.com
March 31, 2009

OPERATION BABYLIFT: THE LOST CHILDREN OF VIETNAM TO DEBUT AT THE 2009 VIETNAMESE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Documentary Details the 1975 U.S. Airlift of 2,500 Vietnamese Orphans During the Fall of Saigon

DALLAS, TX, March 18, 2009 – Locally based non-profit ATG Against the Grain Productions premieres Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam at the Vietnamese International Film Festival on Friday, April 3 at the Bowers Museum located at 2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana, California. The documentary plays from 7:30 – 9:00 PM, followed immediately by a Q & A session with Producer/Director Tammy Nguyen Lee and several cast in attendance.

Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam tells the significant yet untold story of the $2 million dollar US initiative that airlifted over 2,500 Vietnamese orphans out of a war-torn country to protect them from the impending threat of the Communist regime. These adoptees grew up facing unique challenges in America, including prejudice overshadowed by a controversial war and cultural identity crisis. Featuring compelling and insightful interviews of the volunteers, parents, and organizations directly involved, the movie takes a contemporary look at Babylift and its relevance to international adoption today. The film was a passionate team effort that took 4 years to produce.

Lee said: “Operation Babylift was a moving story I had never heard about, and it was a significant part of our history. Although this journey was not my own, I could relate to the essence of what all adoptees crave – the need to feel loved, the need to feel understood, the need to know who I am, the need to belong. This project refueled my passion to give a platform to those that had not been represented, to find stories that were important and had been forgotten. I hope to also continue the spirit of humanitarianism and community that Babylift inspires.”

Tammy Nguyen Lee fled Saigon with her mother more than 30 years ago. An SMU alum and graduate from UCLA’s Producers Program, Lee founded ATG Against the Grain Productions to promote Asian American cultural awareness through compelling media projects, while also raising funds for international orphanages. For more information please visit www.AgainstTheGrainProductions.com.

To learn more about the Vietnamese International Film Festival please visit www.vietfilmfest.com/2009.
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