Kim Nguyen (born 1974) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter, best known for his 2012 film War Witch (Rebelle) which received numerous honours including an Academy Awards nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Early life
Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec to a Vietnamese father and a French-Canadian mother, he is a 1997 graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, having earned a BFA. His knowledge of computer-assisted image manipulation was deepened while he taught cinematographic language and screenwriting at the Institut de création artistique et de recherche en infographie (ICARI) and Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montréal.
Career
Nguyen has directed a number of feature films including War Witch (2012) (also known by the French title Rebelle), Eye on Juliet (2017) and The Hummingbird Project (2018). For War Witch, the film was the top winner at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards, in addition to being named Best Picture and winning acting awards for two of its stars, Nguyen himself won the awards for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, which also earned him an Academy Awards nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Following War Witch, Nguyen was one of 276 new members invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2019 he was the patron and curator of the Festival Vues dans la tête de... film festival in Rivière-du-Loup.
In 2025 he was announced as entering production on The Hourglass (Le Sablier), an adaptation of Édith Blais's non-fiction book about her experience being captured and held hostage by Islamist terrorists while travelling in Burkina Faso.Charles Rioux, "Kim Nguyen adaptera Le sablier d’Édith Blais au cinéma". Ici Radio-Canada, May 1, 2025. Shooting on the film commenced in April 2026.Jamie Casemore, "Kim Nguyen rolls on The Hourglass off the coast of Africa". Playback, April 17, 2026.
His 2026 documentary film Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom (Une photo à Saigon : coups de feu sur deux vies) premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, where it was the winner of the Best Canadian Feature Documentary award.Matthew Carey, "West Bank-Set ‘House Of Hope,’ ‘Saigon Story: Two Shootings In The Forest Kingdom’ Among Big Winners At Hot Docs". Deadline Hollywood, May 1, 2026.
Filmography Films
Feature film YearFilm Original Title 2002 The Marsh Le Marais 2008 Truffles Truffe 2010 City of Shadows La Cité 2012 War Witch Rebelle 2016 Two Lovers and a Bear Two Lovers and a Bear 2017 Eye on Juliet Eye on Juliet 2018 The Hummingbird Project The Hummingbird Project
Short film YearFilm Original Title 2000 Soleil glacé Soleil glacé 2004The Glove Le Gant 2012Denis Marleau Denis Marleau
Documentary films YearFilm Original Title 2007Happiness Bound Happiness Bound 2012Blush Of Fruit Blush Of Fruit 2014The Empire Of The Scents Le Nez 2026Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom Une photo à Saigon : coups de feu sur deux vies
Television Year TitleNotes 2006 La chambre no. 13 S1, E9: Le rat 2017 Bellevue S1, E5: How Do I Remember?S1, E6: The Problem with the Truth 2019 Anne with an E S3, E2: There Is Something at Work in My Soul Which I Do Not Understand 2022 Transplant S2, E9: Between & E10: ShadowsS3, Episode 5: Nadir
Accolades + Awards and nominations received by Kim Nguyen Organizations Year Category Work Result Academy Awards 2013 Best Foreign Language Film War Witch Berlin International Film Festival 2012 Golden Bear Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – Special Mention Cambridge Film Festival 2012 Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Canadian Screen Awards 2013 Best Director Best Screenplay Cinema for Peace awards 2013 Most Valuable Film of the Year Directors Guild of Canada 2017 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Two Lovers and a Bear Fantastic Fest 2009 Best Fantastic Director Truffle Film Critics Circle of Australia 2014 Best Feature Documentary Blush of Fruit Fresh Film Festival 2009 Fresh Generation Truffle Gala Québec Cinéma 2003 Best Director The Marsh Best Screenplay 2011 Best Director City of Shadows 2013 War Witch Best Screenplay Most Successful Film Outside Quebec 2017 Best Director Two Lovers and a Bear Best Screenplay Most Successful Film Outside Quebec Independent Spirit Awards 2013 Best International Film War Witch Milwaukee Film Festival 2013 Herzfeld Competition Award Montreal International Black Film Festival 2013 Vanguard Award — Honored Sitges Film Festival 2012 Noves Visions Award War Witch Tribeca Film Festival 2012 Best Narrative Feature Vancouver International Film Festival 2012 Best Canadian Feature Film Venice Film Festival 2017 Venice Days – Fedeora Awards for Best Film Eye on Juliet Vietnamese International Film Festival 2013 Grand-Jury Trống Đồng Award for Best Feature War Witch World Cinema Amsterdam 2012 Audience Award Writers Guild of Canada 2017 Feature Film Two Lovers and a Bear
See also Asian Americans in arts and entertainment List of Academy Award winners and nominees of Asian descent
Notes
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