Original gangster: Truong Ngoc Anh (left) receives an Excellent Achievement Award for her role in Huong Ga. — Photo doisongphapluat.com

HA NOI  (VNS) — A movie on one of Viet Nam's most notorious female gangsters won the Best Feature Southeast Asia Panorama award during the Festival of Globe Awards 2015 held in California, the US, from August 7 to 16.

Huong Ga (Rise) depicts the highs and lows of a woman gangster named Dieu in early 2000s as she breaks the glass ceiling in a man's world.

Her life is shaded by influences and lessons from the men she has known – Nhan, her childhood sweetheart and great unrequited love; Hung, who is empty but very attractive; Tung, the man of her dreams, her husband, lover and friend; and Tan, a gentle man who promises a simpler life. The men in her life contribute to Dieu's great successes and failures as she climbs to the top of Viet Nam's gangster underworld.

Actress Truong Ngoc Anh, who plays Dieu, won the Best Actress People Choice Award for her role.

"This is a great happiness for us," said film director Cuong Ngo, "We did not think we would be so lucky. This shows that we have made an alluring work of film that touched people's hearts. Anh put in a huge amount of effort."

Anh said she was proud to have her work rewarded. "A prize for the film and a prize for the main actress means the jury and specialists highly appreciated our movie," she said.

At the event, Vietnamese actors like Anh and Kathy Uyen participated in various exchange activities with others from around the world.

Rise, which was first released in October 2014, also won three top categories at the 2014 Golden Kite Awards held in March by the Viet Nam Cinema Association. It took home Best Cinema Work, Best Actress and Best Director.

After the event in the US, Anh will return to Viet Nam to announce the cast line-up for Truy Sat (Chasing), an action movie she produced. Shooting will start early next month.

Festival of Globe mission is to empower and integrate global cultures and communities through Film Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Fold Arts.

The Festival of Globe Awards is a premier show that selects over 100 winners from movies submitted from more than 30 countries. The host of celebrities from Bollywood, Hollywood, Latino World, Europe, China and Far East, top movie makers, independent movie makers and investors attend the event. Global cultural dances, music, comedy and fashion fest enrich and entertain everyone's taste. — VNS