The Third Wife

by Ash Mayfair

Vietnam 2018, 94'

Entrapped in a cocoon of traditions, newly-wed May must realize that flying free will come at a high price

In 19th century rural Vietnam, 14-year-old May becomes the third wife of wealthy landowner Hung. Soon she learns that she can only gain status by asserting herself as a woman who can give birth to a male child. May’s hope to change her status turns into a real and tantalizing possibility when she gets pregnant. Faced with forbidden love and its devastating consequences, May finally comes to an understanding of the brutal truth: the options available to her are few and far between.

Awards

NETPAC Award - Toronto IFF 2018
TVE - Another Look Award - San Sebastian IFF 2018
Special Mention - Milano FF 2018
Gold Hugo (New Directors Competition) - Chicago IFF 2018
Special Jury Award (Main Feature Film Competition) -
Minsk IFF Listapad 2018
Best Film - Kolkata IFF 2018
Best Artistic Contribution - Cairo IFF 2018
Youth Jury Award COMUNDO - Fribourg IFF 2019
Narrative Feature Competition Winner - Sarasota FF 2019
Best Direction and Best Cinematography - ImagineIndia Film Festival 2019
Special Mention - Austin Asian American FF 2019
Special Mention - Bangkok ASEAN FF 2019
Special Mention - SANFIC Santiago IFF 2019
Honourable Mention - Split FF 2019
Best Film, Best Set and Costume Design - Waterloo Historical FF 2019
Best Film Award - Asian FF (IT) 2020
Best Director (Ash Mayfair); Best Cinematography (Chananun Chotrungroj) - Pápa International Historical FF 2020

Festivals

Toronto IFF 2018
San Sebastian IFF 2018
Vancouver IFF 2018
Milano FF 2018
Namur International Francophone FF 2018
Busan IFF 2018
Chicago IFF 2018
Warsaw FF 2018
Sao Paulo IFF 2018
QCinema IFF 2018
Denver FF 2018
Asian FF Barcelona 2018
Minsk IFF Listapad 2018
Hong Kong Asian FF 2018
San Diego Asian FF 2018
Films from the South Festival 2018
Hawaii IFF 2018
Taipei Golden Horse FF 2018
Brasília IFF 2018
Kolkata IFF 2018
Black Nights FF 2018
Cairo IFF 2018
Around The World In 14 Films 2018
Singapore IFF 2018
Kerala IFF 2018
Hainan IFF 2018
Chennai IFF 2018
Palm Springs IFF 2019
Göteborg FF 2019
Bengaluru IFF 2019
Belgrade IFF 2019
Vienna International Women’s FF (FrauenFilmTage) 2019
Borderlines FF 2019
Kosmorama IFF 2019
CinemAsia FF 2019
Luxembourg City FF 2019
Fribourg IFF 2019
Prague IFF – Febiofest 2019
International Women’s FF of Créteil 2019
Belfast IFF 2019
Costa Rica IFF 2019
IFEMA International Female FF 2019
Istanbul IFF 2019
Ankara IFF 2019
MOOOV FF 2019
Caravan "Between Women Filmmakers" in Lebanon 2019
5 Continents FF 2019
Seattle IFF 2019
Transilvania IFF Cluj 2019
Sydney IFF 2019
Ici Vietnam Festival 2019
Bangkok ASEAN FF 2019
Roffa Mon Amour FF 2019
New Zealand IFF 2019
Jerusalem FF 2019
Film and Art Festival TWO RIVERSIDES 2019
Locarno FF Open Days 2019
SANFIC Santiago IFF 2019
"Cine a la Vista" International Teenagers FF 2019
Split FF 2019
Everybody's Perfect FF 2019
World Film Days Thusis 2019
Guwahati International FF 2019
Braunschweig IFF 2019
LGBT El Lugar Sin Límites 2019
Halmstad Ciné Club 2019
Elles Font Leur Cinema 2020
Asian FF (IT) 2020
Pápa International Film Festival 2020

Cast & Crew

Nguyễn Hồng Chương, Lê Vũ Long, Trần Nữ Yên Khe, Mai Thu Hường Maya, Nguyễn Phương Trà My

Ash Mayfair

Ash Mayfair was born & grown up in Vietnam, she received an MFA in filmmaking from NYU. Ash’s short films, The Silver Man, Sam, Heart of a Doll, Grasshoppers, Lupo, Walking the Dead, and No Exit have been shown by numerous international film festivals. The Third Wife is her first feature film. The screenplay won the Spike Lee Production Fund 2014 and was on the NYU Purple List 2015 for the best screenplays written by graduates. The Third Wife also won the Grand Prix at Autumn Meeting Lab 2015 in Vietnam and the Best Award for a non-Hong Kong project at the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum 2016. In 2017, the project is also among the 10 films selected to be presented at IFP (Independent Filmmakers Project), New York 2017.