AFIN International Film Festival
Poster for Vietnam Aftermath, directed by Tom Phillips, AFIN 2019

Documentary Short AFIN 038

Vietnam Aftermath

Directed by Tom Phillips

AFIN 2019 Nominee

  • 2019
  • 30m
  • USA
  • English
Watch trailer View My AFIN →

Stills

2 frames

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Credits

Starring

Synopsis

The horrors of war never die. The story emerging is not one on the War itself but on the horrors these men and women now face at home. Their story is of the war after the war, rejection, disenchantment, death, nightmares and resiliency. More than 40 years have passed since the official end of the Vietnam War. For years, many veterans of this war refused to talk about their experience. Now, however, as many begin to die out, four Vets that belong to the New Jersey Vietnam Veteran's Memorial have decided to share their stories for the first time.

Director's Statement

Tom Phillips, filmmaker portrait provided to AFIN.

Over two years ago while producing a television series I started to interview Veterans on the War in Vietnam. During the shoot I became very close to two of the Vets I spoke with. Later on, the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial in New Jersey offered to pay me to interview all their Veterans. My father served, I did not so it didn’t feel right taking money from them. Instead I offered to donate my time and gear and I would see what if anything I could do to get their story’s out to the public. Over a year ago I started editing this and just didn’t think it was working. Then after being caught up on much needed paying gigs I went back to the footage and tried again editing a 34-minute documentary. I included visits to the homes of four Veterans, to get a no holds barred view on what it’s like to live with the darker memories of War and the continuing horror of the effects of “Agent Orange” on their families. Anyone that’s been in production knows whenever you do a program this way, with no plan, no real budget, no script, it will always only be what it is. So, what is it? Documentary or Experimental? There is no added narration. I didn’t want to risk any interpretation on my part. I wanted viewers to hear these stories from the Veterans themselves. The open is very nontraditional and wrong by current Television Network formats. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. However, the stories of these four brave men are intact and told in “their own words”. They shared things with me that they never told anyone. This documentary is not about the past but a grim warning for the future.

What makes this one special

Also selected at

30 awards, 4 nominations, 8 finalist placings, 50 official selections across 92 other festivals

  1. WinnerMonmouth Film Festival"Audience Award Best Short Documentary" · Red Bank · 2019
  2. Winner52 Weeks Film FestivalWinner Best "US Documentary" · Thousand Oaks, United States
  3. WinnerAphrodite Film AwardsBest Director · NYC, United States
  4. WinnerBest Shorts AwardsWinner Best Experimental Film" · Los Angeles, United States
  5. WinnerBLAST OFF FILM FESTIVAL"winner Best Cinematography" · Los Angeles, United States
  6. WinnerBrentwood & Pacific Palisades Film Festival"Winner" · Los Angeles
  7. WinnerBrentwood & Pacific Palisades Film Festival"winner Best Best Inspirational & Wellness Movie" · Bentwood, United States
  8. WinnerCare AwardsWinner Best Redemptive Short · Cairo, WV, United States
  9. WinnerCare Awards"Winner Best Short Cinematography" · United States
  10. WinnerCrown Wood International Film FestivalWinner Best Short Documentary · Jeet Sunshine, India
  11. WinnerGlobal Film Festival Awards"WINNER" Best Cinematography · Los Angeles, United States
  12. WinnerGlobal Independent Film AwardsWinner "Best Short Documentary" · Los Angeles
  13. WinnerGlobal Independent Film Awards"Winner Best Short Documentary" & "Best Screenplay" · United States
  14. WinnerGlobal Independent Film Awards"Winner Best Screenplay" · Los Angeles, United States
  15. WinnerGlobal Music Awards"Winner Bronze Medal" · La Jolia, United States
  16. WinnerGlobal Nonviolent Film Festival"Winner Best Short Documentary" · Hollywood, United States
  17. WinnerHoboken International Film FestivalWinner Best Documentary Film" · North Haledon, NJ, United States
  18. WinnerHollywood Boulevard Film Festival Team"Winner Best Short Documentary" · Hollywood, United States
  19. WinnerHonor Film Festival"winner" · Florida, United States
  20. WinnerHyperwave Film Awards"Winner Best Short Documentary" · Los Angeles, United States
  21. WinnerL.A. Shorts AwardsWinner Best Documentary Diamond Award · Los Angeles, United States
  22. WinnerLA EDGE FILM AWARDS!Winner "Best Short Documentary" · Los Angeles, United States
  23. WinnerLos Angeles International Short Film FestivalWinner "Best Short Documentary"
  24. WinnerMIAMI WEB FEST"Winner" VETERAN-CREATED FILM · Miami, United States
The remaining 68 festivals
  1. WinnerNew Hope Film Festival"Winner Best Short Documentary" · New Hope, PA, United States
  2. WinnerOlympus Film Festival Los Angeles"Winner" · Studio City, United States
  3. WinnerOlympus Film Festival.Winner "Best Short War Doc" · Los Angeles, United States
  4. WinnerQueen Palm International Film FestivalWINNER Two Awards - "Best Director" & "Best Short" War/Military · Palm Springs, United States
  5. WinnerTHINKING HAT FICTION CHALLENGE"award Winner" · West Bengal, India
  6. WinnerUNITED STATES FILM FESTIVAL"winner Best Cinematography"
  7. NomineeIndie Short FestNominated "Best Short Documentary" · Los Angeles
  8. NomineeINGENUITY FILM FESTIVALNominated for Spirit Award · Charles Town, United States
  9. NomineeNRFF"nominated Best Short Documentary" · London, United Kingdom
  10. NomineeRoyal Starr Film Festival"Nominated for Best Short Documentary" · Royal Oak, United States
  11. FinalistCentral States Indie Fan Film Fest"finalist" · Rock Island, Illinois, United States
  12. FinalistEuropean Cinematography AWARDSTheater Tuschinski / "Finalist" · Amsterdam, Netherlands
  13. FinalistGold Movies Awards"Finalist" · London, United Kingdom
  14. FinalistIndependent Talents International Film Festival"Finalist" · Bloomington, IN, United States
  15. FinalistIndie Visions Film Festival"Finalist" · Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
  16. FinalistLas Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Competition"Finalist" · Los Vegas
  17. FinalistNew York Cinematography AWARDS (NYCA)"Finalist" · NYC, United States
  18. FinalistOntario, CanadaBest Short Fest / "Semi Finalist"
  19. SelectionAltFest"Official Selection" · New York City, United States
  20. SelectionApulia Web FestSelected · RUVO DI PUGLIA, BARI, India
  21. SelectionCare Awards"Best Cinematography" · Los Angeles, United States
  22. SelectionChain NYC Film FestivalOfficial Selection · NYC, United States
  23. SelectionChicago Southland International Film Festival"Vietnam Aftermath Official Selection" · Chicago, United States
  24. SelectionDepth Of Field International Film FestivalOfficial Selection · Nassau, DE, United States
  25. SelectionDocs Without Borders Film Festival"Selected" · Nassau, United States
  26. SelectionEnginuity Film Festival"Official Selection? · Sheperdstown, United States
  27. SelectionEuropean Independent Film AwardRiver Street, Kilda, Australia
  28. SelectionFour Corners Film Festival"Vietnam Aftermath Official Selection" · United States
  29. SelectionGI Film FestivalOfficial Selection" · San Diego, United States
  30. SelectionGlobal; non Violent Film Festival"Best Short Documentary", United States
  31. SelectionHague World Cinema FestivalWestinde"Official Selection" · Westinde, Netherlands
  32. SelectionHollywood Boulevard Film Festiva"Official Selection" · Hollywood. CA, United States
  33. SelectionHollywood Film CompetitionOfficial Selection · Hollywood, United States
  34. SelectionHollywood Film Competition"Best Short Documentary" · Hollywood, United States
  35. SelectionHollywood Film Competition"Best Director? · Hollywood, United States
  36. SelectionHollywood Hills Film Awards"Official Selection" · Hollywood, CA
  37. SelectionIndependent Shorts Awards"Best Documentary Short" · Los Angeles, United States
  38. SelectionIndependent Shorts Festival in LA"Best Short Documentary", United States
  39. SelectionInternational Social Change Film Festival"Official Selection" · Chicago, Illinois, United States
  40. SelectionKAPOW FILM FESTIVAL!"Official Selection" · Hollywood. CA, United States
  41. SelectionLA Shorts AwardsSelected! · Los Angeles, United States
  42. SelectionLas Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Competition"!"Official Selection? · Las Vegas, United States
  43. SelectionManchester Film FestivalOfficial Selection · NYC, United States
  44. SelectionManhattan Film FestivalSelected · NYC, United States
  45. SelectionManhattan Film Festival"Official Selection" · NYC, United States
  46. SelectionMEDFF"Official Selection" · Fontane Bianche, Italy
  47. SelectionNew Hope Film Festival"Official Selection" · New Hope, United States
  48. SelectionNext Level Film Festoval"Best Short Documentary", United States
  49. SelectionNortheast Mountain Film FestivalOfficial Selection · St Dillard, GA, United States
  50. SelectionNYC Indie Film Awards"Official Selection" · NYC, United States
  51. SelectionOfficial SelectionAustralia
  52. SelectionOlympus Film Festival."Best Short Documentary" · Los Angeles, United States
  53. SelectionOlympus Film Festival."Best Inspirational Film" · Los Angeles, United States
  54. SelectionPittsburgh International Independent Film Festival"Official Selection" · Pittsburgh, United States
  55. SelectionRefugees Film Festival."Official Selection" · Berlin,, Germany
  56. SelectionRome Independent Prisma AwardsSelected · Rome, Italy
  57. SelectionRoyal Starr Film Festival!"official Selection" · Royal Oak, MI, United States
  58. SelectionThe History Film FestivalOfficial Selection · Rijeka, Croatia
  59. SelectionTHE NEW "RENAISSANCE FILM FESTIVAL:Official Selection" · London, United Kingdom
  60. SelectionTIC Film Festival"Official Selection" · United Kingdom
  61. SelectionTri Cities International Film FestivalRichland, United States
  62. SelectionTulsa American Film FestivalOfficial Selection · Tulsa, United States
  63. SelectionVegas Movie Awards"best Inspirational Film" · Vegas, United States
  64. SelectionVegas Movie Awards" Best Documentary Short" · Hegas, United States
  65. SelectionVeteran Film AwardsSelected · Miami Beach, Florida, United States
  66. SelectionVOB Film Festival"Official Selection" · New York, United States
  67. SelectionWest Europe International Film Festival: Brussels Edition Inb"Official Selection" · Brussells, Belgium
  68. SelectionYOFIFEST THE YONKERS FILM FESTIVAL"official Selection" · Yonkers, United States

Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.

Director's Biography

Tom Phillips, filmmaker portrait provided to AFIN. Tom Phillips Director

"Vietnam Aftermath" wins its third Award "Best Short Documentary" in the Independent Shorts Festival in LA. "Vietnam Aftermath" also won "Best Short Documentary" and "Best Inspirational Film" competing with hundreds of submissions with Emmy winning and Oscar Nominated directors in the Olympus Film Festival in LA. Working mostly in television I've developed, written, shot and produced 78 hours of television programming for The History Channel, Discovery, Nat Geo, Outdoor Channel, Smithsonian, BBC, BBC Worldwide, Comedy Central and PBS. My main responsibility is to create story elements that will engage the audience and maintain high ratings. Last year I produced for “Moonshiner’s” and “Masters of Arms” both for the Discovery Channel. Last year I worked on “Forged in Fire” for the History Channel and for “Hidden History” a new series for the Smithsonian Channel to be released in 2019.

Trailer

Placings

Recognised in these categories at AFIN 2019, as announced that season.

  • Best Director Semi-Finalist
  • Best Cinematography Semi-Finalist

Official laurels

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Vietnam Aftermath was an official Nominee for Best Documentary Short Subject at the AFIN International Film Festival 2019, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.

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