Rolling the Dice in Asia: A director’s return
Derek “Dice” Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American director known for blending heartfelt storytelling with bold, surreal, and cinematic visuals. Born and raised in the U.S., he’s built a career in both Los Angeles and Asia making work that connects on both an emotional and visual level. Now, he’s heading back to Asia, ready to dive into the market and bring his distinctive style to fresh collaborations.
One of Dice’s most recognised works with Directors Think Tank is the MTV AAPI Heritage Month campaign “Chasing Meaning”. Playing on US national TV across all Viacom networks and streaming on Paramount Plus, the film was so well-received that Viacom brought it back in 2025 – the second year in a row. It’s also picked up multiple honours, including a selection at the UK’s Shiny Awards, a feature in the New Directors Showcase by the Directors Guild of America and SHOOT Magazine in the U.S., and an official selection at Berlin Commercial, a huge deal in the global ad world.
Dice’s latest project in the U.S. takes a playful, fashion-forward turn with a film for Koio, a New York-based shoe brand. Shot on both 16mm film and VHS handicam, it blends retro textures with a modern edge, showing his versatility and eye for style. This film is also selected for this year’s Berlin Commercial Awards Shortlist.
Now back in Asia and represented by Directors Think Tank, Dice is ready to take on fresh collaborations across the region. In a recent interview for SHOOT Magazine, he reflected on the creative partnerships that have shaped his work, including the strong collaboration he’s built with the DTT team. With that foundation, he’s set to craft more standout stories in Asia — and this return marks the start of an exciting new chapter in his career.
