The King of Trash wins two awards in San Francisco

The King of Trash won Best Documentary and the People Choice Film award at the 13th San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival on Nov. 1 in San Francisco. The film traces Vietnamese American entrepreneur David Duong’s path from refugee to founder of a major California recycling company and reflects a broader immigrant success story.

Why it matters: - The film turns one family’s refugee-to-entrepreneur story into a wider account of war, immigration and the building of a multigenerational business. - The awards give The King of Trash a higher-profile platform as the team explores streaming distribution. - The documentary also preserves the history behind California Waste Solutions and the Duong family’s role in recycling in the U.S. and Vietnam.

What happened: - The King of Trash won Best Documentary and Best People Choice Film at the 13th San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival. - The awards were presented Nov. 1 at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. - The 72-minute documentary follows Vietnamese American entrepreneur David Duong and his family from the Vietnam War to resettlement in the United States. - Duong dedicated the film and both awards to his parents, Jim Thu Tai Duong and Anh Thi Le.

The details: - Before the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Jim Thu Tai Duong built one of South Vietnam’s largest paper recycling businesses and earned the nickname Vua Rác, or “the King of Trash.” - After the war, the family lost its business and left Vietnam. - David Duong was among 23 family members who escaped by boat, survived a refugee camp in the Philippines and arrived in San Francisco in 1979. - Sixteen family members lived in two small studio apartments in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. - With limited money and limited English, the family returned to recycling by collecting cardboard, newspapers, aluminum cans and other materials. - David Duong attended school during the day and collected recyclables at night, sometimes until midnight. - In 1983, the family started CoGiDo Paper Corporation with about $700 and a used truck. - The family sold CoGiDo in 1989. - In 1992, David Duong founded California Waste Solutions in Oakland with eight used trucks. - California Waste Solutions won its first municipal franchise contract with the City of Oakland in 1993. - The company grew into a business serving more than 343,000 customers in Oakland and San José. - California Waste Solutions provides residential and commercial recycling collection, materials processing and resource recovery services. - David Duong later expanded business interests in Vietnam through Vietnam Waste Solutions. - Vietnam Waste Solutions developed the Da Phuoc Integrated Waste Management Facility near Ho Chi Minh City. - The facility spans more than 300 acres and handles thousands of tons of municipal waste daily. - The facility uses engineered landfills, wastewater treatment, landfill gas recovery and environmental monitoring. - Vietnam Waste Solutions is pursuing more than $500 million in new investment for a proposed waste-to-energy plant. - The proposed plant is designed to process 3,000 tons of waste daily and generate 60 megawatts of electricity. - David Duong is also pursuing the Long An Green Environmental Technology Park. - The film was directed by Errol Webber. - Webber previously worked as a cinematographer on Music by Prudence, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2010. - The film uses historical footage, family accounts and scenes filmed in Vietnam. - The documentary has screened across California, Texas, Florida and Washington, D.C. - Organizers said 12 screening events drew more than 5,000 attendees. - The film was also selected for the 2026 Red Rock Film Festival in Utah. - The San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival took place Oct. 25 through Nov. 1, 2026. - The festival received 110 film entries from countries and regions around the world. - The production team is in discussions with streaming platforms about wider distribution. - Distribution partners and release dates will be announced once agreements are finalized. - More information is available on the official website.

Between the lines: - The film’s success reflects interest in stories that connect immigrant survival, family enterprise and civic identity. - The Duong family’s recycling work in California and environmental investments in Vietnam give the story cross-border business and community relevance. - The San Francisco setting adds symbolism, since the city was the family’s first American home after resettlement.

What's next: - The production team is seeking streaming distribution. - Additional screening announcements are expected through the film’s website and promotional channels. - The documentary’s award run could expand interest in the Duong family story and California Waste Solutions’ history.

The bottom line: - The King of Trash turned a family history of war, migration and recycling into a festival-winning documentary with broader audience reach ahead.