The festival aims to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the capital city and the fifth anniversary of Hanoi joining the UNESCO Creativity City Network (UCCN) as a City of Design.

Attendees will experience creative works from notable film industries, including the US, France, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany, India, Thailand, Belgium, Spain, and Iran.

Among the 11 movies competing for the best feature-length film, there is only one of Vietnam. Entitled "Ngay Xua Co Mot Chuyen Tinh" (Love Upon a Time), which will be screened at the HANIFF opening ceremony.

There are 19 entries competing in the short film category, with eight Vietnamese films in documentary, animation, and narrative genres, and 11 international ones.

Besides film screenings, the festival will organise two seminars to introduce German cinema and discuss historical film and literary adaptation production.

An exhibition to introduce UNESCO heritage sites of Vietnam will be held for international artists and filmmakers.

Participants will also have a chance to join sideline activities, including outdoor film screening programmes, exchanges with actors and actresses, and sightseeing tours to some attractive destinations in Hanoi, among others.

HANIFF 7 is an opportunity to promote the Vietnamese cultural industry's development in the cinema field, said Vi Kien Thanh, Director of the Department of Cinematography, adding that it is also expected to continue to affirm the country as a destination for filmmakers.

The festival will offer free screenings at many places./.VNA