Tokyo to host Viet Nam-Japan Programme

The Viet Nam-Japan Programme 2012 will be held in Tokyo from September 13-17.

The programme will include an art performance, a forum on investment promotion, a seminar on developing human resources and a Vietnamese cultural festival.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Xuan Hung, who is also co-head of the organising board said the programme would help Japanese people understand more about

Viet Nam and give visitors the chance to enjoy Vietnamese food and see handicrafts being made.

The programme has been held each year since 2008, attracting thousands of Japanese people and foreigners living in Japan. It highlights co-operation in the fields of culture, tourism, trade, education and training.

Exhibition on images of old Hanoi marks National Day

An exhibition themed ‘Hanoi-Corner of Time’ will be held at Exhibition Hall on 45 Trang Tien Street in Hanoi from August 30-September 4.

The event will present to viewers 100 exhibits including 3D photos and films featuring Hanoi’s old quarter, Opera House, Dong Xuan Market, Long Bien Bridge and daily activities of Hanoians from the late 19th century to mid 20th century.

The display has been co-organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Hanoi Cultural Fund and Hanoi 3D Company, on occasion of National Day (September 2).

Can Tho exhibition features marine sovereignty

An exhibition featuring photos and objects about the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Tuesday.

A boat used by the Hoang Sa Fleet under the Nguyen Dynasty

for journeys to Hoang Sa Archipelago.

According to an organiser from the Can Tho Museum, the exhibition themed “Sea and Islands of Vietnam” aims to show pictures and artefacts about the defence of Vietnam’s marine sovereignty to people in the Mekong River Delta.

On display are photos of Vietnamese naval soldiers who are on mission to protect the national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands as well as the love of mainland people for residents and soldiers on the two archipelagos.

The exhibition will last until September 3.

Invitation-only Hennessy concert

The fourth Vietnamese concert run by the Hennessy liquor company will be held in Ha Noi's National Convention Centre on September 7.

American R&B singer Monica Denise Brown, Japanese rock band Okamoto and Vietnamese Idol winner Phuong Vy will perform this year.

The concerts, titled the Hennessy Artistry, have attracted thousands of people since 2008.

Monica Brown has won many American music prizes, including a Grammy award.

The four-member Okamoto group was set up in 2007 after successful performance at high school. They are considered by many as Japan's fastest rising stars.

Okamoto made their recording debut in 2009. They have appeared at the Southwest Music Festival held in Texas and at six other American cities.

The band performed in Viet Nam in 2010 and 2011.

Idol winner Phuong Vy won the 2007 Viet Nam Idol contest at the age of 20. She has released two albums of pop ballad and R&B.

The invitation-only concert will kick off at 8pm.

American jazz singer returns to Ha Noi

Jazz singer Kathryn Farmer is back to perform at Le Club in the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

Born in New York City, Farmer is the daughter of a jazz musician and holds a BA in music from the New England Conservatory.

Farmer is a pianist and organist but she is recognised most as a vocalist, having been on two world tours and to jazz festivals throughout the US and overseas.

She will perform from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.45pm, beginning tomorrow night.

Film Festival will screen world highlights

Director Grant Orchard's BAFTA and Sundance Jury Award-winning short film The Morning Stroll will be a highlight of an international film festival, beginning in Ha Noi tomorrow.

Also to be featured are the experimental documentary We'll Become Oil, about the Gulf of Mexico, and the stop-motion animated Notes on Biology, winner of the Best Short at the SXSW, an annual music and film conference and festival held in Austin, Texas.

Hosted by the Future Shorts – an innovative short film label – the screening will take place at Boombox Lounge, 1 Nguyen Khac Can Street, from 7-11.30pm. Entrance fee VND100,000, including one free drink.

Since 2003, Future Shorts has created a network of 65 cities and 15 countries where it conducts regular Future Shorts screenings.

Future Shorts was launched in HCM City in August 2009 and in Ha Noi in November 2010.

Ha Noi Social Club plans birthday bash

The Ha Noi Social Club will host a night of music to celebrate its first anniversary on Friday and Saturday at 6 Hoi Vu Street.

Live performances will be given by top bands, including The Uke Goddess, Good Graeff and Musbaba on Friday night and the Brazilian choro music band Xeomistas on Saturday night.

Free entry and free beer from 7-8.30pm.

French institute shows Oscar-winning film

The Artist, a French silent movie which won the Oscar Award for Best Picture in 2012, will be screened at the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) in September.

The film is one of several French films that will be shown every Saturday this month. The others include Jean De La Fontaine about the life of the French poet, the animated film Une Vie De Chat (A Cat in Paris), and the Vietnamese film Lost in Paradise. The screenings will begin at 3pm.

German film Knocking on Heaven's Door will also be featured on September 11 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost VND15,000 and are available at the venue at 28 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1.

The Wanderlusters perform at Hardrock Cafe

Hardrock Cafe Viet Nam will present The Wanderlusters, an acoustic American roots band playing bluegrass – and country-inspired music, on September 7 and 21.

The six band members are expats living in Viet Nam. Their songs reflect their lifestyle and love of travel and adventure.

The performances will begin at 9pm at 39 Le Duan Street in District 1.

Sofitel presents One Night in Bangkok

Sofitel Saigon Hotel will host a One Night in Bangkok event with cocktails and music by DJ Kamel Night at Boudoir Lounge on August 31, September 28 and October 26.

Visitors who wear high heel shoes to the event will receive a deep discount on cocktails all night – the higher the heel, the deeper the discount – and will have a chance to win a trip for two to see Dita Von Teese from Hollywood performing her world famous show in Bangkok.

The event will begin at 9pm at 17 Le Duan Street in District 1.

AusCham holds Arabian Nights ball for charity

The AusCham's Arabian Nights' Ball will take place on Saturday, September 15 at the InterContinental Asiana Sai Gon. The five-star property's ballroom will be transformed into an oasis of decoration and entertainment.

Tickets are highly sought after and are selling quickly. So, please book now. Entrance per person is VND3,165,000 or VND31,650,000 per table of 10.

An array of prizes will also be up for grabs thanks to AusCham's sponsors. Funds from the raffle tickets and silent auction at the event will be donated to the Loreto Australia-Viet Nam Program. Proceeds will be used to renovate and buy equipment for a multi-sensory room at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind in District 10.

To donate prizes or buy tickets for this event, please contact events@auschamvn.org or call (08) 38329912. So, it's time to get aboard your magic carpet and enjoy a night of exotic tastes and senses. The AusCham's Arabian Nights' Ball is presented by headline sponsor ANZ Bank Viet Nam.

VNN/VNS/ND