Dutch distributor buys Vietnamese festival movie

Vu Ngoc Dang’s “Hotboy Noi Loan va Cau Chuyen ve Thang Cuoi, Co Gai Diem va Con Vit,” which has been accepted by the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada this month, has been acquired for release by the Dutch – based Fortissimo Films.

It is the first time that Fortissimo has bought a Vietnamese production.

“Vu Ngoc Dang is one of a new generation of Vietnamese directors that has both commercial sensibilities and a strong artistic vision,” Michael J. Werner, chairman of Fortissimo, said.

The movie has been nominated to the festival’s Discovery section for outstanding works from promising filmmakers around the world and will be screened under the title “Lost in Paradise.”

The 100-minute film, which narrates the story of Khoa, an innocent man who leaves his poor village for Sai Gon and falls in love with Lam, a male prostitute, has just been finished and is awaiting certification by the National Film Board for public releasing in Vietnam.

Museum collects details about martyrs’ mothers

The Southern Women's Museum in Ho Chi Minh City has begun to collect information about Vietnamese Heroic Mothers living in the city.

The program seeks to find out the total number of mothers of war martyrs and about their current circumstances.

It has so far collected information about 153 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers in HCMC. Only around 160 of the original 2000 are thought to be alive.

Nguyen Thi Tham, director of the museum, said after finishing the project the museum would organize a meeting between the women and the public and an exhibition featuring objects related to their lives.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2011 brings delight to Hanoi’s Old Quarter

A variety of cultural activities will be held during the Mid-Autumn Festival 2011 in Hanoi's Old Quarter, announced the Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee at the festival's opening ceremony in Hanoi on August 29.

The event, the seventh of its kind, aims to promote the traditional festival, also called the ‘Full Moon Festival’ which is held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

The festival will take place from the main gate of Dong Xuan Market to Hang Ma, Hang Giay, and Hang Dao walking streets, which will be set up with stands selling sweets, cakes, children’s toys and souvenirs.

Traditional games and folk arts, including a lantern procession, dragon and lion dances and drum art performances will be held along with a traditional food arrangement contest.

There will also be many other interesting traditional cultural activities such as To He (toy figurine) making, lantern making, mid-autumn painting and mask exhibitions that will take place at the Ancient House, No.87 Ma May Street, the Old Quarter Information Centre at No.28 Hang Buom street, Hong Lac Communal House at 38 Hang Dao street and Kim Ngan Communal House, No.42-44 Hang Bac street.

This year’s festival, which will continue until September 12, is expected to welcome 20,000 visitors.

Photo festival extolls beauty of Red River Delta provinces

The Red River Delta Fine Arts photography festival opened on August 30 in Ha Long city in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.

Under the theme ‘The Tourism Potential of the Red River Delta’, the festival is displaying 176 artworks selected from more than 1,100 entries sent to the organising board by 206 artists from Hai Phong city, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh provinces.

The works reflect historical sites, cultural festivals and traditional crafts as well as the cultural and socio-economic development in the region.

Nguyen Tien Thuyen from Quang Ninh province won the gold medal for his panorama entitled ‘Doi Bo Thanh Pho Ha Long’ (On the Two Banks of Ha Long City). The silver medals went to Tuyet Non from Bac Ninh province, Vu Thanh Chung from Hai Phong and Duong Duy Khang from Ninh Binh province. Three bronze medals and six consolation prizes were also awarded to other artists.

The exhibition, organised by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee, will last until September 7.

Young writers to receive more support

Young writers will receive more attention and support for developing their talents, said poet Nguyen Huu Thinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association.

Chairman Thinh was speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on August 30 for the 8th National Conference for Young Writers which will officially begin in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang on September 9.

During the event, 113 young writers will join a seminar on “Young Poetry and Young Prose”, a cultural exchange entitled ‘Literature about the Fatherland’s Sea and Islands’, and also visit a number of cultural and historical sites.

Poet Thinh affirmed that young writers today have many advantages because they were born during the national renewal period and have had more opportunities to improve their knowledge with better education.

This year’s conference aims to provide young writers a chance to interact and exchange ideas, and to devise a suitable strategy to foster their talents.

The event has been held by the Vietnam Writers Association every five years since 1959.

Le Cat Trong Ly's "Happy" Vietnam tour  

Up and coming singer and song-writer Le Cat Trong Ly starts a trans-Vietnam tour through six cities including Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi from September 10 to October 15.  

The tour, titled Vui (Happy) will kick off with two shows in Ho Chi Minh City’s Conservatory of Music on September 10 and 11.

The young singer and song-writer said that the tour is not considered as her career’s milestone but a chance to share her joy of singing to her beloved audiences.  

In each show, the curly hair and baby-faced singer, who is always accompanied with a guitar, will perform about 27 songs including originals and covers.

Ly’s six-week tour will be arranged by director Le Quy Duong, who has spent 14 years studying in Australia and is noted for his great arrangement of Festival Hue 2010 and Coffee Festival 2011.

It is Duong’s first trial in doing a live show for a young singer.

“Le Cat Trong Ly is a local singing phenomenon. When enjoying her music, I feel that she will be a great artist. I want to try my best to support her in the coming show,” said Duong.  

Ly also hosts a special show for students at the Academy of Journalism and Communication in Hanoi during her tour.

Tickets and detailed performing schedules are available at HCMC’s Conservatory of Music from August 28.  

Council set up for Ho Chi Minh, State Awards  

The Prime Minister has decided to establish an evaluation council for deciding nominations for the Ho Chi Minh Awards and the State Awards for Science and Technology to individuals and groups.

The new evaluation council will include on their managing board Nguyen Quan, Minister of Science and Technology, who will also be the chairman of the new committee.

Prof. Do Trung Ta, chairman of the National Council for Science and Technology and Prof. Vu Minh Giang, deputy director of the National University in Hanoi, are deputy chairmen.

The evaluation council will help the PM in selecting individual scientific works and group scientific works for nomination of awards. Any session of the evaluation council must be held in the presence of two-third majority which must include the chairman or deputy chairman.

PV