Tarantino's cult film to be presented at TPD

In the last week of Quentin Tarantino film month, the Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD) will screen Reservoir Dogs, the debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino.

A 1992 American neo-noir black comedy crime thriller that depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, the film incorporates many themes that have become Tarantino's hallmarks – violent crime, pop culture references, profanity and a nonlinear storyline. The film has become a classic of independent film and a cult hit. 

It was named "Greatest Independent Film of all Time" by Empire magazine.

The movie will be presented in original English language with English subtitles at 7.30pm tomorrow night at TPD, Level 4, 51 Tran Hung Dao Street. Entry: VND20,000 (donation for TPD's fund for movie talents). 

Autumn Book Festival 2015 kicks off in Hanoi

The 2015 Autumn Book Festival, an important annual event for book lovers, officially kicked off at the Vietnam Women's Museum in Hanoi on October 29.

The five-day event is held by the Phu Nu (Women) Publishing House, Kim Dong Publishing House and the Tre (Youth) Publishing House.

With the theme ‘Books for all’, the festival features more than 20,000 books published by prominent publishers.

Additionally, visitors will receive big promotions including up to 50% off on some book titles, as well as books at reduced prices of VND5,000-VND10,000 per book at one-price book booths.

A wide variety of gifts, such as pens, bookmarks and handbags will be presented to readers who buy books at the festival.

Visitors to the festival will have a chance to meet with famous authors and artists including poets Thai Ba Tan and Nguyen Viet Chien; writers Y Ban and Phong Diep; writers cum translators Trang Ha and Nguyen Bich Lan; journalist Huu Viet; painter Ta Huy Long; English teacher Nguyen Quoc Hung; comedian Xuan Bac, and some other young translators.

Numerous programmes introducing new books, as well as forums and seminars on topics related to books, will also be held during the festival.

Notably, the event entitled ‘My whole family read books’ on November 1, is expected to attract a large number of families, significantly contributing to promoting reading culture in the community as well as spreading the campaigns ‘Building Family Bookcases’ and ‘Building Family Libraries’.
Children can also join a range of activities including painting classes, mini games and Halloween themed mini games.

A night of Swedish jazz to charm Hanoians

A concert featuring Swedish jazz with the participation of Jazz Professor - pianist Håkan Rydin and his trio band including bass guitarist Mattias Hjorth and drummer Hung Cuong will take place at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi on October 30. 

There will be four student groups of the Vietnam National Academy of Music who have received construction of Professor Håkan Rydin and Mattias Hjorth in three weeks.

The musicians will play Vietnamese and Swedish jazz music and a combination of local folk songs and Swedish jazz style.

Pianist Håkan Rydin was a member of Nexus, a legendary Swedish music band which held more than 1,000 concerts around the world.

Hakan has recently had many contributions to Vietnamese jazz. He has taught Vietnamese artists at Malmo Academy of Music in Sweden and given a master class of jazz at Viet Nam National Academy of Music. 

All about Italian food and wine

Ha Noi's top Italian restaurants and gastronomy shops will gather to showcase the world-famous famous cuisine at a food festival on Saturday.

Aiming to bring together international, Italian and Vietnamese communities to celebrate and share Italian gastronomy and culture, the event will feature food stands from Mediterraneo, Luna d'Autunno, Oasis, Gelato Italia, Annam, Classic Fine Food and Punto Italia.

The festival will feature pizza, fresh pasta and wine. Salumi, cheese, gelato, coffee, and other delicacies from Italy also can be found at the event. Visitors will also have a chance to meet winemakers to learn more about Italy's grape varieties, their origins and tastes.

A pasta-eating contest and a cooking contest will challenge any one who wish to get some more fun at the festival.

All the proceeds of the lucky draw will benefit the project "A Community for All", which supports disadvantaged people.

The Italian Food Festival will take place this Saturday at the Van Ho Exhibition Centre, 2 Hoa Lu Street from 4pm to 10.30pm.

Charity bike ride to raise funds for girls in need

Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam will host a charity bike ride around the West Lake on Sunday to raise funds to support 16 girls at Blossom House, which provides refuge to girls who have been trafficked, living in an abusive environment or living in abject poverty.

Entitled "Sweat for #TheBlossomEffect – 16km for 16 Girls", the 16km ride will start from Ly Tu Trong Garden along the lake side, passing Vong Thi, Trich Sai, and Kim Lien pagodas and then back to Ly Tu Trong Garden.

The event will start at 7.30am. Participation fee: VND150,000. Prizes for the best adult and youth categories will be awarded.

Contact Ms. Thao at thanh.thao@hscv.org or (04) 37151263 or 0973282737 for more information. 

Italian classical music to play at museum

The Italian Consulate in HCM City will hold a concert "Influenza Italiana" at the city's Southern Women's Museum on Saturday.

The Saigon Classical Music Group will perform masterpieces by Italian composers Giuseppe Giordani, Giulio Caccini, Luigi Deza and Enrico Toselli.

The concert will begin at 7pm at 202 Vo Thi Sau Street in District 3. To register for the event, go to https://scg.typeform.com/to/ygStpg.

Canadian stand-up comedian to take stage

The Saigon International Comedy Club will host a stand-up comedy show with acclaimed Canadian comedian Glenn Wool on November 4.

Wool starred in the British television series Comedy Lab on Channel 4 in 2004. He appeared in BBC's show Russell Howard's Good News in 2012 and in Comedy Central UK's The Alternative Comedy Experience in 2013.

The show will begin at 8pm at Game On, 115 Ho Tung Mau Street, in District 1. Tickets cost VND220,000 (US$10). The show will tour Ha Noi's House of Son Tinh on November 5. 

Saigon's Lookout holds haunted mansion party

Saigon's Lookout will host a Halloween event called Haunted Mansion Party with a different theme on each floor on Saturday.

The ground floor will be a masquerade ball, the first floor a haunted room, and the second floor a setting for Alice in Wonderland.

Local and international DJs including T-Banger, Pat Cabrera, Phat Beatz, and Fingaz will perform. Celebrity magician Petey Majik will also appear. A costume contest with prizes will be held. The party will start from 9pm at 37 Bis Ky Con Street in District 1. For reservations, contact 0966884668. 

Escape Music Festival to bring Halloween to Ha Noi

Escape Music Festival (EMF), the biggest music festival from HCM City will come to Ha Noi for the first time, which is expected to be the "musical feast" of more than 6,000 participants on October 31.

The EMF is the outdoor music one with performances by the top DJs in the world.

After nine times of organising, the EMF will return with a version of The Wave Music Festival – The Halloween Treat at Eden Garden, 264 Au Co Street, Tay Ho District.

The festival will bring the Italian DJ- Angemi and the German trance duo – Cosmic Gate, including two members of Claus Terhoeven and Stefan Bossems to stage in Ha Noi.

As expected, the programme will draw about 6,000 spectators, especially youngsters. Ticket price ranges from VND499,000 ($22) to VND1,390,000 ($62). Fares are sold with preferential price for students from VND199,000 ($9). 

Vietnamese magicians attend international magic festival

A group of six Vietnamese magicians will participate in the annual Thailand International Magic Festival 2015 at the Fashion Island Ramindra in Bangkok today.

The artists include Cao Long, Thanh Tam, Hoang Khang, Viet Duy, Anh Duc and magic master Bao Thu, who is a member of the event's jury.

They all are members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) and International Magicians Society (IMS).

Organised by Thailand IBM and known as an assembly of internationally acclaimed magicians and illusionists, the three-day event includes shows performed by international superstars including Neil Croswell, Alis Kim, Parlya Suandokmai and Smart Magic.

Resort to host Art in the Forest festival with sculpture, music

Flamingo Dai Lai Resort will host an art festival of sculpture, painting and music concerts between October 31 and November 8.

Titled Art in the Forest, the project aims to bring contemporary art closer to the audience through 15 works by 15 young sculptors throughout the country.

A solo painting titled The Encroachment by Vu Hong Nguyen, featuring 20 abstract paintings on acrylic and synthetic materials, is also a key venue during the week.

Various music shows including symphony, folk music, flamenco guitar as well as a ballet performance will take place at the venue.

Located in northern province of Vinh Phuc, 50km to the north of Ha Noi, the 5-star Flamingo Dai Lai Resort was ranked on Top 10 Hotels and Resorts Worldwide of 2014 by online Designboom magazine. 

Winners of traffic safety poster competition announced

Twenty-one posters on traffic safety have received awards in a competition sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the National Traffic Safety Committee.

The winning pieces will be printed and posted along highways across the nation to promote road safety.

The two-month contest attracted more than 170 participants who submitted nearly 700 works.

The organisers also awarded three second prizes, three third prizes and 15 consolation prizes to the winners.

"This competition contributed to raising public awareness of traffic law enforcement and limiting the risk of traffic accidents," Pham Hong Hai, deputy minister of information and communications, said at the award ceremony held last Friday in Ha Noi. 

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