This year's DANAFF Project Incubator is bringing together emerging filmmakers, industry veterans and international experts to help develop new film projects and strengthen regional collaboration.
The 2026 Project Incubator, held as part of the fourth Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV), aims to create a platform connecting emerging filmmakers with established Vietnamese and international industry professionals, particularly from across Asia.
The programme serves as one of the festival's key professional events, combining three core components: intensive training, project pitching and industry networking through the project market.
The opening ceremony took place on June 28, bringing together film experts and professionals from Vietnam and abroad.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, president of the Vietnam Association for Promotion and Development of Cinema and co-chair of the DANAFF organising committee, said this year's programme welcomed back several filmmakers who had previously made their mark at DANAFF and international film festivals.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan speaks at the opening ceremony of the Project Incubator.
She said the programme is gradually building continuity by not only discovering new talent but also providing returning directors with a space to further develop their creative ideas throughout their careers.
This year's programme focuses on two strategic categories: Vietnamese Genre Film Projects through the Script Lab and Asian Art-house Projects.
The event attracted more than 350 submissions, reflecting growing interest in a platform that connects established filmmakers with promising new talent.
Ngo Phuong Lan and producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, who oversees the Project Incubator at DANAFF.
In the Script Lab category, eight Vietnamese projects were selected, covering a wide range of subjects.
Participants include experienced directors and screenwriters such as Nguyen Quang Dung, writing duo Kim and ToTo Chan with The Ivory Comb, Phan Gia Nhat Linh with Phan Xich Long and the Cochinchina Uprising, Dinh Tuan Vu with Female Soldier, Tran Khanh Hoang with First Day of Love, alongside emerging filmmakers Tran Quang Thien and Ngo Thanh Phong.
Speaking to VietNamNet, director Nguyen Quang Dung said workshops and professional discussions are valuable for filmmakers at every stage of their careers.
He noted that directors, as storytellers, can sometimes become overly subjective, while workshops provide constructive criticism and diverse perspectives that help improve projects.
"I believe these sessions are beneficial not only for young filmmakers but also for experienced professionals. For a story to reach wider audiences, filmmakers need to listen to different opinions and share ideas," he said.
Directors Nguyen Quang Dung and Chung Chi Cong take part in DANAFF activities.
Director Chung Chi Cong, one of the filmmakers who emerged from the 2025 Project Incubator with Thank You for Staying Awake with Me, said the programme had provided an important foundation during the project's development.
Released in early 2026, the film earned more than VND44 billion (approximately US$1.68 million) at the Vietnamese box office and received positive reviews from critics.
According to Chung, DANAFF provides valuable professional support during the development stage of filmmaking.
He said the opportunity for people who share a passion for cinema to spend hours exchanging ideas every day is one of the programme's greatest strengths.
"The lessons we receive from mentors, colleagues and fellow filmmakers during these sessions are, I believe, more rewarding than anything else in helping us grow and succeed," he said.
The organising committee presents flowers to international experts participating in the Project Incubator.
In the Asian Art-house Projects category, 10 projects have been selected, including works by internationally recognised filmmakers such as Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi of Kyrgyzstan, whose project Zholdogu Bala won Best Asian Film at DANAFF 2025, and Vietnam's Nguyen Trung Nghia, whose short film project The Rat's Wedding was selected for Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2024.
Projects from Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh and ASEAN countries are expected to create new opportunities for international collaboration and co-production.
Following the training programme, participants will present their projects before an international jury on July 2.
The Vietnamese Genre Film Projects category will compete for a prize worth US$5,000.
Meanwhile, the Asian Art-house Projects category will compete for an €8,000 prize (approximately US$9,400) sponsored by the CNC World Cinema Fund.
The programme will conclude with the DANAFF Talents closing and awards ceremony on July 3.
Vietnamnet.vn
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