A scene in Thạch Thảo (Love Story), directly by Mai The Hiep, a romantic love storyu between students. Photo courtesy of Galaxy Studio

The 21st Vietnam Film Festival will honour the excellent works on the silver screen and pay respect to artists and filmmakers who have great devotion for the national cinema industry during 2017-2019.

“The festival helps increase the quality and professionalism in making, producing and distributing films,” said Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong.

“It also creates a chance to exchange and enhance experiences between artists, filmmakers, producers, distributors and cultural managers. It’s an important event to boost the development and integration of the national cinema industry.

“The film festival also introduces new films to the public, building a bridge between the audiences and the filmmakers.”

Themed “Building a Vietnamese cinema industry with humanity, creativity and integration", the festival will praise the films showing creativity, national identity, humanity, distinguished artistic expression and international integration, according to head of the film festival organising board Nguyen Thi Thu Ha who is also vice director of the Department of Cinema.

Ha revealed about 50 foreign filmmakers, producers and actors will participate to the film festival.

The event will gather more than 1,000 cinema workers nationwide, who will join various activities in the opening, award ceremonies and workshops.

Vietnamese films produced in the past two years will be featured in Competition Programme and Panorama Programme.

Each category will include feature films, documentaries, scientific films and animation.

Golden Lotus and Silver Lotus prizes will be awarded for the best works of feature films, documentaries and animation. The country's best directors, playwrights and actors will also receive awards.

This year 16 feature films will compete for the awards including Người Bất Tử (The Immortal), Tháng Năm Rực Rỡ (Go Go Sisters), Song Lang (The Tap Box), Anh Thầy Ngôi Sao (My Superstar Teacher) and Hai Phượng (Furie).

It’s noted that four films produced by State-run enterprises or private studios by State agency’s order will participate in the Competition Programme.

In recent years, many artists worried about the absence of State-sponsored films, according to People’s Artist Nhue Giang.

“Apart from films produced by private enterprises, the films produced by the State-run enterprises are very important,” said director Giang.

“Four films at the festival received much attention and high appreciation from the critics, it’s a good sign.

“We expect that they will help eliminate the prejudice that State-produced films are often boring.”

The film Hợp Đồng Bán Mình (The Contract) directed by Tran Ngoc Phong is about a love affair between a young girl and a rich man. She signed a contract to be his wife in 10 years because he spends much money to save her family.

In the film Nơi Ta Không Thuộc Về (The Place I Don’t Belong to), director Dang Thai Huyen, who is very famous for television films about war, tells about the adventurous and thrilling itinerary of journalist Dong Ha. Ha returns to the old battlefield to write about Thung Ma, a secret base where weapons were hidden during the war.

Directed by Dinh Tuan Vu, Truyền Thuyết Về Quán Tiên (A Legend in Quán Tiên) is about young female volunteers on Truong Son Trail.

Among the films, Thach Thao (Love Story) directed by Mai The Hiep is the most anticipated.

Director Phong said he had many difficulties when he worked on the project of The Contract. Making a film using fund from the State is an honour and a pressure at the same time.

He said: “I feel so small in the market of entertainment films which are produced by private studios who have larger budget staff, famous cast, and post-production made with foreign experts and techniques.

“I have watched many films like these to understand the audience’s taste, what attracted them to the cinema then I use my experience and knowledge to send the message of Vietnamese culture to the film.”

Apart from the screenings and competition, the film festival also comprises seminars on the development of the cinema industry and a photo exhibition of beautiful scenes from the films.

Various sideline events will be held in Hanoi and HCM City including exchange meetings between audience, students and artists; exhibitions featuring islands and sea through cinema view and free screenings.

Vietnamese filmmakers gather for autumn meeting

International filmmakers will hold workshops on cinematography during the Autumn Meeting, an international cinema event aimed at empowering young filmmakers in the region and providing opportunities for their projects.

Independent films struggle in Vietnam

Making independent films has long been considered a risky investment in Vietnam. There are obstacles in the production process as well as distribution, according to directors.

For the development of Vietnam cinema

In the context that Vietnamese cinema is witnessing positive developments and integrating into the world, the formation of Vietnam Cinema Promotion Centre has created favourable conditions for investment in production.

VNS