8th annual Francophone Film Festival opens in big cities

The 8th annual francophone film festival will take place in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Vinh from March 21-April.

9 films from 7 French speaking countries, including Bulgaria, France, Haiti, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia and Vietnam will be screened in the event.

Pictures are Vitus, The Stranger, Flapping In The Middle Of Nowhere, Children of the Village, Declaration of War , Toussaint Louverture, Adios Carmen , The Challat of Tuni and Madam Phung’s Last Journey .

Chuyen di cuoi cung cua chi Phung (Madam Phung’s Last Journey) directed by Nguyen Thi Tham is a Vietnamese documentary on a homosexual man.

The movie is a story about Phung, a gay travelling singer who is dying from a critical illness. He leads a troupe of 'transvestite "social outcasts" just like himself' performing from central to southern Vietnam to earn a living.

The film has captured audiences’ hearts in Paris, Nimes, Lyon and Marseille. It received a 'Special Mention' at the 2014 Chopshots Documentary Film Festival Southeast Asia held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The film Dap canh giua khong trung (Flapping in the middle of nowhere) directed by Nguyen Hoang Diep was announced as Best Film of the Venice International Critics' Week awarded by FEDEORA - the federation of film critics from Europe and the Mediterranean in last September.

The film was also nominated in the NETPAC(The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) and “Asian window” awards in the 51st Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards in Taipei in last November.

It is a story about Huyen, a pregnant teenager. She urgently needs money for an abortion. Ironically, the only man that is willing to give it to her has a fetish for pregnant women.

The movie produced by VBlock Media, a local company, in coordination with its French, German, and Norway partners.

The screenings will be held at L’Espace in Hanoi from March 21-31; at IDECAF in Ho Chi Minh City on March 23-April 2; at Vinh University in Vinh City on March 24-31; and at French Cultural Center in Hue in Hue City on March 21-31.

New TV series explores challenges in globalised world

Talented documentary filmmaker Le Phong Lan recently completed the final scenes of her latest film after five years of preparation.

The 15-part series Dan Toc Viet – Hanh Trinh Vuon Ra Bien Lon (Vietnamese People-A Journey toward the Sea) features Vietnamese people and their challenges and opportunities in a globalised world.

It also highlights Vietnamese and their heroic victories during war.

Lan wrote the film's screenplay and commentary, and conducted interviews as well.

Produced by the Ban Sac Viet Film Studio, the film's post-production will be completed next month.

It air on VTV1 on National Day, September 2.

Int'l delegates participate in friendship spring tour

Over 200 delegates and representatives from embassies, diplomatic corps, international and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam, as well as central and local agencies took part in the 2015 Friendship Spring Tour on March 21 in the districts of Quoc Oai and Phuc Tho of Hanoi.

Jointly held by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (HAUFO) and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) to enhance people-to-people external affairs, the annual event popularizes the country and city's historic sites and landscapes. Thay Pagoda (Quoc Oai district) and Hai Ba Trung Temple (in Hat Mon commune, Phuc Tho district) will be two destinations this year.

At the event, Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam and Head of the Diplomatic Corps El Houcine Fardani held that the program would create a good chance for foreigners living and working in Vietnam to learn more about Vietnam's cultural diversities and heritages. He believed that the activity would contribute to tightening mutual understanding and building a cultural bridge between Vietnam and foreign countries.

Youth Union to celebrate National Reunification Day

The HCM City's Youth Union, in co-operation with cultural houses, will launch cultural and community programmes to celebrate the 40th anniversary of National Reunification Day on April 30.

More than 4,000 students from universities and colleagues will participate in a bicycle ride called Thanh Pho Toi Yeu (My Beloved City), which begins on March 29. The event aims to encourage peace and love.

Two photo exhibitions, one featuring HCM City and its developments and the other portraying the late President Ho Chi Minh, both will open at the Youth Cultural House on April 1.

The Cultural House for Students will organise the music festival, Giai Dieu Lac Hong (Vietnamese Melodies), next week to highlight songs and dances in praise of soldiers.

The two-week event has attracted nearly 500 students from senior secondary schools, colleges and universities around the city.

Week-long book fair to open in Can Tho on Thursday

More than 16,000 titles will be showcased at the first Can Tho Book Expo on Thursday.

The week-long Book, Knowledge and Culture exhibition will attract 45 publishing houses and book distribution companies in Can Tho and HCM City, including the HCM City Book Distribution Corporation (FAHASA), Tre (Youth) Publishing House, and Thai Ha Company.

They will present 230 stalls displaying books, electronic books and electronic readers, DVDs, VCDs and CDs of famous movies, programmes and music by local and foreign artists, and stationery.

The fair will display books and documents on President Ho Chi Minh, as well as maps and documents on Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) islands.

Books on social, economic and cultural development of Can Tho and the Mekong Delta will be exhibited at the event.

The organisers will host workshops to introduce new titles, and exchanges and discussions between writers and readers.

The expo will be located at Luu Huu Phuoc Park in Ninh Kieu District.