HCMC to host 2013 YxineFF Film Festival

The 2013 YxineFF International Short Film Festival, themed “Choice," will open in Ho Chi Minh City on September 21.

The online forum Yxine.com launched the festival to encourage the cinematic passion of young filmmakers all over the world.

YxineFF Film Selection Committee Chief Marcus Vu Manh Cuong promises the festival will introduce audiences to the short films of cinema’s emerging talents spanning animation, psychological thrillers, action, and documentary.

Nguyen Trong Khoi’s Khong Co Gi Quy (Even Just For One Day) will be shown at HCM City’s Megastar Paragon to launch the festival on September 16.

The non-profit educational organisation ZAG Village will continue its own short film screenings and film making exchanges alongside this year’s YxineFF.

ZAG Village exhibited the first of its “Best Films of 2013” at HCM City’s Orient Cafe on August 31.

All exhibited films are available to view on the website www.yxineff.com. Audiences can vote for their favourites films, leave comments, and communicate with the filmmakers involved.

YxineFF was founded in 2010 with the slogan of “Sharing, Love, Cinema”. Its 2013 iteration includes an international competition, a local competition, a panorama category, and an in-focus category.

The organising board will announce the winning films at a ceremony scheduled for December 2013.   

HCMC, Hanoi to mark anniversary of Vietnam Stage

The Youth Cultural House in Ho Chi Minh City will hold a series of art programs themed ‘Vietnam-Ho Chi Minh City Stage Festival 2013’ to mark the anniversary of Vietnam Stage on September 15.

This event will honor Vietnamese artists as well as express deep gratitude to the country’s forefathers in the field of traditional arts and music. Moreover, this will provide an opportunity to gather artists in the field of Cai Luong, movies, music, acting, makeup, lighting, costumes and so on.

The event will take place from 4.00pm to 10.00pm on September 15 at the HCMC Youth Cultural House with many interesting activities such as enjoying Vietnamese tea, Cai Luong singing, taking photos with favorite artists, and art performances.

On the same day, Hanoi will also hold many art performances to mark the anniversary of Vietnam Stage with participation of elite artists such as Vu Linh, Thoai My, Que Tran, Huu Quoc and many other famous artists. On this occasion, the artists will perform extracts from Cai Luong songs.

Vietnam Film Week opens in Argentina

A Vietnam Film Week kicked off in the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires on September 11 to mark the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Nguyen Van Dao introduced revolutionary Vietnamese cinema to attending audiences, highlighting the “seventh art’s” contributions to national liberation, unification, and construction.

Argentinean State Cultural Secretary Jorge Coscia commended the Vietnamese people’s heroic struggle against foreign aggression.

He said he believes the festival’s showcase of revolutionary cinema is bound to deepen Argentinean understandings of Vietnam’s desire for national independence and freedom.

The festival, hosted by the Gaumont Cinema, includes seven domestically and internationally acclaimed films: Canh Dong Hoang (Deserted Field), Con Chim Vanh Khuyen (Passerine Bird), Bao Gio Cho Den Thang Muoi (When October Will Come), and Em Be Hanoi (Little Girl of Hanoi).

Famous Dung Dot (Don’t Burn), Thuong Nho Dong Que (Nostalgia for the Countryside), and Chuyen cua Pao (Pao’s Story) will also be shown.

The festival has organised performances by Vietnamese artists; photography, traditional costume, and lacquer exhibitions; and lectures about Vietnam throughout the week.

Vietnam will host an Argentinean Culture Week in November this year.

Vietnam Days in Japan

Vietnam Days in Japan opened on September 12 with the participation of around 1,000 Vietnamese and Japanese people.

This was the biggest event among a series of activities to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh said bilateral ties between Vietnam and Japan is at their best in history. Japan is one of the biggest investors and trade partners of Vietnam. Cooperation in science, technology, tourism, and human resource training between the two countries as well as among localities has continued to grow and  flourish.

Minh expressed his hope that the strategic partnership between the two countries will further strengthen to bring practical benefits for both sides in the interests of peace and stability in the region and the world.

On behalf of the Japanese Government, Minister of Justice Sadakazu Tanigaki thanked the Vietnamese people for their support in the tsunami and earthquake in March 2011. He said he hopes that cultural exchanges between the two countries will be further promoted.

Vietnam Days in Japan are scheduled for September 12-22 with a wide range of activities taking place in five cities – Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya and Fukuoka - including the Vietnam festival, an investment promotion seminar, an economic cooperation seminar and art performances.

Vietnam keen on world heritage protection

Since Hue imperial relic complex was the first to be recognised by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site two decades ago, the number of Vietnam’s recognised heritage items has been increased.

To date, Vietnam has had 17 world-recognised heritage items, including natural, tangible, intangible and documentary heritages. The first recognition was given to the Hue imperial relic complex in 1992. Ha Long Bay was twice listed as world heritage in 1994 and 2000.

Hoi An ancient town and My Son sanctuary received the honor in 1999, followed by the Hue Royal Court music in 2003 and the Central Highlands gongs in 2005. Over the last five years, Thang Long Royal citadel in Hanoi and the Ho Dynasty’s citadel in Thanh Hoa province won the world recognition.

Intangible cultural heritage namely Tru singing, Quan Ho folk singing, Giong festival, Xoan singing and the Worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings were also listed as world heritage. The Nguyen Dynasty’s woodblocks, Vinh Nghiem pagoda’s woodblocks and 82 steles of doctorate degree holders from 1442 to 1779 have been included.

The world’s recognition plays a significant role in heritage preservation. Doctor Dang Van Bai, Vice President of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association, says the title of world cultural and natural heritage is a noble honor, but it entails great national responsibility and duties.

“UNESCO’s convention on the protection of heritage is aimed at enhancing community’s awareness of the role and significance of heritage in the life of humankind. It also confirms national duties in preserving national cultural heritage as part of world heritage,” he says.

The UNESCO recognition also helps boost economic development. The authorities of localities have initiated many programmes to promote heritage such as the Ha Long Tourism Year, Hue Festival, Quang Nam-Heritage Journey, and Hoi An’s full-moon festival. Many unique tourism products have been developed such as orchard tours, Cham island tours, and tours of traditional handcraft villages. These tourism products not only generate jobs for locals but also contribute investment capital to heritage restoration and management.

Community plays an important role in the preservation of heritage. Bac Ninh province, home to world-recognised Quan Ho folk singing, has made strenuous efforts in involving the community in heritage preservation and promotion. Bac Ninh has carried out 14 programmes on communications, identification and revision of heritage and honoring artisans.

Nguyen Van Quyen, a resident of Diem village, the homeland of Quan Ho singing, has just finished his 2,000-page book of 1,000 Quan Ho folk songs that he has collected over the past five decades.

“When the elderly villagers died, they brought with them all the legacies. That’s why we now need to be passionate to Quan Ho and preserve it. As Quan Ho has been recognised by the world, it should be popularised among the people,” says Quyen.

World heritage in Vietnam is not only for enjoyment but also a cultural resource of the community. The State needs to adopt policies and plans of action that encourage the community’s participation in making heritage alive.

Buffalo fighting festival recognized as national intangible heritage

The Do Son buffalo fighting festival in the northern port city of Haiphong was officially recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage on September 12 during the celebration of the National Tourism Year of Red River Delta-Haiphong 2013.

Le Khac Nam, Vice Chairman of the Haiphong city People’s Committee said that the festival dating back to 1,000 years was restored in 1990.

The festival has been held regular for 24 years. It was recognized in 2000 as one of 15 largest festivals in the country by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nam noted.

On this occasion, the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists (AVF) awarded the title of “Folk Artist” to those who have made great contributions to restoring and developing the Do Son buffalo fighting festival.

Joint Singapore-Vietnam stamp range issued

Singapore Post has debuted its collaborative Vietnam-Singapore range of stamps during a ceremony on September 12.

Vietnamese Counsellor to Singapore Nguyen Dang Hung and Singapore Telecom and Post Vice Director General Aileen Chia cited the stamp collection as a significant acknowledgement of the two countries’ 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The two stamps featuring Vietnam’s rare Grey Peacock Pheasant and Singapore’s precious Red Junglefowl are highlights of the collection.

This is the second collaborative stamp range produced by Singapore and Vietnam. In 2008, the two countries issued a collection honouring the treasured durian and dragon fruit.

Tradition is key to capital Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations

Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations will be held from tomorrow until September 19 at Kim Ngan Communal House, 42-44 Hang Bac Street, Dong Lac Communal House at 38 Hang Dao Street and Heritage House at 87 Ma May Street in Hanoi.

Organizers will display folk toys such as star lantern, humming top, masks and to he (toy figurine - a traditional toy for children in Vietnam which is made from glutinous rice powder in form of edible figurine such as animals, flowers or characters in folk stories) made of paper or wood.

Moreover, artisans will instruct kids to make traditional toys from natural materials helping them to discover the nation’s traditional culture and values.

The highlight of the program is to reproduce a traditional Mid-Autumn festival of a Hanoian family and a Dong Ho painting exhibition themed on children at the Heritage House.

The program is organized by Hanoi’s Old Quarter Management Board with an aim to preserve and develop traditional cultural features as well as to promote the old quarter to tourists.

The celebrations will start at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Kim Ngan Communal House. Activities will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. during the festival.

Top bartender hopes to inspire next generation

Vietnam’s number one bartender Le Thanh Tung, 25, is hoping to inspire the next generation by lecturing at the Tourism School in HCMC and bartending clubs.

The professional bartender is trying to pass on his gifts of making the best cocktails in the country to others.

He has come a long way from his days as a poor student from Nha Trang who had to work as a motorcycle-keeper to become the only Vietnamese bartender at a competition as he competed with representatives of over 50 countries on the Azamara Club Cruise liner in late July. The liner took him and other bartenders around the world, including stops in southern France and the Spanish city of Barcelona.

The trip offered him a huge lesson. According to Tuong, bartending is still a new career in Vietnam compared with developed nations.

“The cruise really made a strong impression on me as I got to meet a lot of my mixology idols. I was awestruck meeting them in real life,” Tung said.

Tung insists the key to being a top bartender is having good English skills to search for information, exchange with various customers to introduce each cocktail and receive feedback. He adds that a career bartender should know drinks recipes, serving techniques, alcohol contents, correct gas mixes, and licensing laws and the ability to have cordial relations with regular customers.

VTV3, BHD run first season of Kitchen Musical Vietnam

Kitchen Musical Vietnam (Bep Hat), an adaptation from Singapore’s Emmy-nominated musical TV series The Kitchen Musical will be aired next month on VTV3.

The romantic comedy drama about young people working in French restaurant Avilon will have the participation of popular artists like singers Lam Truong, Phuong Thanh, Tra My Idol, Tu Vi and Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc who will show off their singing, dancing and acting skills.

The 13-episode creation is directed by Phan Xine and Danny Do with music composed by Duc Tri and choreographed by Tan Loc (Arabesque dance company).

The Kitchen Musical was first launched in Singapore in 2011 by Media Prima Berhad and is now broadcasted in 12 countries.

Producers BHD aim to make it a highly-polished musical TV series in Vietnam and bring something new to the TV market.