Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
Vietnam's Cinema Department and Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC), both under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, signed a memorandum of understanding in Hanoi on November 5, 2026, to expand the distribution and accessibility of Vietnamese films.
The partnership aims to bring culturally and artistically valuable Vietnamese films, particularly those produced with state funding, to wider audiences free of charge.
It also seeks to establish an official, consistently attributed source of Vietnamese films across digital platforms.
Under the agreement, priority will be given to films commemorating major national holidays and political events, as well as productions about President Ho Chi Minh, revolutionary history, national defense and sovereignty.
The selection will also include films promoting traditional values, ethics and positive lifestyles, productions for children and young people, and works recognized for their artistic and ideological significance, including award-winning films at domestic and international festivals.
The films will be distributed through channels managed and operated by VTC, subject to written approval from the Cinema Department.
Initially, the content will be made available on social media and video-sharing platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Zalo, as well as domestic over-the-top (OTT) streaming applications.
In subsequent phases, films with appropriate distribution rights will be provided with foreign-language subtitles or narration to reach overseas Vietnamese communities and international audiences.
Beyond distributing films through its own channels, VTC will serve as a coordinating organization for supplying films owned or managed by the Cinema Department to eligible broadcasters, media organizations and reputable businesses capable of offering them to viewers free of charge.
The Cinema Department will retain the authority to approve the distribution of individual films, and the partnership will operate on a non-exclusive basis.
Promoting quality cinema to counter harmful digital content
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dang Tran Cuong, Director of the Cinema Department, highlighted the growing challenges of film regulation in the digital era.
He said the expansion of online film distribution and the application of emerging technologies have created common challenges for countries worldwide.
Nations with stronger digital transformation capabilities and a proactive approach to technological innovation would be better positioned to address emerging problems, he said.
Against this backdrop, the Cinema Department has adopted the principle of "Promoting the good to push back the bad" as a central approach.
By working with VTC, which possesses established digital infrastructure and technological platforms, the department plans to make high-quality feature films, documentaries and animated productions more widely available online.
According to Cuong, increasing the presence of legitimate, wholesome and artistically valuable content will not only make quality films more accessible to the public but also provide a natural way to reduce the influence of trivial, inappropriate and harmful online material.
Strengthening copyright protection for Vietnamese films
Nguyen Ngoc Bao, General Director of VTC, said the partnership would also focus on establishing a reliable digital distribution system and protecting intellectual property rights.
"Alongside providing films to audiences free of charge, VTC will work closely with the Cinema Department to establish an official film source with consistent attribution across online platforms," Bao said. "We will apply modern copyright management tools to promptly detect and prevent unauthorized uploads and misleading edits of films, thereby protecting the legitimate rights and interests of filmmakers and copyright owners."
The cooperation is expected to help address the unauthorized circulation, alteration and redistribution of Vietnamese films on digital platforms.
It will also create a more structured distribution framework for films produced with public funding.
At the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong welcomed the collaboration between the two organizations under the ministry.
He expressed hope that the initiative would allow Vietnamese cinematic works, especially state-funded productions, to be introduced to audiences more regularly, conveniently and extensively.
The initiative is also expected to improve the effectiveness of public investment in filmmaking while promoting the historical, cultural and artistic values of Vietnamese cinema.
The first feature films are scheduled for official release on YouTube in November 2026, with distribution to be expanded to other platforms afterward.
Tinh Le
.svg){kind=icon}
