Hanoi International Film Festival kicks off

The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and former Deputy PM Pham Gia Khiem.

Taking place from November 1-5, the festival aims to honour outstanding films with high artistic value as well as encourage new talents in Vietnam’s cinematography industry.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that the film festival is expected to further attract the public’s interest in the cinema industry; creating a new driving force for the development of Vietnamese cinema and offering an opportunity for Vietnamese cinema to integrate into the region and the world.

In addition, the event contributes to promoting the image of the land and people of Vietnam, particularly the capital, to international friends, as well as boosting the development of other industries, particularly the tourism and service sectors, added the Minister.

This year’s festival presents 146 films from 43 countries and territories around the world, including the UK, India, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, China and Germany.

In addition to competing categories, films will be screened at numerous programmes on the sidelines of the festival including ‘The panorama of the World Cinema’, ‘Indian cinema’, ‘Italy selected films’, ‘ASEAN films’ and ‘Vietnamese temporary films’.

The host, with 29 films to be featured, joins all categories of the festival including two feature films and ten short films as well as 17 films screened at ‘The panorama of the World Cinema’, ‘Vietnamese contemporary films’ and ‘ASEAN films’ programmes.

A wide variety of practical activities will also be held on the sidelines of the fourth HIFF such as a film project market, a seminar on ‘co-operation on making films in ASEAN countries’ and a forum on Indian cinema.

The 2016 HANIFF will include an outdoor film screening in collaboration with a Vietnam-Italy fashion show at Cach Mang Thang Tam (August Revolution) Square (in front of the Hanoi Opera House) on November 2, 3 and 4.

The organising board will present awards to the best feature film, the best short film, the best feature film director, the best main actor and actress and the best young director (under 30) in the short film category.

The HANIFF jury boards will also grant awards for Feature Films, Short Films and NETPAC’s Best Films, the best People’s Choice Feature-Length Movie and the Audience’s Favourite Vietnamese Movie.