An unprecedented scenario has been revealed for DANAFF III.

The 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) was a remarkable development in terms of scale, duration, and program content, featuring an unprecedented series of events.

Following the success of previous festivals, DANAFF III will feature many unprecedented activities.

PHOTO: HOANG SON

Impressions from days spent immersed in cinema.

Following two successful seasons and being recognized as one of the top 10 outstanding cultural events of 2023 and 2024 (as selected by the Sports and Culture Newspaper), the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival - 2025 (DANAFF III), organized by the Vietnam Film Promotion Association (VFDA) in collaboration with the Da Nang City People's Committee, will officially take place from June 29th to July 5th. Compared to the previous two editions, DANAFF III will extend the festival to 7 days, from 5 official days. The total number of films selected for the programs is over 100 (compared to 46 films in DANAFF I and 63 films in DANAFF II). The number of film screenings will increase to approximately 200 (compared to 100 in the previous season).

Impressions from days spent immersed in cinema.

In particular, this year's program has been expanded with many new highlights, most notably the introduction of the "Asian Cinema Panorama" program, which selects outstanding and successful Asian films from international film festivals over the past year, along with films chosen for their premiere at DANAFF. Within the framework of the program, this year also marks the first appearance of the "Asian Film Critics' Award".

The DANAFF III organizing committee also collaborated with relevant Korean authorities to select and showcase 14 representative works produced from the 1960s to the present day through the program "Milestones of Korean Cinema Through the Ages." This included three films by veteran Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-taek. Notably, alongside the screenings was a seminar titled "Korean Cinema: Lessons in International Success and Experiences in Film Industry Development," attended by international, Korean, and Vietnamese experts; representatives from film studios; and representatives from film schools and universities with film studies programs in Korea, the United States, and Vietnam.

According to assessments, Vietnamese and Korean cinema share many similarities, to varying degrees, in themes and the expressive language of films from the 1960s and 70s. However, since the 1990s, Korean cinema has made remarkable progress, leaving a strong mark on the international film map. Based on this experience, the workshop is expected to provide practical insights and valuable references for film industries in the region.

Representatives of the organizing committee introduced the shirt printed with the traditional DANAFF logo at the press conference on June 3rd.

Creating a platform to nurture talent.

The Organizing Committee further stated that, within the framework of the film festival, there is also the "DANAFF Talents - Promising Talents of DANAFF" program, a series of training and networking activities to develop film projects for young, promising talents in the field of cinema. A key development at DANAFF III is the "Project Incubator" program, organized for the first time as a central activity with two main categories: Asian Art-house Film Project and Vietnamese Film Project (Genre Film Project). From the submitted projects, the Organizing Committee selected 14 promising projects to participate in the development round.

The "Project Incubator" also serves as a four-day intensive learning space and workshop where filmmaking teams are mentored by internationally renowned experts, such as Christian Jeune (Director of Film Selection, Vice President of the Cannes Film Festival), Kim Min Young (Producer of the film *The Exorcist* ), and Isabelle Glachant (Producer of many films by Vuong Tieu Soai). The "Project Incubator" also receives support from prestigious regional film funds, contributing practically to Vietnamese film projects in their initial stages. The best project in the Asian Art Film category will receive an award worth 8,000 Euros; the best project in the Vietnamese Film category (all genres) will receive an award worth 5,000 USD.

Furthermore, DANAFF III continues to maintain its "Nurturing Talent" workshop on acting with two classes, totaling 50 young talents from Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea. 2025 will also see the largest number of young acting talents present in Da Nang and Central Vietnam. In addition, there will be a thematic workshop on "Discovering and Nurturing Film Talent: International Experiences and Solutions for Vietnam," bringing together lecturers, artists, and experts to discuss strategies for developing high-quality human resources for the film industry in the context of integration.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, added that with the slogan "DANAFF - Bridge to Asia," DANAFF III will also have many new and attractive activities, such as: a film project market, an exhibition of filmed scenes in Da Nang, a selection of films "Half a Century of Vietnamese Films about War" showcasing 22 representative works… "We hope that DANAFF III will continue to provide a highly creative artistic space where filmmakers, directors, and actors can gather, interact, share, and inspire each other. We hope that through this event, the image of Da Nang - a young, dynamic, friendly city with rich potential for cultural industry development - will be widely introduced to international friends," Ms. Thi emphasized.

26 films compete in 2 categories.

Following DANAFF II, this year's Film Achievement Award will honor an outstanding Asian filmmaker who has made significant contributions to the development of cinema. DANAFF III continues to maintain the hallmarks of previous seasons, such as: the opening and closing ceremonies and awards presentation broadcast live on VTV; two film competition categories, including: the Asian Film Competition category (14 films) and the Vietnamese Film Competition category (12 films); and the "Vietnamese Cinema Today" program featuring 18 new Vietnamese films produced in the past year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/he-lo-kich-ban-chua-tung-co-tai-danaff-iii-18525062008264685.htm