Opening Ceremony of the Project Market for the 7th Hanoi International Film Festival

(To Quoc) - On the morning of November 7th, in Hanoi , ahead of the opening ceremony of the 7th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF VII), the Film Festival Project Market was inaugurated.

Attending the opening ceremony were Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, Head of the HANIFF VII Steering Committee; Mr. Vi Kien Thanh, Director of the Cinema Department, Head of the HANIFF VII Organizing Committee; and Mr. Olivier Brochet, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Vietnam.

Opening of HANIFF VII Project Market

Following the success of the 4th Project Market within the framework of the Hanoi International Film Festival in 2022, this year, the Vietnam Film Department continues to cooperate with BHD & Vietnam Media Corp to organize the Project Market within the framework of the 7th Hanoi International Film Festival.

The Project Market is a meeting and experience platform for producers, directors, and screenwriters who wish to showcase their film projects to investors and leading film industry professionals worldwide through workshops and networking events taking place from November 7-10.

Producers, directors, and screenwriters who wish to showcase their film projects will have the opportunity to: Develop their film projects and enhance their professional skills; Network and establish long-term partnerships with potential partners; Access producers, distributors, film festivals, and investors; Participate in meetings and work sessions with representatives from film festivals, international project markets, or major regional film organizations.

In his opening remarks at the Project Market, Mr. Vi Kien Thanh stated: The 7th Hanoi International Film Festival, chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Hanoi, and organized by the Cinema Department in coordination with the Department of Culture and Sports and other relevant agencies, will be held from November 7-11, 2024 in Hanoi. Its purpose is to honor outstanding international and Vietnamese films with high artistic value, rich in humanistic themes, and creative cinematic language; and to encourage new talents in international and Vietnamese cinema.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong attended the ceremony.

As one of the important professional activities attracting significant attention from the industry, and the opening event of the 7th Hanoi International Film Festival, the 5th Film Project Market will be a meeting and experience platform for producers, directors, and screenwriters who wish to showcase their film projects to investors and film industry professionals in Vietnam and around the world through workshops, meetings, and presentations held during the Project Market. This year, we would also like to thank the cooperation of the French Embassy, ​​the French Institute in Vietnam, the European Union Delegation, and especially the co-organizing unit, BHD Vietnam Co., Ltd., for their support in this event.

The Project Market activity demonstrates the Organizing Committee's interest in generating projects and scripts, encouraging young Vietnamese filmmakers to access new creative trends, and simultaneously networking with international colleagues, connecting with potential investors, and having the opportunity to participate in major international film festivals in the region.

Mr. Vi Kien Thanh expressed: "I believe that with the impartiality of the Jury, and with the efforts of the representatives of the projects participating in this year's Project Market, more new films will be produced and premiered at international film festivals next year."

This year, the project market received a record number of applications, nearly 70 projects from over 20 countries and territories worldwide. The quality and diversity of the projects this year were also very high. The Organizing Committee invested a great deal of time and faced considerable difficulty in selecting the projects for the Hanoi International Film Festival's Project Market this year. Ultimately, the Organizing Committee decided to select eight outstanding projects from six countries and territories for the Presentation Round, including: Love Encoded (directed by Nguyen Hoang Khoi Nguyen); Tears for Hire (directed by Do Ha); Memento Mori: Water (directed by Marcus Manh Cuong Vu); The Hidden Legacy Blood Enigma – a collaborative project between Vietnam and Argentina (directed by Nestor Sanchez Sotelo); Red Lights Blue Angels (directed by Afsana Mimi, Bangladesh); and Rahma (directed by Faysal Soysal, Türkiye). Days of Monsoon by director Honey Ahmad (Malaysia); Elephant of the Blinds by director Ashish Madurwar (India).

Director of the Vietnam Film Department, Vi Kien Thanh, delivered the opening speech at the Project Market.

The Organizing Committee invited leading experts to join the Project Market's judging panel, including: Mr. Thibaut Bracq (France) – Film curator, consultant; Ms. Jodi Hildebrand (USA) – Producer; Mr. Lee Jin Sung (Korea) – Director of Runup Vietnam; Mr. Nguyen Phan Quang Binh (Vietnam) – Director, producer, Director of Viet Film Studio, Chairman of BHD Company.

The Project Market will close at 2 PM on November 10th. The awards will be announced at the HANIFF VIII closing ceremony. The best project will receive a cash prize of 135 million VND (equivalent to 5,000 Euros) sponsored by the French Embassy. The second best project will receive the Jury Award. These honorary awards aim to encourage and support promising young directors.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/khai-mac-cho-du-an-lien-hoan-phim-quoc-te-ha-noi-lan-thu-vii-20241107123422004.htm