The opening ceremony of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival and the ceremony to receive the UNESCO title " Ho Chi Minh City - Global Creative City of Cinema" officially took place.
Attending the ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc; Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy; Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan, along with representatives of leaders of central and local ministries, branches, actors, artists, filmmakers, and a large number of domestic and international audiences and tourists.
Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh and delegates attended the opening ceremony.
With the theme "Vietnamese Cinema - Sustainable Development and International Integration in the New Era", this year's Film Festival is not only a place to honor outstanding cinematographic works, but also affirms the mettle and aspiration of Vietnamese cinema in the journey of deep integration with the world. The event takes place from November 21 to 25 in Ho Chi Minh City with many meaningful activities.
The Flag Raising Ceremony marked the important moment, officially opening the 24th Vietnam Film Festival. This is not only the biggest festival of the cinema industry, but also a national cultural and artistic event.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong emphasized that after more than half a century of formation and development, the Vietnam Film Festival has affirmed its position as the most important national cinema event, a place to honor outstanding works and creative talents of Vietnamese cinema.
At the XXIV Film Festival, filmmakers from all over the country brought works rich in themes, diverse in style and full of innovation. Many films not only touched the emotions of domestic audiences but also became cultural ambassadors, contributing to promoting the image of the country, people, cultural identity and tourism of Vietnam to international friends. This shows that Vietnamese cinema is gradually affirming its position on the world cinema map.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong delivered the opening speech at the 24th Vietnam Film Festival.
"The 24th Vietnam Film Festival is not only a professional forum, a place to honor artistic values, but also a festival for audiences - those who add vitality to cinema. I believe that, through these exciting days of the Festival, we will together spread the love of cinema, encourage new creativity and nurture the aspiration to build a strong Vietnamese cinema" - Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong expressed.
With the spirit of solidarity, creativity and aspiration to rise up, Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong believes that the 24th Vietnam Film Festival will be a great success, opening up new directions for development of the country's cinema and contributing to enhancing Vietnam's position in the international arena.
At the Opening Ceremony of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival, Ho Chi Minh City was honored to receive the Certificate of Recognition from UNESCO as "Ho Chi Minh City - Global Creative City of Cinema". This is an important highlight to open the Film Festival taking place from November 21 to 25 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong affirmed: "This title recognizes Ho Chi Minh City's continuous efforts in developing the cultural industry, promoting artistic creativity, investing in infrastructure and film production environment, and affirms the city's great potential in becoming a regional cinema center. This is also a strong driving force for the city to promote international cooperation, attract film projects, and nurture generations of enthusiastic young filmmakers."
Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam performed the ceremony to award the title "Creative City of Cinema" to the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the Creative City title award ceremony, Mr. Jonathan Baker - Head of UNESCO Office in Vietnam, said that this title is not only the result of an excellent profile, but also a testament to the City's strong commitment to placing creativity at the heart of its sustainable development strategy, as well as recognizing culture as an essential pillar for a dynamic, resilient and inclusive urban future.
Over the past months, Ho Chi Minh City has demonstrated strong leadership, with close collaboration between cultural institutions, universities, the creative community and private partners, all working together to build a vibrant, innovative and forward-looking film ecosystem.
Mr. Jonathan Baker - Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Vietnam shared at the ceremony to award the Certificate of recognition of the title "Ho Chi Minh City - Creative City of Cinema".
Mr. Jonathan Baker emphasized that the vitality of the young generation is one of the greatest strengths of the City. Curiosity, creativity and the spirit of willingness to explore new forms of expression are gradually forming a dynamic environment for cinema in particular and for the cultural sector in general. This energy is clearly present in many creative spaces in Ho Chi Minh City, and will continue to be an important driving force for the City's development journey as a Creative City in the field of Cinema.
The Head of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam also expressed his wish to accompany and cooperate closely with Ho Chi Minh City, the filmmaking community and all partners to elevate this title to become a catalyst for cultural vitality, international exchange and long-term development.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Vietnam presented the Handbook "HCMC - film production destination" to representatives of Ho Chi Minh City's leaders.
At the ceremony, Ho Chi Minh City was also honored to welcome an activity of special significance. The French Republic - a country with a long-standing tradition of cinema and an important partner of Vietnam - presented Ho Chi Minh City with the "Ho Chi Minh City - a film production destination" handbook to promote the city's image, spreading cultural and creative values to tourists and international friends.
Opening the art program of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival was the performance "Journey of Emotion and Creativity" performed by TRE Dance Group.
The opening ceremony was held in a large, airy, open and harmonious outdoor space, creating conditions for staging modern art stages, combining light, sound and large-scale cinema projection, contributing to increasing the experience, connecting the audience, creating a different and modern impression while still preserving the identity and depth of national culture, while spreading the image of a dynamic, creative Ho Chi Minh City, growing with the country.
Art performances at the program.
The opening ceremony of this year's Film Festival is led by a consistent theme, with the Magical Journey, opening with a feeling of gratitude, reflecting on the 23 Film Festivals, where generations of artists have together built a solid foundation for the country's art. The special breakthrough journey honors the strong transformation of Vietnamese cinema in the new era, with works that are creative, diverse and influential.
And finally, Journey of Aspiration, conveys the desire for a cinema industry that develops sustainably and integrates deeply, igniting faith and inspiration for young artists on the path to conquering the next peaks of the seventh art.
A large audience attended and watched the program.
According to the Organizing Committee, during the 5 days from November 21 to 25, 2025, the 24th Vietnam Film Festival will bring a series of rich, exciting and attractive activities - from film screenings, exchanges with artists, career discussions, to experiential programs, exhibitions and events for cinema lovers.
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/khai-mac-lien-hoan-phim-viet-nam-lan-thu-xxiv-khang-dinh-vi-the-su-kien-dien-anh-quoc-gia-20251121211551715.htm
Comment (0)