The DANAFF Talents 2026 project incubator comprises three core activities: intensive training, project presentations, and partner networking at the project market. The program focuses on two strategic categories: Vietnamese multi-genre film projects (Genre Film Projects) in the form of a Script Lab, and Asian Art-house Film Projects.
Attracting over 350 applications, the program has become a networking space between renowned filmmakers and many promising young talents.
In the Script Lab category, 8 Vietnamese projects were selected, featuring experienced directors and screenwriters such as Nguyen Quang Dung, the screenwriting duo Kim & ToTo Chan ( The Ivory Comb ), Phan Gia Nhat Linh ( Phan Xich Long and the Uprising in the Southern Provinces ), Dinh Tuan Vu ( Female Soldiers ), Tran Khanh Hoang ( First Love ), alongside promising young talents like Tran Quang Thien and Ngo Thanh Phong.
This year, Script Lab is partnered with Columbia University (USA) - one of the world's most prestigious film education institutions. Within the framework of Script Lab, filmmakers will participate in discussions, receive feedback, and get direct advice from lecturers who are film experts, professors, directors, film curators, and renowned critics worldwide.
In the Asian Art Film category, 10 projects were selected, bringing together many filmmakers who have made their mark internationally, such as Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi (Kyrgyzstan – winner of Best Asian Film at DANAFF 2025 with the project Zholdogu Bala ) and Nguyen Trung Nghia (Vietnam – whose short film The Rat's Wedding was selected for Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2024). The presence of projects from Japan, South Korea , Bangladesh, and the ASEAN bloc contributes to creating a space for exchange and opening up opportunities for multinational co-production.
This year's Asian Art Film Project category expands its scope with two specialized branches for filmmakers from within and outside the ASEAN bloc. Participants will undergo an intensive 8-day training course, present their projects (pitching) to an international judging panel, and connect directly with experts, producers, and distributors within the film industry network.
According to the planned schedule, after a series of intensive training days, the filmmakers will participate in project presentations on July 2nd to determine the winner of the $5,000 DANAFF Award for the best multi-genre Vietnamese project and the €8,000 award sponsored by the CNC (Cinema World Film Fund) for the best Asian art project.
On July 3rd, within the framework of the Project Market, the organizers will directly connect filmmakers from both categories to meet and work directly with producers, investors, and potential partners to seek opportunities for collaborative production.
The program will conclude with the DANAFF Talents Closing Ceremony and Awards Presentation on the afternoon of July 3rd.
The Project Incubator's judging panel, which independently evaluates project presentations to identify outstanding candidates for funding packages, comprises film festival managers and international producers.
The jury for the Asian Art Film category includes: Julien Rejl - Artistic Director of the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival (France); Jacob Wong: Director of the Film Industry Program at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), Representative for Chinese-language Film at the Berlin International Film Festival; Oh Jung Wan - Film producer and founder of the renowned Bom Film Productions (South Korea); Yuni Hadi - Cultural strategist and film producer from Singapore, former CEO of the Singapore International Film Festival.
The jury for the Vietnam Multi-Genre category includes: Lorna Tee - Film producer working in Asia and Europe, International Advisor at Barunson E&A, Secretary General of the Asian Film Alliance Network (AFAN); Jimmy Yang - Film producer and distributor with 26 years of international distribution experience; Miqi Huang - Vice President of Local Production for Greater China and Southeast Asia at Sony Pictures (SPIP); Linda Gozali - Producer, Director of the JAFF Film Market.
Source: https://cand.vn/khai-mac-vuon-uom-du-an-danaff-talents-2026-post815187.html
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