A new generation of young filmmakers will emerge from HIFF.

The HIFF 2024 Project Market was a great success, with hopes of continuing the spirit and success of the Autumn Meeting - Photo: To Cuong

Project Market and VietScript Lab are two dedicated platforms for young filmmakers in the region to network and present their promising film projects within the framework of HIFF 2024.

After a week of learning and working with film industry experts and having the opportunity to present their projects and scripts to the judging panel, the young filmmakers participating in the program gathered here to receive awards and the chance to turn their cinematic ideas into reality.

Project Market

Attending the Project Market Awards ceremony were Ms. Tran Thi Bich Ngoc - Director of the Project Market program - along with representatives from the world of cinema such as: Mr. Jeremie Kressler - Director of the World Cinema Fund; Mr. Jerremy Segey - representative of the French Embassy; Mr. Kim Dong Ho - founder of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and honorary chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF)... along with many lecturers, judges and filmmakers from Vietnam and abroad.

Project Market is a program that inherits the spirit of the Autumn Meeting, attracting 56 projects from various countries to select 10 projects, including 5 art films and 5 entertainment films.

This year's HIFF project market is supported by the French Film Agency (CNC).

There were three award categories:

- The award for Best Commercial Film went to Green Valley and the Amber Marbles - directed by Vu Nguyen Nam Khue and produced by Pham Minh Hang.

- The award for best art-house film went to Other People's Dream , directed by Daniel Hui and produced by Sophia Sim and Si En Tan.

- The award for Best Film, as chosen by the CNC judges, went to Imah - The Last Time I Saw Your Face - directed by Eddie Cahyono and produced by Li Xiaorong.

Mr. Kim Dong Ho personally congratulated the success of the HIFF 2024 Film Market, and expressed his hope that this would become a stepping stone for Vietnamese cinema to continue to "take off" in the future.

Among the participating projects, some have found investors and co-producers, and foreign film projects collaborating with Vietnam are being actively discussed.

Jeremie Kressler - Director of the World Cinema Fund - presents the award and congratulates the two winners of the Best Film Project category as selected by CNC - Photo: To Cuong

Scriptwriting Incubator (VietScript Lab)

The VietScript Lab is a program helmed by director-producer Charlie Nguyen and director-producer Phan Gia Nhat Linh. However, only director Charlie Nguyen was able to attend today's awards ceremony.

In addition, representatives from major film production companies were also present to scout for talent and potential projects, such as: Vo Thanh Hoa - producer of 89s Studio; Pham Viet Phuoc - director of Ho Chi Minh City Television Film Studio; Vo Thach Thao - representative of Vieon Network...

Eleven screenwriters and 12 promising scripts made it to the final round in both the Television and Film categories. This included four honorable mentions and two first prizes.

The HIFF 2024 script incubator awarded the following prizes:

Honorable Mention in the Television Series category: Mental Idol - written by Stefanio Vo and The Secret of Paradise Island - written by Nguyen Hoang Hai.

Honorable Mention in the Feature Film category: Results - screenwriter Nguyen Vu Trung Kien and Tam and the Queen - screenwriter Phat Nguyen.

First prize in the Television Drama category: screenwriter Quan Phuong Thanh with the work "Chuẩn cơm mẹ nấu" (Mother's Home Cooking).

First prize in the Feature Film category: screenwriter Phuong Anh Dang with the work "A Story Called Faith".

Charlie Trí Nguyễn (right in the photo) poses with screenwriters Phát Nguyễn and Hoàng Yến - Photo: Tô Cường

At the end of the awards ceremony, producer and director Charlie Nguyen thanked the program for creating a platform for young screenwriters and for building a bridge that allows promising scripts to be discovered by major producers.

At the same time, he also announced that there would be a "special award" dedicated to two works that he and his colleague Phan Gia Nhật Linh were particularly fond of: the script "Hoang Tu" by screenwriter Phat Nguyen and "Under the Eagle's Wings" by screenwriter Hoang Yen.

These two scripts will be personally "nurtured" by two veteran producers for a year. Charlie Nguyen also promised the two young screenwriters that he would dedicate his time and industry connections to help these scripts get to the screen as soon as possible.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mot-the-he-nha-lam-phim-tre-se-buoc-ra-tu-hiff-20240412223229404.htm