The event was attended by Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Promotion Association and former Director of the Vietnam Film Department; Ms. Le Minh Tam, Vice President of the Vietnam Film Promotion Association; Mr. Dinh Trong Tuan, Standing Committee Member of the Vietnam Film Promotion Association and former Editor-in-Chief of the World of Cinema Magazine; Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism ; Mr. Le Van Thai, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports… along with director Ham Tran, director Nguyen Quang Dung, director-actress Hong Anh, and numerous young filmmakers and students passionate about cinema.
Guests discuss at the panel discussion "The Role of Young Filmmakers in Shaping Vietnamese Cinema"
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
As part of the launch event, the organizers held a panel discussion titled "The Role of Young Filmmakers in Positioning Vietnamese Cinema," aiming to clarify the development direction and emphasize the importance of human resources in affirming the stature of Vietnamese cinema. This space connects generations of professionals – where older generations share and pass on their experiences, while younger generations bring energy and new potential to Vietnamese cinema.
What is Vietnamese cinema lacking?
In his speech at the launch event of the Vietnamese Short Film Competition - Vietnamese 2026, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, assessed that Vietnamese cinema in recent years has undergone remarkable changes with films achieving hundreds of billions of dong in revenue and some works gaining international acclaim. Furthermore, the market has seen the emergence of young talents with creative thinking and storytelling styles, full of personality. When discussing the sustainable development of the film industry and its contributions to the cultural industry, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan also stated that people always play a decisive role, alongside factors such as capital, technical skills, and filmmaking technology…
Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee, spoke at the launch ceremony of the Vietnamese Short Film Contest - Vietnamese 2026, on the afternoon of May 16th.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
This viewpoint was also echoed by Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan. Specifically, during the seminar, the President of the Vietnam Film Development Promotion Association stated that Vietnamese cinema has many things, but what it lacks is the discovery and nurturing of young talents: "The most important factor for the success of cinema, besides funding and mechanisms, is still the people." Nevertheless, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan expressed hope for the overall picture of Vietnamese cinema today, and urged the younger generation of filmmakers: "If you love cinema, don't hesitate, pick up your camera and take action."
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan stated that the Asian Film Festival - Da Nang 2026 will select a selection of short films from the second season of the Vietnamese Short Film Competition to be screened at the upcoming festival.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
Director Nguyen Quang Dung, serving as a judge for the Vietnamese short film competition, also raised the issue of human resources when discussing the current state of Vietnamese cinema. He believes that with more talented people, competition becomes increasingly fierce, and this will be the driving force behind the development of cinema in Vietnam. "Vietnamese cinema has already developed at this point, but I hope it will develop even more strongly. With the younger generation, I expect them to go further than our generation. I expect them to go out into the world and gain more international market share," the director of the film "Southern Forest Land" confided.
According to Hong Anh, Vietnamese cinema lacks a sustainable development ecosystem. This requires a workforce with uniformly trained skills across all stages, not only directors but also art direction, sound engineering, cinematography, and even audiences. However, the actress also expressed her belief in the increasingly diverse domestic film market. "In recent years, we've seen many diverse and rich stories and themes from young people. I think they need more time and an environment to gain practical experience. Cinema needs reflection, contemplation, and experience gained through each work," she said.
Ham Tran, director of "Battle in the Air ," also believes that Vietnamese cinema needs the voices of young filmmakers. According to him, the more personal a story is, the easier it is to connect with the audience. The director also believes that young filmmakers need to overcome their fears and be more assertive with their work, boldly trying their hand at competitions like "Vietnamese ." Ham Tran believes this is an opportunity for them to tell their own cherished stories, so that "from short films comes feature films, from small opportunities to big opportunities."
Based on these perspectives, director Nguyen Quang Dung believes that competitions like Vietnam - Vietnamese play a crucial role in discovering young talents and showcasing their works to the audience. He emphasized: "Cinema is not for the timid. This is an environment where you can meet future colleagues, and through competition, you can develop together and gain recognition from many producers."
How are young filmmakers supported in their development?
Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan shared that over the years, the Vietnamese Short Film Competition has witnessed many young people continuing to affirm their talent and steadily progress on their career paths. Some continue making short films, some participate in professional projects, and some are preparing to release their first feature films. A prominent name among them is young director Bui Duc Anh and his work " Seed of Memories ," which won big in season 2 of Vietnamese Short Films before being honored in the short film category of the 2025 Golden Kite Awards. Young filmmaker Hung Tran, who was in the top 20 of the first season of Vietnamese Short Films, is preparing to release his first feature film, "Lau Chu Hoa," this coming June.
Director Hung Tran, a young filmmaker who made his mark at the Vietnamese Short Film Competition 2024, is now about to release his feature film.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
In her presentation on developing young filmmakers in Ho Chi Minh City – a UNESCO Creative City for Cinema – submitted to the seminar, People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, assessed the Vietnamese Short Film Competition as a practical initiative, creating more space for young filmmakers to experiment, tell their stories, reach the public, and gradually enter the professional film industry. "The success of the works emerging from the competition is vivid evidence of the ability of a short film platform to open up a longer journey for young filmmakers," the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City stated.
People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy believes that the theme of supporting young filmmakers today is not just about a competition, but is part of Ho Chi Minh City's long-term development strategy. "In that strategy, competitions like Vietnamese 2026 play the role of the first 'point of contact' to discover talent; while training, mentoring, screening, media, and market connection mechanisms will be the 'pathways' for those talents to continue developing," the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports emphasized.
At the seminar, Mr. Le Van Thai, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, said that supporting young filmmakers like Hung Tran should not stop at a competition, but must create a long-term development roadmap. He said that Ho Chi Minh City is gradually building an ecosystem to support young filmmakers through various models such as: Film Support Office (to support locations, procedures and production connections), Script Incubator, Film Project Market (to connect filmmakers with investors, distributors and digital platforms), Film Development Investment Fund… Simultaneously, the School Film Program contributes to forming a new generation of audiences and creators, helping students access film…
"From a state management perspective, Ho Chi Minh City aims for a proactive and connecting role, meaning it doesn't replace the market or creators, but rather creates an environment, policies, and resources for the creative community, businesses, investors, and distribution platforms to participate in forming a closed support chain for young filmmakers, contributing to the development of Vietnamese cinema in a professional, sustainable direction with the potential to reach international markets," Mr. Le Van Thai emphasized.
Mr. Thai also urged young filmmakers to continue to maintain their youthful enthusiasm, continue their passion for cinema, and confidently embark on the path of filmmaking. He emphasized that young filmmakers today receive not only attention and support from state management agencies but also from businesses and sponsors who accompany them, and most importantly, the support of the audience for Vietnamese filmmakers.
Screening of the second season of Vietnamese short films at the Asian Film Festival - Da Nang 2026
At the seminar, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Development Promotion Association, announced that the organizing committee of the Asian Film Festival - Da Nang 2026 will select a series of short films from the second season of the Vietnamese Short Film Competition to be screened at the festival, alongside feature films for theatrical release. "As we promised: opening a door for young filmmakers not only to reach audiences in theaters but also to the international stage," Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan shared.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-lam-phim-tre-khong-dung-mot-minh-185260516212537753.htm
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