On October 31, UNESCO officially recognized Ho Chi Minh City as a Global Creative City in the field of cinema. People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, shared with Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper her feelings and development orientation in the new journey.
Reporter: How do you feel when Ho Chi Minh City is honored as the City of Cinema?
- People's Artist NGUYEN THI THANH THUY: It is a great source of pride not only for filmmakers but also for all the people of Ho Chi Minh City. Being recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City of Cinema affirms Ho Chi Minh City's position as a dynamic center, converging and spreading creative values. Cinema is not only an art, but also a strategic cultural industry, contributing to promoting the image, identity and soul of a young and integrated city full of energy. This title opens up more opportunities for artists and filmmakers to develop their careers and spread practical values to society, while contributing creativity to serve the audience at a new level.
What factors helped Ho Chi Minh City be selected by UNESCO as a Creative City of Cinema, Madam?
- Ho Chi Minh City is a vivid picture of cultural exchange - where 54 ethnic groups live together, where East meets West, and tradition blends with modernity. This diversity creates endless inspiration for filmmakers, as every street corner has a story worth telling. The city is currently the largest film production center in the country, with an outstanding number of commercial films released in theaters every year. Many films have earned hundreds of billions of VND, marking the names of young directors such as Nguyen Quang Dung, Ly Hai, Tran Thanh... Especially recent works such as: "Red Rain", "Tunnel - Sun in the Dark", "Peach, Pho and Piano"... have attracted a large audience, achieved revenue and achieved artistic quality.
This not only reflects the strong market potential, but also shows the dynamism and creativity of the young generation of directors - who are shaping a new face for Vietnamese cinema. In fact, since the 1990s, Ho Chi Minh City has been known as the "cinema capital". Dynamism, the ability to quickly access the market, and socialized capital sources have helped the city build a bustling filmmaking environment, developing strongly without relying too much on state funding.
Ho Chi Minh City Cinema currently has 935 businesses and nearly 10,000 employees, with an estimated revenue of 500 million USD per year; a system of 52 cinema complexes, 295 screening rooms and 184 creative spaces - all creating a vibrant and professional cinema ecosystem.
What opportunities does the UNESCO City of Cinema title bring to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnamese cinema?
- First of all, Ho Chi Minh City will become a bridge between Vietnamese and world cinema, expanding international cooperation, exchanging experts and training high-quality human resources. This is also a favorable condition for the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF) to develop into an annual event with regional influence.
This title helps to reposition the role of cinema - not only as an entertainment industry but also as a cultural resource, contributing to improving spiritual life, aesthetic education and social awareness. Ho Chi Minh City is moving towards a "green cinema" model, combining creative development with environmental protection, while promoting cultural identity and international integration.
What are the current challenges of Ho Chi Minh City cinema?
- Ho Chi Minh City cinema has developed strongly in terms of market, but still focuses on commercial entertainment; therefore, it needs more works with depth, exploiting heritage, history, urban culture... The current challenge of Ho Chi Minh City cinema is human resources and policies: the workforce is still lacking in uniformity, professional management and production skills are not high, digital technology has not been widely applied. Although the Cinema Law has stipulated a Cinema Development Support Fund, the implementation is still slow, while tax and investment incentives are not really strong. Besides, copyright infringement is still a burning issue that needs to be controlled more effectively.
Faced with the above opportunities and challenges, what specific steps will Ho Chi Minh City take?
- The city will focus on three key directions: Investing in works with cultural depth, supporting young directors and screenwriters to create themes related to people, history and aspirations for urban development; Building a creative cinema ecosystem with post-production centers, open studios, training academies, script libraries and an Art Film Support Fund;
The city also aims to develop a cinema ecological complex combining many areas such as Cu Chi, Can Gio... to serve film production and become a cultural tourist destination. At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City will organize a film market, a cinema museum, and an international film festival, thereby promoting the image of Ho Chi Minh City as a creative, friendly and unique urban area.
What message do you want to send to the artist community and audience in Ho Chi Minh City?
- I hope that every artist, filmmaker and audience will consider cinema as the voice of the city's soul. Let's tell our own stories in a creative and humane language, so that the world can better understand the Vietnamese people. The UNESCO title is an honor, but more importantly, it is a responsibility to preserve and promote identity, improve creative quality and spread the spirit of integration - the typical solidarity of Saigon. It can be said that this is an important turning point, opening a new chapter for the Vietnamese film industry.
Meritorious Artist Le Thien:
Will present many good movies
As an artist who has witnessed the ups and downs of theater and cinema, I am delighted that Ho Chi Minh City has become the first Cinema City of Vietnam and Southeast Asia. This is a reward for the unceasing creativity of artists. I hope that from now on, many good and valuable films will be released, truly reflecting the life and people of Ho Chi Minh City - friendly and affectionate.
Associate Professor, Dr. TRAN YEN CHI (Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Cinema):
Forming a comprehensive cinema ecosystem
The core value of this title is to turn creativity into a driving force for sustainable development. Ho Chi Minh City needs to combine policy, education and infrastructure to form a comprehensive film ecosystem, helping cinema become both an industry and a tool for cultural storytelling.
According to the UNESCO website, on the occasion of World Cities Day 2025, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced 58 cities as new members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), including Ho Chi Minh City. The cities were recognized for their commitment to supporting creativity as a driving force for sustainable urban development. The cities also demonstrated their own experience in building dynamic and sustainable communities.
Some of the cities announced on this occasion include: Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah as the City of Gastronomy; Andenne as the City of Handicrafts and Folk Arts; Bistrita as the City of Architecture; Bobo-Dioulasso as the City of Handicrafts and Folk Arts; Celje as the City of Literature...
This brings the UCCN to 408 cities in over 100 countries. This is also the first time the UCCN has welcomed architectural cities - a new field in addition to the existing 7 fields: Crafts and folk arts, design, cinema, gastronomy, literature, traditional arts and music. Since its establishment in 2004, the UCCN has actively promoted people-centered urban living and governance, bringing many cultural and creative activities to its citizens.
Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/tp-hcm-thanh-pho-sang-tao-toan-cau-ve-dien-anh-huong-den-mo-hinh-dien-anh-xanh-1019896.html
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