Ho Chi Minh City - The City of Cinema

The official recognition by UNESCO of Ho Chi Minh City as a "Creative City" in the field of cinema, within the UCCN global network of Creative Cities, has opened up great opportunities for the city to exploit and develop its existing potential.

In fact, the vibrant artistic atmosphere here has long reflected the strong vitality of a young, dynamic city, in which cinema has always played an important role, becoming an indispensable part of the city's cultural life.

Audiences enjoy a free film screening at Saigon Riverside Park as part of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival. Photo: HIFF.

"Breathing" in the atmosphere of cinema

At the closing ceremony of the Italian Film Festival in Ho Chi Minh City 2025, director Antonio Termenini, the festival's artistic director, shared that he felt the enthusiasm of the audience, especially the young audience. “At each screening, many people came to watch the films and asked many questions with interesting perspectives,” said director Antonio Termenini. Taking place over five days (from October 26th to 31st), the 300-seat auditorium of the Galaxy Nguyen Du cinema was always full. Before the event, the organizers received nearly 5,000 registrations for six screenings. Many audience members also suggested that in future events, the organizers should increase the number of screenings to serve more viewers.

Previously, tickets also sold out at the German Film Festival - KinoFest 2025, which took place from October 21 to 27. Mr. Van Toan (Go Vap ward) said that he registered immediately after the organizers announced the event but was always on the waiting list. Fortunately, he was able to see the re-screening of the opening film, Afire ( Red Sky ), and he felt the excitement of the large audience, from young people to those in their 70s and 80s.

The two events mentioned above are just a part of the vibrant cinematic atmosphere that takes place continuously and daily in the "film city" - Ho Chi Minh City. Here, at least 4-5 film premieres are organized on a large scale and in a professional manner every week. Many events occur simultaneously. For example, on the evening of October 28th, two Vietnamese films, "Breaking the Fun: Mother's Birthday" and "Blindfolded Deer Catching," were screened at the same time; on the evening of November 4th, five film premieres took place simultaneously, including two Vietnamese films ( "Crippled Heart" and "The Wealthy Bride ") and three foreign films. In November and December, approximately 7 Vietnamese films are expected to be released each month, with many exciting "showdowns." On November 6th, Ho Chi Minh City was the next stop for the Hong Kong (China) Film Gala, featuring two famous actors, Louis Koo and Sammo Hung. In particular, at the end of November (from November 21st to 25th), the 24th Vietnam Film Festival will return to the South after exactly 10 years.

Community-based filmmaking initiatives are also continuously flourishing. The 2025 Science Film Festival in Ho Chi Minh City is vibrant, with screenings at fixed locations, mobile library vehicles, and film screenings at numerous schools along with experiential and hands-on activities. The first-ever Vietnam Animation IP Contest 2025 opens up a space for young animation filmmakers. In addition, competitions such as the 14-Day Short Film Challenge, Cinema Watch Fest 2025, and the CJ Short Film Project 2025… also attract a large number of young people, further increasing the excitement and vibrancy of the film industry.

According to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, the city currently has 935 film businesses with 9,294 employees, generating revenue of 500 million USD, contributing 0.43% to the city's GRDP. The city has 10 cinema systems, 52 cinema complexes with 295 screening rooms, and 184 creative spaces that serve as professional art practice areas, alongside cultural spaces serving community needs in residential areas. According to the "Development Plan for Ho Chi Minh City's Cultural Industry until 2030," the film industry aims for an average annual growth rate of 12%, revenue exceeding 5,000 billion VND (Vietnamese films accounting for 30%), and a contribution of 0.4% to GRDP in 2025. By 2030, these figures are projected to increase to 13%, 10,000 billion VND (Vietnamese films accounting for 50%), and a contribution of 0.56% to GRDP.

Starting a long-term strategy

Ho Chi Minh City is known as the "city that never sleeps," and the film industry is no exception. According to director Tran Thanh Huy, one of the biggest highlights is the love of film and passion of the production teams, especially the young people. "2025 will witness the explosion of many young filmmakers. Despite their lack of experience, they have dedicated themselves to projects, driven by their passion, even having to self-finance to complete their works. This abundant young workforce is a valuable resource and the biggest driving force for the development of the film industry," director Tran Thanh Huy emphasized. Recently, many young directors such as Quoc Cong, Tran Nhan Kien, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Thang Vu, Oscar Duong... have continuously released new works. This is not to mention the teams working on short films, web dramas, and television series, which are also very active.

The film "Blindfolded Deer Catching" premiered in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of October.

The professionalism of Ho Chi Minh City's film market is also reflected in its production process, with systematic steps from pre-production to post-production, and especially in media and promotion. From the casting stage, many film projects such as: "Lật mặt" (Flip Face), "Đất rừng phương Nam" (Southern Forest Land), "Ngày xưa có một chuyện tình" (Once Upon a Time There Was a Love Story), "Thám tử Kiên" ( Detective Kien)... have been organized extensively, attracting thousands of participants. Most recently, the live casting for the project "Hoàng hậu cuối cùng" (The Last Empress) received much attention. Director and Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh commented: "Currently, the pre-production stage plays a crucial role. The process of working with actors must also be very thorough; only when they understand the character and grasp the psychological storyline will it be easy to implement on set." Director Vu Thanh Vinh also revealed that the budget for media and promotion is now significantly invested, usually accounting for about 20% of the project budget, and in some cases, it can reach 30%-50%. A film may even be promoted a year in advance "to make a lasting impression on the audience."

In the final months of 2025, the city's film crews are working at full capacity. Two projects, "Blood Moon Feast 8" and "Love Letter to a Nun," have just finished filming, while "Possessed by a Corpse 2" and "Hero" are actively shooting. A series of projects have completed their release plans for the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026, such as: "Blood Paradise," "The Devil Prince," "Who Loves Whom," "Don't Be Sad, My Child," "Human Trafficking Camp ," etc. In particular, many Southern producers are starting early for the 2026 Lunar New Year film season with a series of announced projects including: "The Scent of Pho," "Heaven's Gift," and "Rabbit, Oh!" It's not an exaggeration to liken Ho Chi Minh City to an "open film studio" operating continuously: one project is in pre-production, another is starting filming, and some crews are starting a new project as soon as they finish one.

Many experts and professionals believe that Ho Chi Minh City's recognition by UNESCO as a Creative City in the field of cinema is not the ultimate goal or a mere title. It promises to be the starting point for a long-term strategy aimed at building a "cinema city" brand, similar to how many Asian cities like Busan (South Korea) or Mumbai (India) have successfully done.

Mr. PHAM MINH TOAN - Executive Director of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival 2024:

As one of Ho Chi Minh City's commitments upon joining the UCCN, we see many areas for improvement to make the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF) even better. HIFF needs a continuously operating, professional system, such as a Film Office/Center established through a public-private partnership (PPP) with partial funding and infrastructure support from the city. Next, financial issues need to be addressed, as this is a crucial factor in determining the scale and quality of HIFF in the coming years. Ideally, a city-wide film development fund should be established, with festival organization costs funded from this fund. Infrastructure issues will be resolved through the initiative to build a Film Park – a complex to host HIFF, similar to the Busan Film Center (South Korea).

Director TRAN THANH HUY:

Drawing lessons from Busan (South Korea), to become a film center, we must first have a system of funds to support Vietnamese filmmakers as well as international filmmakers. Currently, the challenge remains in determining who will fund this money—whether it will come from the state budget or other revenue sources to ensure its stability. Once a film support fund system is established with specific usage commitments and a network of specialized training, it will benefit domestic filmmakers and film companies, providing opportunities to work with, learn from, and hone their skills with major film studios and filmmakers worldwide . I believe this will be an opportunity, and the fastest way, to connect with international filmmakers, promote collaborative production, create transnational films, and contribute to raising the voice and standing of the city's film industry.

VAN TUAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tphcm-thanh-pho-dien-anh-post822542.html