Vietnam on screen: Regional voice - Global reach

At the workshop "Vietnam on screen: Regional voice - Global reach" organized by VFDA in Japan on October 30, Ms. Seiko Noda (Chairwoman of the Japan Film Promotion Parliamentary Alliance, Member of the House of Representatives) wished to cooperate with Vietnam in producing films that have global reach.

Within the framework of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF 2025), on the afternoon of October 30, in Tokyo, Japan, the Vietnam Film Promotion Association (VFDA) in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan organized the workshop "Vietnam on screen: Regional voice - Global reach".

Mr. Pham Quang Hieu - Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan and Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - Chairman of VFDA

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Attending the workshop were Mr. Pham Quang Hieu - Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan; Ms. Seiko Noda - Member of the House of Representatives, President of the Parliamentary Alliance for the Promotion of Japanese Cinema; film experts, producers, and representatives of major film studios in Japan.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - President of VFDA, Director of Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) emphasized that the workshop is a forum for discussion on how to connect Vietnamese cinema with Asian cinema, especially East Asia and Southeast Asia. Thanks to its special geographical location - located at the intersection of the two regions, along with its diverse cultural reception, Vietnamese cinema is increasingly asserting its role as a bridge, spreading and creating a deeper influence in the Asian cinema community.

According to the Chairman of VFDA, although starting later than many countries in the region, Vietnamese cinema is on a strong rise, and recovering firmly after the Covid-19 pandemic. Box office revenue of Vietnamese films has continuously reached impressive milestones in recent years, Vietnam is the first, and currently the only, film market in Asia to surpass pre-Covid-19 pandemic revenue. The market share of Vietnamese films has reached 44% in 2024 compared to 25% of the US film market share.

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan delivered a keynote speech at the conference

PHOTO: NGOC LE

"VFDA is attending the 38th TIFF, with a much larger scale and more diverse activities than in 2019 and 2022. Through a series of film promotion activities at TIFF, VFDA hopes to continue promoting Vietnamese cinema in key international markets and film festivals," Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized.

Domestic production environment has 3 positive changes

The workshop outlined a panoramic view of the development of Vietnamese cinema. Speakers highlighted positive changes in the domestic film production environment and viewed “cooperation” as an essential key to reaching out to the world .

Overview of the workshop "Vietnam on screen: Regional voice - Global reach"

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Sharing from a practical perspective, producer Luong Cong Hieu (General Director of Galaxy Entertainment and Education Company, Member of the Standing Committee of VFDA) said that film production in Vietnam has been much more favorable in the past 5 years. Mr. Hieu emphasized "3 factors that created this huge change": filming permits directly supported by the government; good support policies, film crews of 100-200 people when arriving in the locality are often free to enter tourist areas, relics, conservation areas... and are given detailed instructions on regulations to complete the best film; and finally, the government supports security and order during filming, free of charge.

From the perspective of state management, Ms. Ly Phuong Dung, Vice President of VFDA, former Deputy Director of the Cinema Department, shared that policies for cinema development are coming into practice, in line with the world's development trends. Production cooperation between Vietnamese and foreign film organizations no longer requires a license. Foreign organizations and individuals who want to come to Vietnam to film and use scenes in Vietnam can proactively register and submit their applications directly on the convenient online public service portal.

Ms. Dung also pointed out Vietnam's limitations: it currently does not refund taxes to foreign film producers, and does not have a national studio that meets international standards in terms of technical facilities for filmmakers.

Local authorities committed to supporting all procedures for the film crew.

At the workshop, leaders of Da Nang City and Quang Ninh Province introduced policies to attract film crews. Mr. Nguyen Hong Duong, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee, said that the province is a pioneer in the online "one-stop" mechanism and is ready to have a single point of contact to support all procedures for film crews. Quang Ninh is committed to supporting free or reduced costs at locations managed by the state, introducing service infrastructure with the lowest cost. Regarding digital infrastructure, the province has covered the entire 5G network and internet and is ready to share digital data warehouses on culture, tourism and images.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Duong shares policies to attract film crews in Quang Ninh

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of Da Nang City People's Committee, affirmed the goal of building DANAFF into a "bridge for Asian cinema", promoting the entire value chain of the film industry. Da Nang wishes to cooperate internationally with cities such as Fukuoka and Tokyo (Japan) to exchange experts, co-organize film screenings, and learn from organizational experiences. Ms. Thi said that in the near future, Da Nang City will build a cinema center with a film studio and has assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to develop a plan.

Leaders of Da Nang City and Quang Ninh Province introduce policies to attract film crews.

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Japan-Vietnam film co-production has global reach

From an international perspective, Japanese leaders and Japanese filmmakers repeatedly mentioned the keyword "cooperation" at the conference. Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara, who co-produced the Vietnamese film Don't Cry Butterfly , affirmed that the future of Asian cinema lies in cooperation. She believes that this cooperation is not only about financial resources from support funds, but also about the spirit of creativity and opening up opportunities for film distribution between countries.

Canadian film producer expressed his wish to have the opportunity to make films in Vietnam in the near future.

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Director Bui Thac Chuyen, whose film The Tunnels is participating in TIFF this year, believes that participating in international film festivals is just the first step. The longer-term goal is to bring films to international audiences, and this is a story of developing a national brand. He believes that when Vietnam has a greater economic and cultural presence abroad, then Vietnamese films will truly go international.

Ms. Megumi Kose (Executive Director of Fukuoka Film Commission) shared Fukuoka's experience and opened up future cooperation directions between Fukuoka Film Commission and VFDA for mutual development. .

Ms. Seiko Noda - President of the Parliamentary Alliance for the Promotion of Cinema, Member of the House of Representatives spoke at the workshop

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Seiko Noda (Chairwoman of the Japanese Film Promotion Parliamentary Alliance, Member of the House of Representatives) expressed her hope that film exchange activities between the two countries will contribute to strengthening friendship and enhancing understanding of the history and culture of the two nations. At the same time, it will open up opportunities for cooperation in producing films with global influence. Ms. Seiko Noda hopes that one day, at the Oscars, Vietnamese and Japanese films will be nominated as friendly "rivals" - competing together and progressing together.

Delegates take souvenir photos

PHOTO: NGOC LE

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan - Mr. Pham Quang Hieu - emphasized that linking the activities of the Film Festival with cooperation forums at the conference contributes to creating a creative cooperation network, expanding the space for dialogue and promoting the sustainable development of regional cinema. Cinema is not only an art, but also the soft power of each country, contributing to promoting tourism, investment, cultural exchange and strengthening friendship between the people of Vietnam and Japan.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/viet-nam-tren-man-anh-tieng-noi-khu-vuc-vuon-tam-toan-cau-185251030203214864.htm