80 films will be screened, with Vietnamese films being free to watch.
With exactly two weeks remaining before the opening on November 25th, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, head of the organizing committee of the Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF), stated that the organizational work has been essentially completed in terms of content.
Specifically, this involves reviewing and selecting films to be screened and submitted to the film festival, as well as the composition of the official jury, the short film jury, and the NETPAC jury (jury of film critics).
The film "Heaven's Mandate: Hero" - inspired by the second part of Nguyen Trai's novel (The Blood Letter) - will compete at the 2nd Hanoi International Film Festival.
- Photo: provided by the film crew
According to the organizers, 38 countries and territories have officially submitted films to HANIFF. Of the more than 200 films submitted, the organizers have reviewed and decided to screen 80 films across various categories: competition films; films in the World Cinema Panorama program, Korean Cinema Focus; short films, animated films, etc.
Among the 14 films competing for awards from Kazakhstan, the Philippines, China, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Iran, Japan, Turkey, New Zealand, etc., host country Vietnam is participating with two feature films: "Heaven's Mandate: Hero" (directed by Victor Vũ) and "Passion" (directed by Phi Tiến Sơn); and two short films: "To Truong Luong" and "Two, Four, Six".
In addition, this year's HANIFF will feature a comprehensive Vietnamese film program with seven feature films about Hanoi, 16 feature films about Vietnam during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, and nine new Vietnamese films produced from 2010 to the present: "Touch," "For June," "That or This," "The Curse of the Blood Orchid," "The Scent of Burning Grass," "Saigon Yo," "Mother's Soul," "Pearl of the Far East," and "Scandal - The Red Carpet Secret." All will be screened once again, each film twice, free of charge, at eight theaters of the film festival, open to all audiences who love Vietnamese films.
According to the organizers, inviting Hollywood stars to HANIFF is still underway, but given the time constraints and material comforts required of these celebrities (traveling by private jet - for top stars), HANIFF's financial viability is impossible.
Also within the framework of the film festival's activities, the organizing committee announced the list of 30 producers, directors, screenwriters, and actors participating in the HANIFF creative camp for young talents, including candidates from the USA, UK, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Finland, and Vietnam. The youngest member, born in 1991, is Nguyen Le Hoang Viet (Vietnam), and the oldest member is director Nguyen Ha Phong (1966).
500 Hanoi students also participated in the volunteer selection process for the Film Festival (which lasts until November 29th) with criteria including: knowledge of cinema, good foreign language skills, good health, communication skills, enthusiasm, and hospitality... to prepare for welcoming international film delegations to Hanoi on this occasion. Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan also stated that movie tickets are being printed, 70% of the seats in the screening rooms will be sold, and tickets will only be sold for foreign films.
According to (Tuoitre.vn) - HL
