HIFF must be 'stubborn' to create class

The value of a film festival is when it contributes to the long history of cinema and attracts ordinary people to attend - Photo: NVCC

"Stubborn" with what? That is, with the criteria of the film competing for the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF), it has never been released, if it is shown second in the world, it is only accepted after the world's A-list film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto...

As a director who has brought films to film festivals around the world, Luong Dinh Dung clearly understands the feeling of someone in the industry if a film festival only shows old films, films that have been shown many times elsewhere...

"We go to make films, film festivals every two or three years are boring" - he said.

Is 8 days HIFF too long? It needs to be longer.

A film festival needs world premieres, when filmmakers value and choose this place as the first global screening place for their film.

In its first edition, HIFF had a number of world premieres, a very encouraging start.

To maintain that freshness and originality, HIFF needs to be held annually to catch new and notable waves of cinema in the region, as well as expand to Asia.

Ho Chi Minh City and the organizing committee have expressed this wish, if nothing changes, HIFF will be held annually and become an international festival event associated with the brand of Ho Chi Minh City. At that time, the quality of the participating and award-winning films will be what creates long-term class.

Actress Kaity Nguyen, the representative face of HIFF 2024 - Photo: Organizing Committee

Master director Hirokazu Kore-eda also advised the organizers in all his exchanges: "A film festival must look to the future, building long-term values ​​for the history of cinema, not just thinking about immediate fame."

The word "international" in the film festival's name also carries great significance, expressing the ambition to reach beyond the region or continent.

Director Kim Jee Woon - who created Korean blockbusters such as I Saw the Devil and A Tale of Two Sisters - admitted that one of the factors that ensures HIFF's prestige in his eyes is honorary chairman Kim Dong Ho - the founder and creator of the Busan Film Festival's success.

With more international friends like this, HIFF will have more wings.

The prestige of Mr. Kim Dong Ho, honorary chairman of HIFF 2024, helped the film festival invite a number of major international figures - Photo: Organizing Committee

This year's major competition films come from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore-Japan-Slovenia, Thailand-Korea co-productions.

Because of the participation of films, filmmakers and guests from outside the Southeast Asian region, the media also expressed their hope that in the following years, HIFF will expand its scale, and the highest category will not only be Southeast Asian films.

And after eight days of the film festival, a journalist asked, "Is eight days too long?" when he saw the organizers' overload.

Director Sheron Dayoc (Philippines) - winner of the highest award of HIFF 2024, the Golden Star Award, with the film The Gospel of the Beast - Photo: HIFF

But the HIFF Organizing Committee has confirmed that if it continues to be held, HIFF in the following years will be even longer, possibly up to half a month.

Because countries have proven that film festivals are a big boost to culture, tourism and economy, recording remarkable growth during the film festival period.

The longer the film festival, the more Ho Chi Minh City deserves the title of event city.

And cinema will not only be a narrow industry where professionals compete and have fun together, but will truly attract city residents to participate in all activities, such as thousands of people interacting with director Ly Hai and the film crew of Lat mat 7 , or watching outdoor movie screenings on the banks of the Saigon River.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hiff-phai-li-lom-de-tao-nen-dang-cap-20240414091346719.htm