Red carpet perspective of HIFF 2024 events at Ho Chi Minh City Theater - Photo: Organizing Committee
HIFF is the first time part of the strategy to develop Ho Chi Minh City culture in general and Ho Chi Minh City cinema in particular. From today (April 6), HIFF 2024 opens and operates for eight days, from April 6 to 12.
Long-awaited international film festival
Hong Anh - judge of the Southeast Asian Film category and media ambassador of HIFF - shared that the film festival is the first major international cultural and artistic activity of Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.
She said: "This is a major international event that Ho Chi Minh City wishes to organize annually. Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most vibrant film centers in the region.
International film festivals have also been long-awaited. At major film festivals like Tokyo or Busan, it is natural that master names will appear.
But with a new and young film festival like HIFF that they still agree to attend, it shows that they hope to see some potential in Ho Chi Minh City cinema as well as Vietnam in general."
As a judge, Hong Anh will mainly watch films to judge, but she is also looking forward to attending outdoor film screenings and interacting with Japanese master director Hirokazu Kore-eda and Korean director Kim Jee Woon who are present at HIFF.
As for young filmmakers, she believes that red carpet events and interactions with audiences will be very much to look forward to.
Urgent requirement
Ho Chi Minh City is the most vibrant film center in the country. Most private film studios are headquartered here, participating in the production of a large number of films in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City is also the place where most Vietnamese and foreign films released in Vietnam are released, and where events are held to interact with audiences and the media. This is where many directors, actors, and film producers familiar to the public gather.
But for many years now, activities that bring together the film industry, both training and exchanging and competing, have been held in a number of other localities across the country, especially localities with strong tourism and resort industries.
Hanoi has hosted an international film festival for many years (HANIFF), and Da Nang will also host the first Asian International Film Festival in 2023 (DANAFF).
Ho Chi Minh City is not the place where the biggest film festivals and awards ceremonies in the country take place. The city’s film awards are often included in the year-end entertainment industry awards ceremonies, with film being in the same category and competing for awards with television.
In the context of cinema developing and having special appeal as in recent times, the urgent requirement is an International Film Festival in Ho Chi Minh City - an event dedicated to cinema, with awards dedicated to cinema.
That is the urgency and also the motivation for the birth of HIFF, which is also a major cultural event - festival of Ho Chi Minh City when this large city is in need of regional events and festivals as the set goal. And HIFF 2024 is expected to be a breakthrough for Ho Chi Minh City's cinema activities from here.
Vietnamese artists will attend HIFF 2024
HIFF: a sumptuous film feast
Movie lovers in Ho Chi Minh City will soon be immersed in an international film week with nearly 90 films being screened, promising to bring a diverse cinematic experience in both culture and genre.
Today (April 6), HIFF officially opened, opening more than a week of immersion in cinema for movie lovers in Ho Chi Minh City. Within the framework of HIFF, cinema complexes in Ho Chi Minh City will screen nearly 90 films from many countries around the world such as Japan, Korea, China, France...
In addition, this HIFF is also the first bridge for Vietnamese audiences to connect with cinema from countries such as Mongolia, Portugal or Arabia through the big screen.
Notable films at HIFF (from left to right): Bolero, Perfect Days, City of Wind, Mars Express - Photo: IMDb
With such a huge film collection, HIFF audiences will surely be overwhelmed by the myriad of choices, not knowing which films to watch because of limited time.
To "appetize" this film week, audiences should watch the film Bolero (2024) directed by Luxembourgish director Anne Fontaine, who made her mark on world cinema with the 2009 film Coco Before Chanel.
Her latest work, Bolero, is also the opening "music" for HIFF when it is screened the same day after today's red carpet opening ceremony.
Bolero is based on the true story of French composer Maurice Ravel's creation of one of the greatest ballets in history.
Director Anne Fontaine will also appear on the HIFF red carpet and have a meeting with the audience on April 7.
For Asian cinema lovers, HIFF will be a "sumptuous feast" with classic films by famous regional directors coming to Vietnamese cinema screens for the first time.
Some of the names that can be mentioned are Perfect Days - the film representing Japan for the 2024 Oscars, directed by Wim Wenders; The Owl and the Sparrow - an independent film with the breath of modern Ho Chi Minh City through the perspective of the late Vietnamese-American director Stephane Gauger; Waiting for the Light to Change - a gentle story by director Linh Tran taking place in a quiet beach town in America...
In particular, the two films City of Wind (Mongolia) and Night Courier (Arabia) will likely be the first time a segment of Vietnamese audiences will be able to access two cinemas of the same generation as Vietnamese cinema, to experience firsthand the development and unique features of films from cultures where cinema is just "budding".
Opportunity to network
Of course, we cannot fail to mention the highlight of HIFF with the appearance of famous filmmakers from the film powerhouses of the US, Japan, France and Korea.
They will bring their classic works back to the big screen and have meetings with audiences and filmmakers within the framework of HIFF.
For example, veteran Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda will bring his famous works such as After the Storm, Broker or the Palme d'Or winning film Shoplifters. Hirokazu Kore-eda will also have a discussion on filmmaking on April 12.
Or director Kim Jee Woon with his diverse filmmaking style through three works: A Tale of Two Sisters; The Good, the Bad, the Weird and most recently Cobweb. Kim Jee Woon will also talk to the audience on April 9.
Animation lovers will have the opportunity to experience unique cuts from French animated works such as Chicken for Linda, Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be or Mars Express.
It can be seen that HIFF will bring to Ho Chi Minh City the atmosphere of an international film festival with a new cinematic experience, diverse cultures and film genres. This is an event that is hard to miss for Vietnamese filmmakers as well as movie lovers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Thuy Tien hopes to have her first role soon.
Miss Thuy Tien
Cinema has been my passion since I was a child. So I feel very lucky to be a media ambassador for HIFF with my colleagues.
Vietnamese cinema is on the rise, we have good movies that achieve huge revenue that makes me feel very proud when I go to see them.
With my film journey, specifically my first role, I hope and wish to try my hand at a film genre with deep characters, diverse psychology and that character must be intelligent.
The journey to pursue this art is definitely very serious because I also try to improve a lot, hope the audience will support Thuy Tien in her upcoming new role but I don't know when (laughs).
Lien Binh Phat waits for Vietnamese actors to step out into the world
Actor Lien Binh Phat
HIFF is a big event where I work and live so it will be more convenient to participate in activities.
HIFF is also a place where domestic and foreign filmmakers have the opportunity to meet and exchange filmmaking experiences, thereby helping the domestic film industry have the opportunity to get closer to the thinking and filmmaking methods of other cultures.
I think international film festivals like this need to be known to the public more than just those in the industry.
For domestic actors, especially those whose films are shown at HIFF, this is an opportunity to introduce their acting to foreign filmmakers.
Maybe there will be many opportunities for Vietnamese actors to step out into the world.
Director Ly Hai
Ly Hai introduces Lat mat 7 at HIFF
I will try my best to contribute a small part to the Film Festival.
During the film festival, I was lucky to place a poster for Lat mat 7 in the center of Nguyen Hue walking street.
Fans can take pictures with the poster. At the same time, I can also organize a premiere event for the movie Lat mat 7, planning to introduce a new soundtrack song.
Phuong Anh Dao hopes the audience will love her
Actress Phuong Anh Dao
As an actor myself, I'm really looking forward to the activities at this film festival.
Vietnamese cinema is showing very good signs because it is receiving attention from the audience.
That is the driving force for back and forth exchange so that investors are willing to spend more, and directors will have the opportunity to approach and share many new, unique perspectives, and experiment more diversely.
Hope the audience loves and promotes HIFF to be a great success and everyone will be immersed in the cinematic atmosphere.
Kaity Nguyen believes HIFF is the gateway to Vietnamese cinema.
Actress Kaity Nguyen
Kaity feels very honored to be able to become the Representative Face and KAT House to become the media partner of HIFF this time.
HIFF is a personal growth opportunity for Kaity in cinema and a chance to meet great filmmakers from abroad.
Kaity hopes this will be the first step to creating more opportunities for Vietnamese cinema to develop, especially for young filmmakers.
HIFF will be a breath of fresh air and anything new will be very inspiring.
Kaity hopes and believes that HIFF will be the door to take Vietnamese cinema further.
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