The signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the Đà Nẵng People's Committee and VFDA to co-organise DANAFF III. Photo courtesy of VFDA

HÀ NỘI — The third Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III), themed "Bridging Asia", will be held from June 29 to July 5, 2025. The festival is inviting submissions from filmmakers in Việt Nam and the Asia-Pacific region.

DANAFF III is presided over by the Đà Nẵng People's Committee and co-organised by the Đà Nẵng Department of Culture and Sports, the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), UniMedia, and other partners.

Ngô Phương Lan, chairwoman of the VFDA, emphasised that DANAFF is Việt Nam's first annual film festival dedicated to connecting the country and Asia with the global cinematic community.

The Đà Nẵng People's Committee and VFDA aim to develop the DANAFF brand so that each year it will introduce new features, expand in scale, and enhance quality and effectiveness in all aspects.

Vice chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee, Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi said: "The DANAFF is expected to develop into a prestigious film event in Asia and the world, contributing to establishing Đà Nẵng as an ideal destination for both Vietnamese and international filmmakers, as well as for audiences and tourists, both domestic and foreign."

"We aim to transform Đà Nẵng into the city of events and festivals."

Ngô Phương Lan, the chairwoman of VFDA and the executive director of DANAFF. Photo courtesy of VFDA

For the 3rd DANAFF 2025, the in-competition section will feature two categories: the Asian Film Awards for feature-length films from the Asia-Pacific region, and the Vietnam Film Awards for Vietnamese feature films, both of which must be produced between April 2024 and March 15, 2025.

Other additional awards are the NETPAC Award for Best Vietnamese Film, the Film Achievement Award for an excellent Asian filmmaker, the Best Asian Film Award by Young Critics in the Asian Film Panorama programme and the Audience’s Choice Award for Favourite Vietnamese Films.

Especially, for the first time, DANAFF offers a film project market for Vietnamese and Asian young talent filmmakers.

Producer Trần Thị Bích Ngọc said: "Young filmmakers will participate in training and workshops led by international and Vietnamese film experts. The committee will select two outstanding projects from Việt Nam and Asia to promote the production of these potential works."

Besides the screening programme for competitive films, DANAFF III will also organise non-competitive screening programmes that include the Vietnamese Cinema Today, a selection of Vietnamese war-themed films, a spotlight on South Korean cinema, the Asian Film Panorama, and a Đà Nẵng-themed screening programme.

Choi Seung Jin, director of the Korean Cultural Centre said: "Đà Nẵng is a familiar destination for South Korean tourists. The Korean Cultural Centre hopes to organise distinctive programmes to enhance the film cooperation between the two countries in the future."

The film festival also features a film masterclass, talent incubator workshops, international seminars and an exhibition to introduce the potential filming locations in Đà Nẵng.

The closing ceremony of the DANAFF II 2024. Photo courtesy of VFDA

DANAFF II took place from July 2 to 7, 2024, with the participation of renowned juries, such as Chinese-French director and writer Dai Sijie, Hong Kong film director and producer Stanley Kwan, former director of the Berlin International Film Festival Meriette Rissenbeek and former executive director of Cinéfondation of the Cannes Film Festival Georges Goldenstern.

The former Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival Kim Dong-ho and Chairman Park Kwang-su also participated in the festival.

The best Asian film was bestowed to the documentary film titled Culi không bao giờ khóc (Culi never cries) by Vietnamese director Phạm Ngọc Lân, while the best Vietnamese film was the blockbuster film Mai by director Trấn Thành.

The film crew can submit their entries starting from now. The deadlines for Asian and Vietnamese films to submit to the 3rd DANAFF are March 15 and April 30, 2025, respectively.

Further information can be found at https://vfda.vn/ and https://danaff.vn/ — VNS