AWARD-WINNING: Director Lê Chi Na’s short film 'Người Đàn Bà ở Trạm Xe' (A Woman at a Bus Stop) won first prize at the first HCM City Short Film Festival in 2023. — Photo courtesy of the director

HCM CITY — Both professional and amateur filmmakers are encouraged to submit entries to the second Hồ Chí Minh City Short Film Festival, which will be held in June.

The event is organised by the municipal People's Committee, the Department of Culture and Sports, and the city Cinematography Association, affirming the city’s role as a UNESCO Creative City of Film and creating an exchange platform for the filmmaking community.

Eligible entries include short films, documentaries and animated films, featuring the city’s lifestyle and people in today’s society, its economic, social, cultural and tourism development in the new era, and the protection of seas, islands and the environment.

The maximum duration for short films is 20 minutes, for documentaries 10 minutes, and for animated films seven minutes. All entries must have been created between November 2023 and March 2026.

Contestants can send their entries to the organisers by May 4 at the Cinematography Association, 81 Trần Quốc Thảo Street, Xuân Hòa Ward.

The festival's opening ceremony will take place at the Phú Thọ Circus and Performing Arts Complex on June 5.

The organisers will host workshops titled "HCM City Short Form Film Lab (SFFL) and Short Film and Youth’s Aspiration" for filmmakers under 40 years old to receive training from veteran filmmakers and share their experiences in filmmaking.

An exhibition of advanced technologies in filmmaking will be set up at the Municipal Exhibition Hall during the festival.

The closing and award ceremony will be held on June 7.

The organisers will grant one first prize, one second prize, three third prizes, and three consolation prizes for the best films in each category.

Awards will be given for directing, screenplay, design, music, and outstanding male/female lead actors.

The first HCM City Short Film Festival was launched in 2023, receiving 96 submissions, including 60 short films, 23 documentaries, and 13 animated films from both professional and amateur filmmakers, showcasing a diverse range of topics.

Người Đàn Bà ở Trạm Xe (A Woman at a Bus Stop), written and directed by Lê Chi Na about an encounter between a single mother with a male worker, won first prize in the short film category at the first festival.— VNS