Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival founder Ngô Phương Lan. — Photo thegioidienanh.vn

The Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) has been held annually since its debut in 2023. Following three successful editions, DANAFF has grown rapidly in both scale and quality, steadily establishing itself as a professional and reputable cinematic event in the region.

Ngô Phương Lan, president of Việt Nam Film Development Association (VFDA) and founder of DANAFF, spoke to the media ahead of the festival opening on June 28.

What are the highlights and new features at this year's edition?

To maintain the festival’s annual schedule, VFDA and Đà Nẵng authorities have had to make a determined effort. Even before one edition ends, preparations for the next are already underway.

This year, the festival will be larger in scale than ever before.

In Đà Nẵng, sideline activities will begin well before the festival’s official opening. On June 26, one of the festival’s key programmes, the Script Lab, will get underway.

Screenwriting is considered to be a crucial element of filmmaking, yet it remains a weak point for many Vietnamese filmmakers, from established professionals to emerging talents. This year, the Script Lab has been significantly expanded, featuring renowned experts from Columbia University in New York.

Participants in the advanced training programme include acclaimed director Phan Gia Nhật Linh alongside a number of promising young screenwriters. From nearly 100 submissions, we selected eight outstanding scripts for the programme.

The Script Lab will run for more than 10 days, with the goal of nurturing projects that can meet international standards in the future.

One of the key new features this year is the launch of DANAFF Industry Days, a programme designed to strengthen connections within the film industry.

We have also received valuable guidance from Jeremy Segay, Regional Audiovisual Attache from the French Embassy to Việt Nam, for the programme.

One of the greatest challenges facing the Vietnamese film industry is market access. Breaking into the domestic market is already difficult, while reaching international audiences is even more challenging. Through the Industry Days activities and exhibition booths at the park near the Dragon Bridge, we hope to create opportunities for Vietnamese cinema to expand its presence in global markets.

It has attracted more than 20 international film companies and sales agents involved in the global film trade, alongside more than 10 Vietnamese film studios and production companies. Although the initiative is still in its early stages within the festival framework, I believe its impact will extend far beyond the event itself, creating new momentum and accelerating the integration of Vietnamese cinema into the global marketplace.

In addition, we will place a strong emphasis on engaging local audiences through Cinephiles, a dedicated film exchange and discussion aimed at fostering a community of cinema enthusiasts in Đà Nẵng.

We hope that expanding and nurturing this community will provide a strong foundation for the long-term growth of the festival.

What can audiences look forward to in screening programme?

Another noteworthy feature is that traditional paper tickets will not be distributed. Half of the tickets will be made available through an online registration system.

At present, the programme is being carefully coordinated with the schedules of both Vietnamese and international filmmakers and artists, allowing film crews to attend screenings and interact with audiences.

All screenings will remain free to the public this year despite increasing licensing costs.

Despite challenges posed by the global situation, like the sharp increase in airfares, I am pleased to announce that the festival will welcome more international filmmakers and stars than last year.

The festival will celebrate cinematic heritage with a focus on American cinema, marking the 250th anniversary of the US. We are grateful to the US Embassy to Việt Nam and the Motion Picture Association for their support. The programme will offer audiences an opportunity to explore the evolution of American filmmaking from the silent film era to the present day.

With growing interest from major film industries, such as France and the US, Đà Nẵng is increasingly well positioned to be a gateway for deeper and more effective international integration of Vietnamese cinema.

Could you tell more about the licensing costs involved in screening films at the festival?

Acquiring the screening rights to outstanding films for presentation in Việt Nam has always been a challenge. This year, those difficulties have been compounded by broader global uncertainties.

Nevertheless, we are delighted to have secured a selection of outstanding films, including several classics of American cinema. These are titles we have long hoped to bring to Vietnamese audiences, and we were able to do so thanks in large part to the strong support of the US Embassy.

As for Asian cinema, we have also successfully completed the acquisition of screening rights largely in line with our plans. This year's lineup features a carefully curated selection of outstanding new films, alongside acclaimed works that have received major honours at prestigious film festivals around the world.

With each edition of the festival, we strive to maintain a programme structure and format that meet international standards. This year, however, the festival has expanded significantly in scale.

The expansion is designed to better connect creativity with practical filmmaking activities and the realities of the film market, fostering stronger links between artistic expression and industry development.

In previous editions, our focus was primarily on the competition sections featuring Asian and Vietnamese films, as well as the Vietnamese Cinema Today programme. This year, while maintaining those core components, we have made a concerted effort to develop two important new events: Industry Days and honouring cinema heritage.

We are seeking to strengthen the links between creativity, professional skills and film industry activities with the aim of expanding market opportunities. — VNS