HÀ NỘI — Six series will vie for the best documentary series prize at the 38th National Television Festival from tomorrow until Saturday in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng’s city of Đà Lạt.

This is the first time the festival will honour a documentary series, with entries from People Television, HCM Television, Huế Television and Việt Nam Television.

One series vying for the award is Ký Sự Biển Đảo Quê Hương (Fatherland Sea and Island Chronicle), which was produced by HCM Television’s Television Film Studio (TFS) and features the 28 coastal provinces and cities in Việt Nam.

"The series is a panorama of Vietnamese sea and islands," said Lý Quang Trung, the director. "It features deeply about tradition, culture, history to explain spiritual and religious life in fishing villages. The documentary series will enhance community knowledge and responsibility not only in the country but also overseas Vietnamese on sea and island protection."

Nearly 500 television productions have been nominated for awards in nine categories, including children’s show; reportage; science-education show; talk show; ethnic language show; music show; stage performance and television drama.

The reportage category attracted 148 entries, the most for any section. "The reportage works are produced by many television producers to reflect social issues," said Nguyễn Hà Nam, head of Editorial Secretary Board, the festival organiser.

"The producers overcame difficulties and danger to make the reportage works which reveal hot issues related to society and economy and social security. However, there are also reportage works about exemplary people."

Two television dramas up for awards, Ngày Ấy Mình Đã Yêu (We Love Since That Day) and Gạo Nếp Gạo Tẻ (Wang’s Family), were adapted from a South Korean script, making this year the first time foreign-adapted scripts eligible for the festival.

Two seminars discussing social networks and television and how to produce television programmes with small and mobile equipments will be held during the festival, as will a photo exhibition featuring television producers at work in Palace Hotel in Đà Lạt City.

The festival will begin at 8.10pm at Lao Động Culture House. The opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast live on VTV1. — VNS