Ngô Phương Lan, head of the board working to establish the Việt Nam Association of Film Promotion and Development.

With support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a campaign board has been working for months to launch the Việt Nam Association of Film Promotion and Development by the end of July.

Triệu Phong, a reporter from the Thế Giới Điên Ảnh (World of Cinema) magazine, interviewed head of the board Ngô Phương Lan, former chief of the cultural ministry's Cinematography Department, about the preparations

How did the idea to establish the Việt Nam Association of Film Promotion and Development come to you?

Around the world, film commissions support production through investments, joint ventures and relationships with domestic and international filmmakers. They work to expand markets, promote film brands and train a high quality workforce for film production businesses.

Most ASEAN countries community have a film promotion association including countries with less-developed cinema industries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Thanks in part to the Thai Film Promotion Association, Thailand has attracted many major Hollywood projects and filmmakers from other countries. Some of the films produced in Thailand are even about Việt Nam.

The Asian Association of Cinema Development Association (AFCnet) is a large and influential organisation in Asia and around the world which wants Việt Nam to have its own association for cinema development and to work with AFCnet and countries in to region to develop Vietnamese cinema.

Furthermore, Việt Nam has long been famous for its beautiful landscapes, abundant human resources and friendly people. Over the past few decades, a number of major foreign film projects have been carried out in Việt Nam including Indochine, The Lover, Điện Biên Phủ, The Quiet American and Kong: The Skull Island. Their success has made Việt Nam more attractive to producers for major film projects.

However, Việt Nam does not have an official organisation to gather producers and investors in order to promote cinematography, or to support foreign filmmakers who want to come to the country to produce their films.

Therefore, for the development of Vietnamese cinema we have decided it is necessary to establish the Việt Nam Association of Film Promotion and Development. 

What will be the specific tasks of the association?

The association will connect film production enterprises to create good Vietnamese movies which highlight the national identity and humanity. These movies will contribute to promoting the image of the country, people and Vietnamese cultural identity to the world.

In economic terms, it will promote the country's ability to generate revenue from foreign film projects in Việt Nam and help develop tourism.

Working with filmmakers from foreign countries will create job opportunities and improve the qualifications of members of the Vietnamese film industry, especially aspiring young Vietnamese filmmakers.

The association will also deal with licensing procedures to make securing a licence easier for filmmakers.

Moreover, it will propose adding appropriate regulations to help foreign film crews in Việt Nam import and export equipment, or tax incentives for foreign film crews to film in Việt Nam.

Establishing the Việt Nam Association of Film Promotion and Development is in line with the Việt Nam Cinema Development and Planning Strategy, the Việt Nam Cultural Industry Development Strategy and will meet the expectations of Vietnamese filmmakers.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a decision to allow the establishment of the association.

We are preparing to organise the first congress to elect the Executive Committee, President and Vice President of the association. It is expected to be held at the end of this month.

What will be the operational model of the association?

The association will follow the model of a voluntary social and professional organisation in film production. Its performance will be relevant to cinema investors and promoters as well as individuals and organisations that support film production activities.

The purpose is to gather, unite and promote the creative capacity of the nation's film industry in order to strengthen the industry and develop its brand in the context of international integration. VNS