Actor Nguyễn Lê Việt Anh and actress Nguyễn Ngọc Lan are pictured with their best actor and actress awards of the 40th National Television Festival. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — The best actor and actress awards of the 40th National Television Festival have been presented to Nguyễn Lê Việt Anh for his role in the film Sinh Tử (Life and Death) and Nguyễn Ngọc Lan for her role in Luật Trời (The Law of Heaven), respectively.

The awards ceremony of the festival was held on Wednesday in a virtual format for the first time to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control.

Speaking at the event, Trần Bình Minh, general director of Việt Nam Television (VTV), said it was the first time that the festival was held without the presence of any delegates but just judges to honour the excellent works.

“This year's television festival has 422 entries in nine categories. Basically, the works have closely followed the mainstream of the nation, focusing on profound humanistic messages rather than the investment in terms of scale and sophisticated expression.

“The number of entries and the level of investment by the television units, despite being inequivalent to the previous festival due to the impact of the pandemic and the significant decline in revenues, still promote and innovate the ideological values, content and modes of communication,” he said.

This was the second time that Anh won the highest award at the National Television Festival.

"It's been five years since I first received the Best Actor award, the feeling is like the first time," he said, adding that he was filled with happiness and pride.

The actor added that the award would be a driving force for his career. He is now starring in the film Hướng Dương Ngược Nắng (Sunflower Against the Sun) broadcast on VTV1.

Speaking at the ceremony, actress Lan shared that The Law of Heaven was the first film in which she collaborated with Viêt Nam Television Film Centre (VFC).

“The award means that my role as a villain in the film has not been hated but even remembered by the audience,” she said.

After The Law of Heaven, Ngoc Lan continued to work with VFC in the film Trói Buộc Yêu Thương (Tied Up with Love).

Besides those two most prestigious awards, the organising committee granted 38 gold awards for works of nine categories, the highlight of which are the film Life and Death by two directors Khải Hưng and Nguyễn Mai Hiền of Serial Drama category.

Another gold winner of the same category is the film Kẻ Sát Nhân Cô Độc (The Lonely Killer) by Hồ Chí Minh City Television.

In addition, the organising committee handed out 63 silver awards, 109 certificates of merit and 14 excellent works on the subject of ethnic minorities. — VNS