Vietnamese emerging film director Lê Lâm Viên (right) poses for a photo with CJ CGV Vietnam general manager Ko Jae Soo. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — Thanks to the support from the CJ Cultural Foundation, young Vietnamese film director Lê Lâm Viên was able to achieve his dream. 

Viên expressed his deep gratitude towards CJ Group during a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in collaboration with Yonhap News Agency of the Republic of Korea (RoK) that reviewed exemplary cases that yielded positive results in the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

In 2019, Viên made his debut as a film director by participating in CJ Cultural Foundation's Korean-Vietnamese Youth Short Film Production Support project.

Afterwards, with the financial support of VNĐ300 million (US$12,540) from the Cultural Foundation, his short film Gì Cũng Sửa (Fix Anything) won the New Director Award at the Singapore International Film Festival.

This helped him gain recognition and attention as a promising emerging director in the Vietnamese film industry.

Since 2018, as part of its social contribution efforts, the CJ Cultural Foundation has been providing support for the production of Vietnamese short films through its Korean-Vietnamese Youth Short Film Production Support project.

The project aims to find and nurture young Vietnamese talents who make films, contributing to the development of the Vietnamese film industry.

It not only provides financial support to selected film directors but also helps them introduce their short films to compete in international film festivals.

Currently, Viên is in the process of producing a commercial feature-length film with the support of V-Pictures, a film production and investment subsidiary of CJ Group's cinema chain CJ CGV.

"If it had not been for the CJ's support, the Vietnamese short film industry wouldn't have been able to progress to its current level," he said.

One of the weaknesses in the Vietnamese film industry is the lack of good scripts. “So I hope CJ will assist in fostering professional screenwriters in film production in the near future," he said.

"It would be great if there were more opportunities for Vietnamese films to be screened in Korea," he added.

Similar stories have happened to many other film directors who have stepped into the Vietnamese film industry with CJ's support.

For example, a highlighted work Một khu đất tốt (Blessed Land) by Vietnamese film director Phạm Ngọc Lân, with CJ support, received the Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France in 2018.

The debut feature film Bên trong vỏ kén vàng (Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell) by Vietnamese film director Phạm Thiên Ân won the Camera D'or award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival held in May.

Behind CJ Vietnam president Chang Bok Sang, a photo of the late CJ Group chairman Lee Byeong Cheol, along with a description of his entrepreneurial spirit. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

Since opening its representative office in Việt Nam in 1998, CJ Group focuses on four core business groups of food and food services, biotechnology, logistics and retail, and entertainment and media; and has expanded its business into various sectors such as bread and pastry segments.

It now employs more than 10,000 local workers.

The group is not only making significant contributions to society in various social activities in the southern region of Việt Nam where its production facilities are mainly located, but is also active across the country.

Chang Bok Sang, president of CJ Vietnam, said CJ Group had always accompanied the Vietnamese Government in social activities.

“Engaging in community activities is not only an obligation but also an inevitable choice for survival and sustainable development,” he said.

The mindset of growing together with local communities and the group’s efforts to do this served as the foundation for the enhancement of the value and growth of the business's brand, he added.

Since 2012, when CJ Group chairman Lee Jay Hyun declared that CJ would further expand investment in Việt Nam and turn the country into its third global production and business base, CJ's social activities in Việt Nam have been diversified and related projects have been accelerating.

Farmers in Ninh Thuận Province are growing chili peppers with the support from CJ Vietnam. — Photo courtesy of CJ Vietnam

Since 2012, it has been sponsoring the Việt Nam National Taekwondo team and scholarship programmes for disadvantaged students in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Lâm Đồng, and taking part in a project to improve access to education for ethnic minority girls in many provinces.

It has also opened a bakery and pastry training centre in the central province of Nghệ An, while supporting the cultivation of chili peppers for building new-style rural areas in the south-central province of Ninh Thuận, and helping to improve agricultural productivity through farming training and improving irrigation systems.

The launching ceremony of CJ Vietnam’s agricultural product processing factory in Ninh Thuận Province. — Photo courtesy of CJ Vietnam

Việt Nam and the RoK officially elevated their relations to the level of “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in December last year.

Economic cooperation between the two countries has been strongly promoted. This can be attributed to the joint efforts and contributions of South Korean businesses and local workers working together for mutually beneficial economic prosperity for both sides. — VNS