National and International Recognition
Official Event Marking the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO Convention
Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO
At the Opening Ceremony of DANAFF III, the presence and keynote address of Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, recognized the Festival as an official event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This milestone affirmed the international standing and credibility of DANAFF within the regional film festival landscape.
A Notable Cultural Event of 2025
The year 2025 witnessed numerous highlights in Vietnam’s cultural industries, marked by the presence of large-scale cultural, artistic, sports, and tourism events. Within this broader landscape, DANAFF III was selected and recognized in multiple lists of outstanding events of the year, including:
- Top 10 Outstanding Cultural, Information, Sports, and Tourism Events of 2025, announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism;
- Top 10 Outstanding Events of Da Nang City in 2025, selected by the Da Nang City Portal;
- Top 10 Outstanding Cultural Events of Vietnam in 2025, selected by Sports & Culture Newspaper;
- Top 15 Outstanding Literature and Arts Events of 2025, announced by the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.
These recognitions not only reflect the Festival’s growing presence but also serve as a foundation for DANAFF IV to further refine its organizational quality and professional depth, contributing to the development of Vietnamese cinema in particular and the country’s cultural industries as a whole.
Expanded Scale and Professional Activities
DANAFF III recorded a notable expansion in both scale and duration, extending from five to seven days, showcasing 106 films across nearly 200 screenings, and welcoming nearly 800 delegates, artists, and filmmakers from Vietnam and abroad.
Vietnamese artists and filmmakers attended DANAFF III
With a focus on deepening professional engagement, DANAFF III also marked the launch of the Workshop and Project Market - DANAFF Talents, a program dedicated to supporting, training, and connecting emerging filmmakers from Vietnam and Asia with the international film community.
Through its two categories - Vietnamese Film Projects and Asian Art-house Film Projects - several projects continued their development, participated in international film festivals, and gradually moved into the production phase within just one year.
Strong media impact domestically and internationally
Activities within the framework of DANAFF III attracted extensive attention from domestic and international media, generating over 600 news articles, features, reports, and television programs, along with wide engagement from artists, filmmakers, and prominent media figures.
DANAFF III (2025) emerged as an international cinematic gathering, contributing to the promotion of Vietnamese cinema in a subtle, contemporary, and compelling manner, and presenting Vietnam as a dynamic, open, and internationally engaged film industry.
Building on the foundation established by DANAFF III, the Fourth Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV) is returning from June 28 to July 4, 2026, with a renewed focus on expanding regional and international film connections.