Mr. Pham Quang Hieu - Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Japan and PhD. Ngo Phuong Lan - Chairwoman of VFDA
Attending the seminar were Ambassador Phạm Quang Hiệu; Seiko Noda, Member of the Japanese House of Representatives and Advisor of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Film; film-industry experts, producers, and representatives of major Japanese film studios.
Opening remarks by Dr. Ngô Phương Lan (Chairwoman of VFDA and Director of the Da Nang Asia Film Festival - DANAFF) highlighted the fact that the seminar serves as a forum for discussing how Vietnamese cinema can connect with Asian film industries, especially in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Thanks to its unique geographic position - being at the intersection of these two regions - and its rich cultural receptivity, Vietnamese cinema is increasingly asserting its role as a bridge, disseminator and influencer within the Asian film community.
According to the Chairwoman of VFDA, although Vietnamese cinema started later than many countries in the region, it is now rising strongly and recovering solidly after the Covid-19 pandemic. The box-office revenue of Vietnamese films has consecutively reached impressive milestones in recent years: Vietnam is the first, and currently the only, film market in Asia to surpass its pre-pandemic revenue level. The market share of Vietnamese films reached 44% in 2024, compared to a 25% share held by American films.
PhD. Ngo Phuong Lan deliver her opening remarks at the seminar
“VFDA is attending the 38th TIFF with a much larger scale and richer set of activities than in 2019 and 2022. Through its series of film-promotion activities at TIFF, VFDA wishes to continue promoting Vietnamese cinema in key international markets and major film festivals.”, PhD. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of Da Nang City People’s Committee, affirmed the goal of building DANAFF into an “Asian cinema bridge”, promoting the entire film-industry value chain. Đà Nẵng seeks international cooperation with cities such as Fukuoka and Tokyo (Japan) to exchange experts, co-organise film-screenings, and learn from organisational experience. Ms. Thi said that in the near future, Đà Nẵng City will build a film centre, establish a film-set and has assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to develop the plan.
Panorama of the seminar "Vietnam on screen: A Regional Voice - A Global Reach"
From an international perspective, Japanese policymakers and Japanese film-makers repeatedly cited “co-operation” at the workshop. Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara, co-producer of the Vietnamese film Don’t Cry Butterfly, affirmed that the future of Asian cinema lies in collaboration. She argued that this co-operation stems not only from funding from support funds, but also from the creative spirit and the opening of distribution opportunities among countries.
Director Bùi Thạc Chuyên, whose film Tunnels is participating at TIFF this year, stated that attending international film festivals is only the first step. The further goal is to bring films to an international audience, and this is the story of building a national brand. He noted that when Vietnam has greater economic and cultural presence abroad, then Vietnamese cinema will truly “go international”.
Ms. Megumi Kose, Executive Director of the Fukuoka Film Commission, shared Fukuoka’s experience and opened the way for future cooperation between the Fukuoka Film Commission and VFDA for joint development.
Ms. Seiko Noda - President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Film, Member of the House of Representatives deliver her remarks at the seminar
In her remarks at the seminar, Ms. Seiko Noda expressed hope that film-exchange activities between Vietnam and Japan will help strengthen the friendship ties and cultural-historical understanding between the two peoples. She also opened the possibility of co-producing films with global reach, and voiced a wish that one day, at the Oscars, Vietnamese and Japanese films would sit side by side as “friendly rivals” - competing together, progressing together.
Delegates took commemorative photos
Ambassador Phạm Quang Hiệu emphasised that linking film-festival activities with the cooperation forums at the workshop contributes to building a creative network, expanding the space for dialogue and promoting the sustainable development of the regional film industry. He affirmed that cinema is not just an art form, but also a nation’s soft power; contributing to tourism, investment, cultural exchange and tightening the friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and Japan.