On the afternoon of November 20, the press conference for the Opening of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival took place in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring a number of noteworthy announcements.
In attendance were: Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Steering Committee of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival; Trần Thị Diệu Thúy, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Co-Head of the Steering Committee of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival; Đặng Trần Cường, Director of the Department of Cinema, Head of the Organizing Committee of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival; Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, Co-Head of the Organizing Committee of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival.
Press Conference for the Opening of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival
Ho Chi Minh City is honored to host the 24th Vietnam Film Festival in a moment of profound significance: the city has just been recognized by UNESCO as a “Creative City of Film”, the first such designation in Southeast Asia. This represents a strong affirmation of the city’s strategic and well-aligned development of its film industry, while also providing powerful momentum for the sector at this pivotal time.
The 24th Vietnam Film Festival is a major national cultural and artistic event celebrating a series of historic milestones:the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (30/4/1975 – 30/4/2025), the 80th Anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (2/9)
and heading toward the 14th National Party Congress.
Speaking at the press conference, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Trần Thị Diệu Thúy stated that preparations have been fundamentally completed, and the city is ready for the festival’s main activities. She emphasized that the people of the city are eagerly awaiting the arrival of filmmakers from Vietnam and around the world. In addition, the Opening Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the official presentation of the UNESCO Creative City designation to Ho Chi Minh City.
Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Trần Thị Diệu Thúy stated that preparations have been fundamentally completed
Representing the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, People’s Artist Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy affirmed that the city is committed to mobilizing maximum resources to ensure the success of the 24th Vietnam Film Festival, befitting the status of the region’s newly recognized “City of Film.”
People’s Artist Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy, representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, speaking at the press conference.
According to Đặng Trần Cường, Director of the Department of Cinema, this year’s festival has selected 144 outstanding films from 42 production units. The competition program includes 16 feature films, 36 documentary films, 14 scientific films, and 21 animated films. In addition, 57 works will be screened in the Panorama Program, reflecting the diversity and strong growth of Vietnamese cinema over the past two years.
Đặng Trần Cường, Director of the Department of Cinema, speaking at the press conference
Alongside film screenings, the 24th Vietnam Film Festival will feature a series of events from November 21 to 25, including thematic seminars, artist meet-and-greet sessions, a photo exhibition at Lam Sơn Park, and the art program “Music and Fashion in Film” on Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street.
A notable new highlight is the Local Film Development and Promotion Program, where provinces and cities will work directly with domestic and international film crews to introduce their landscapes, preferential policies, and production environments, while also receiving consultations on strategies for developing their local film industries.
With the theme “Vietnamese Cinema – Sustainable Development and International Integration in the New Era,” the 24th Vietnam Film Festival aims to showcase new works of Vietnamese cinema, create opportunities for interaction between artists and audiences, and contribute to enhancing professionalism in film creation, production, and distribution. The event is expected to become an important stepping stone for Vietnamese cinema to affirm its position in the region and on the international stage.