Department of Culture and Sports
Implementing the proposal by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism submitted to the Prime Minister on the “Project for Developing the Network of Creative Cities within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN),” the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to lead and coordinate with relevant agencies and both domestic and international experts to develop the application dossier. This was done with the highest level of focus and active engagement to ensure the most complete and compelling submission for joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Film. Following an expedited preparation process, on February 15, 2025, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City chaired an international consultation workshop to gather feedback from policymakers, experts, and stakeholders on the city’s application. On March 3, 2025, the official dossier was submitted to UNESCO. If approved, Ho Chi Minh City will become the first UCCN Film City of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Ho Chi Minh City is a vivid embodiment of connectivity — a convergence of indigenous cultural streams, a fusion of tradition and modernity, and a blend of Eastern and Western influences. This dynamic interplay forms a vibrant palette that contributes to the global creative landscape and inspires future generations. Currently, the city is home to 54 ethnic groups, providing a fertile environment for international investors and tourists (with 6 million visitors in 2024). Ho Chi Minh City was honored with nominations for “Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination” and “Asia’s Leading Festival and Event Destination” at the 2023 World Travel Awards.
Ho Chi Minh City is ranked among the top 200 startup cities globally. The local government is committed to working alongside enterprises to accelerate innovation, with a strategic focus on green growth and improving quality of life as core objectives toward becoming a sustainable urban center by 2030. In alignment with the Millennium Development Goals, the City has made significant investments in lifelong learning for all citizens. In 2024, Ho Chi Minh City became a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, reinforcing its commitment to equitable access to education, unlocking human potential, and fostering creativity. These efforts contribute to building Ho Chi Minh City into a “livable, civilized, modern, and compassionate” metropolis.
Ho Chi Minh City places culture at the heart of its development, with the film sector envisioned as a means to realize its vision—enhancing the City's role as a central hub that connects Vietnam to global waves of innovation; establishing cooperative relations; promoting cultural exchange and cross-cultural creative collaboration with UCCN members; striving to develop professional filmmaking infrastructure and provide space for cinematic creativity; building a specialized human resource base in cinema; developing a prestigious annual international film festival brand; and fostering social equity in accessing, enjoying, and creating art, especially in suburban areas and among vulnerable groups such as children, people with disabilities, factory workers, and manual laborers. The film sector currently encompasses 935 enterprises, with 9,294 employees, generating USD 500 million in revenue and contributing 0.43% to the City’s GRDP. Ho Chi Minh City has 10 cinema systems, 52 cinema complexes, 295 screening rooms, and 184 creative spaces serving as venues for professional art practices; in addition, there are cultural spaces that serve community needs in residential areas and for diverse audiences, including 22 district-level cultural centers, 18 labor cultural houses, 9 cultural-sports institutions in industrial parks, and 68 ward/commune-level cultural-sports centers aimed at promoting and popularizing arts and culture and improving the cultural and spiritual living standards of the community.
Typical cultural institutions serving specific groups—such as the Youth Cultural House, Women’s Cultural House, Student Cultural House, Children’s Cultural House, and film clubs—have become important venues for promoting cinematic activities closely linked with education and skills development. Screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and editing classes are regularly organized, not only providing professional knowledge but also igniting a passion for cinema among younger generations. More than 500 free or low-cost film screenings are held annually at 27 cultural facilities in suburban districts, targeting workers. These initiatives play a vital role in bringing cinema and the arts closer to rural areas and the working class.
As the first UCCN City of Film in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, Ho Chi Minh City will serve as a hub connecting Vietnamese cinema with the international film industry, making effective and responsible contributions to the regional cinematic landscape. This milestone will motivate the city to effectively implement professional and modern film development projects; enhance training and expert exchange programs; and expand its pool of high-quality human resources. The city will continue organizing cinematic events, striving to establish the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF) as an annual event of regional and international stature. Pursuing its strategic priority of becoming a creative city of film, Ho Chi Minh City aims to foster artistic creativity, cultivate a socially responsible spirit suited to the era, and harmonize with the global community. Through cinema, the city aspires to revive and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, build a spiritual foundation for both creators and audiences, and enhance the quality of life for its citizens. This ambition drives the city to implement impactful film projects and events, and to develop sustainable local cinema through expert training and international cooperation.
The City People's Committee has issued the “Strategy for Developing Ho Chi Minh City’s Cultural Industry by 2030,” covering eight sectors: Film; Performing Arts; Fine Arts; Photography; Exhibitions; Advertising; Cultural Tourism; and Fashion. The implementation plan for the Strategy was issued in September 2024. Becoming a creative city in the field of film will drive the development of the cultural industry and artistic creative capacity to nurture an increasingly healthy and harmonious spiritual life in society, aligned with the international community, while fostering economic and social development—this will be a central focus in the coming period. Strengthening promotion and integrating tourism development alongside cultural industries is expected to contribute 7.2% to the GRDP by 2030, creating many new jobs and livelihoods for urban residents.
The National Assembly promulgated Resolution 98/2023/QH15 dated June 24, 2023, on piloting certain special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. Based on this, the City People's Council has issued resolutions to specify these mechanisms and policies such as: Resolution No. 09/2023/NQ-HĐND dated September 19, 2023, regulating interest rate support for investment projects financed by the Ho Chi Minh City State Financial Investment Company in prioritized socio-economic development sectors. Enterprises investing in cinemas or cinema complexes with a capacity of over 1,000 seats are entitled to preferential loans up to 7.8 million USD with 0% interest rate support for up to 7 years. Resolution 31/2024/NQ-HĐND dated December 11, 2024, specifies priority sectors; criteria and conditions for innovative startup activities generating income in the city to be exempt from personal income tax and corporate income tax. This policy aims to address economic issues such as job creation for workers, promoting the application of technology, and innovation in enterprises. Resolution No. 181/NQ-HĐND outlines the list of projects calling for investment under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The City People's Committee organized an investment promotion conference in 2024 for cultural and sports projects, calling for investment in 40 projects, including 5 prioritized projects with over 90 million USD and 18 projects introduced for investors to study, proposing investment plans totaling 824 million USD. The city expects that business investments will bring modern cultural institutions and important creative spaces in the future. Complex and specific projects related to cinema are also prioritized for investment, such as the Cultural and Artistic Center project, the Multi-functional Children's Cultural Complex – Cinema, the Multi-functional Cultural – Sports Center of Ho Chi Minh City, and Gia Dinh Theater...
The development of cinema is also expected by the city to create a new model of creative culture, improve global vision, and affirm Ho Chi Minh City as an inspiring destination in the region. It aims to inspire that the cultural and artistic benefits enjoyed by residents will be transformed into distinctive characteristics of spirit, materiality, and knowledge, expressed through lifestyles, value systems, traditions, and identities of a city that is the economic and cultural center of the South, with many layers of diverse cultural sediments throughout its history of formation and development.
Some initiatives, programs, and projects that Ho Chi Minh City is committed to in order to sustainably achieve the network’s goals by enhancing the role of culture and diversity in sustainable development:
- Some national-level initiatives, programs, and projects:
_ Building Cinema in Schools: This initiative aims to strengthen and create opportunities for the development of cinematic arts within schools to enhance students' appreciation and perception of art, educate aesthetic tastes for the younger generation; promote the formation of aesthetic feelings, tastes, and capabilities; train the next generation of successors; and create a sustainable development environment for future generations of filmmakers.
_ “Colors of Life through Cinema” Project: This project conveys multidimensional stories about life, people, and the rich culture of Ho Chi Minh City through the art of cinema, creating equality in access to art for all social strata, especially underrepresented community groups, and connecting communities through art.
_ Developing Cultural Creative Spaces: Establish themed creative parks as part of the project to build a system of parks along the Saigon River. These spaces will host activities honoring the art of cinema; foster creativity and connect with domestic and international localities. By combining creative storytelling with business models across various entertainment and digital experience sectors, these parks will help create artistic, technological, and commercial spaces. Public participation will also encourage proactive expression of ideas and talents, contributing to a diverse and vibrant cultural landscape for the city—where everyone can become both a creator and a beneficiary of cultural creative activities.
- International-level initiatives aimed at making practical and effective contributions to the Network of Creative Cities in Cinema:
_ Asian Network of Film Cities Forum: This initiative aims to provide a platform for film industry professionals across Asia to exchange ideas on professional activities; it serves as a meeting place for young creators, film enterprises, and others to share experiences and learn from one another.
_ Organizing the annual Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF): Aimed at enhancing the quality of the festival organization to meet international standards; creating a professional film platform that honors talents in the film industry; discovering talents and investing in projects by young filmmakers. Additionally, it introduces the diversity of local culture and strengthens connections between Vietnamese and global filmmakers through forums such as seminars, workshops, and project markets.
_ Establishing a central support unit for film development: Aimed at providing consultation and assistance with administrative procedures for domestic and international filmmakers; building a film database, storing content related to film data such as analysis of consumer preferences, consumption trends, and consumer demand...
Contact Information:
Mr. Nguyen Tan Kiet, Head of the Arts Department – Department of Culture and Sports, Ho Chi Minh City.
– Phone number: 0903094846