Hanoi International Film Festival 2022 opens today

The 6th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF 2022) is expected to make headlines in the city and across the country, creating new vitality and motivation for the development of Vietnam's film industry.

With the theme "Cinema-Humanism, Adaptation and Development," HANIFF 2022 will be held from November 8-12 in Hanoi and the neighboring city of Bac Ninh.

The opening ceremony of HANIF 2022 takes place on November 8 in downtown Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the organizer

The HANIFF 2022 got sponsorship from the US Motion Picture Association. 

Speaking at the event, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper said: "It was my pleasure to speak at the Hanoi International Film Festival which was co-sponsored this year by the Motion Picture Association. The US Government and the US Embassy in Hanoi are also excited to support the development of the Vietnamese film industry and Vietnamese filmmakers as they tell important stories. Cinema is a cultural bridge between our two countries and a driver of economic development."

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper at the event. Photo: US Embassy Hanoi

Cultural event to promote beautiful images of Hanoi 

At the opening ceremony of HANIFF 2022, Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the biennial film festival is an excellent opportunity for Vietnamese filmmakers to integrate into the international film market, carry out the professional exchange, learn from experience and contribute to the development of Vietnamese, regional and international cinema.

The five-day event also aims to pay tribute to outstanding films, encourage new film talents, and significantly promote Hanoi's image as a safe, friendly, peaceful, hospitable, integrated, and developing city.

In addition, at the opening ceremony of the film festival, the Organizing Committee presented the prestigious jury, composed of Polish director and screenwriter Janusz Jikowski (president of the jury for the feature film category); Japanese director Wakai Makiko (president of the short film jury); Sri Lankan screenwriter, journalist and film critic Ranjanee Ratnavibhushana (President of the NETPAC Awards), among others.

The festival features 123 films from over 50 countries around the world. The host country, Vietnam, contributed 22 contemporary films.

“Jasmine,”- a Hanoi-themed film by Dang Nhat Minh, 84, was screened at the opening of this year’s International Film Festival. This is the latest and last film of the veteran Vietnamese film director.

Images displayed at the “Film setting is relic sites and cultural heritages in Hanoi.”

Various attractive activities

As part of the festival, there will be an exhibition, "Cultural Heritage and Relic Sites in Hanoi as Movie Sets," with more than 200 images from Vietnamese movies that have been shot in Hanoi.

Moreover, high on the festival agenda are two seminars entitled "Republic of Korea Film Highlights" and "Cinema: Connecting and Spreading Cultural Values."

Besides, there will be a “Movie Project Market” where local film producers, directors, and screenwriters can introduce their projects to investors and domestic and foreign film experts. The market organizers will award three outstanding film projects from countries in the region and five outstanding film projects from Vietnam.

In addition, participants in the film festival will also have a chance to join some side activities, including outdoor film screening programs, exchanges with actors and actresses, and sightseeing tours to some attractive destinations in Hanoi, among others.

Film screening schedule

Poster of the film "Jasmine" by famous Vietnamese film director Dang Nhat Minh

Opening Film: “Jasmine,” a feature film by Dang Nhat Minh, made its debut at 2:00 PM on November 8 at National Cinema Center in Hanoi.

International Films: 80 feature and 35 short films from the UK, USA, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Turkey, Japan, Korea, and France, among others, will be screened from November 8 to 12 at National Cinema Center- No.87 Lang Ha Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi; CGV Vincom Center- No.54 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi; and BHD Cineplex, Floor 8, Vincom Center, No.2 Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Dong Da District. 

Vietnamese Films: Four Vietnamese feature films, including “Phoenix Flower”; “God Father,” “Ms. Thirteen: Three Days Close to the Death” and “Blood Moon Party” will be screened from November 8 to 12 at Lotte Cinema, Floor 3, Vincom Center at Bac Ninh City, Bac Ninh Province.

Outdoor Screening Program: Eight Vietnamese documentaries and animation films, including: “Hoi An - Tranquil Streets,” “Northern Village’s Communal House,” “Vietnamese Calligraphy Journey,” “Balloon,” “The Secret of the Garden,” “Maika - The Girl from Another Galaxy,” among others will be screened at 7 P.M from November 9 to 11 at the space in front of Monument "Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland" - Pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

Visit www.haniff.vn for more details about the screening schedule.