More than 60 Vietnamese, foreign films to compete at DANAFF II Festival

Hanoi, June 10 (VNA) - As many as 63 Vietnamese and international films will compete at the second Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF II), which is scheduled to take place from July 2 to 7 in the central city of Da Nang.

The event aims to select and honour excellent cinematographic works, encourage talents from both Vietnam and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and widely introduce new and high-value Asian and Vietnamese cinematographic works to the public.

Entries competing in the Asian films category will be decided by an Asian judging panel, including Dai Sijie, Chinese-French filmmaker and author; Georges Goldenstern, former general manager of the Cinéfondation in Cannes; Meriette Rissenbeek, executive director of the Berlin International Film Festival; actress Tran Nu Yen Khe; and young director Ha Le Diem.

Meanwhile, entries competing in the Vietnamese films category will be judged by Chinese director Guan Jinpeng, Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, People's Artist Le Khanh, director Leon Quang Le, and Lorna Tee, secretary general of the Asian Film Alliance Network (AFAN).

Moreover, the NETPAC Award for excellent Vietnamese film is to be decided by the NETPAC Jury made up of Jean-Marc Thérouanne, artistic director and co-founder of the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema; PhD. Mara Matta of Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; and Associate Professor, PhD. Phan Thi Bich Ha, former Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema.

All the entries will be screened free of charge at the event.

A number of workshops will be held throughout the festival to help participants share their experience and select talented young filmmakers for training under the guidance of international and Vietnamese film experts.

The event will be co-organised by the Vietnam Association of Film Promotion and Development, the Da Nang administration, and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC)./.