Da Nang Asian Film Festival Enters Fourth Year Amidst 'Nervous, Daring' Ambition

The Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) is gearing up for its fourth edition, scheduled to take place from June 28 to July 4 in the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam. This year's festival, themed "Bridging Asia to the World," promises a robust program designed to elevate Vietnamese cinema on the global stage.

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DANAFF began with a relatively large ambition but didn't dare to do too much.

According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Development Association and Director of DANAFF IV, the festival began with "considerable ambition but without overreaching." Over three successful seasons, DANAFF has solidified its reputation as a professional and significant cinematic event. Its evolving structure now includes film screenings, tributes to cinematic heritage, a project incubator, a project market, and in-depth scriptwriting workshops.

Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang People's Committee and Head of the DANAFF IV Organizing Committee, highlighted the festival's growing prestige and unique identity, calling it a "highly anticipated cinematic gathering for the region." A key focus this year is expanding the Vietnamese film market internationally through the "DANAFF Industry Days" from June 30 to July 1. The festival anticipates a greater presence of international film stars, fostering richer exchanges.

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the event is increasingly reputable and has its own identity, truly becoming a highly anticipated cinematic gathering for the region.

Dr. Lan acknowledged the ambitious scale of DANAFF IV, admitting to moments of "nervousness" due to its rapid growth. She described organizing annual film festivals in Vietnam as "difficult and daring," noting that even biennial events are challenging. "We were fearless and very brave, striving to do it every year. As soon as one edition ends, we must immediately think about and plan for the next," she stated.

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Opening so broadly, but sometimes we are also a bit nervous because it's too big, too continuous, because making films and making film festivals in Vietnam is very difficult and daring. Usually, organizing once every two years is already very difficult, let alone organizing once a year.

This year's competition features 13 films in the Asian Film Competition category, hailing from Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China, Pakistan, India, and a co-production involving Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, and Saudi Arabia. "The Wandering Village" (Leon Le) is the sole Vietnamese entry in this category. The Vietnamese Film Competition section includes 11 films produced in the last two years. Additionally, 21 films will be showcased in the Asian Cinema Panorama program, offering a diverse look at contemporary cinematic trends, cultures, and languages across Asia.

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We were fearless and very brave, striving to do it every year. As soon as one edition ends, we must immediately think about and plan for the next.