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Korea Herald
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Da Nang Asian Film Fest returns with broader scope
DA NANG, Vietnam — The third edition of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival kicked off Sunday under this year's slogan, 'Bridging Asia,' with aims to celebrate cinematic works rich in humanism. Jointly organized by the Da Nang People's Committee and the Vietnam Film Development Association, the weeklong festival runs through Saturday across major venues, resorts and theaters the coastal city. This year's edition marks an expansion in both scale and substance, featuring a more diverse selection of films, longer programming and enriched thematic content, according to the organizers. 'The theme for this year spotlights Vietnam War cinema on the occasion 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, exploring narratives of peace that resonate across Asia,' said Ngo Phuong Lan, president of the VFDA. 'We're also proud to present a special focus on Korean cinema, made possible by Korean Film Archive's director (Kim Hong-joon), who generously provided rare films spanning from the 1960s to the present. I hope this festival serves as a cultural bridge between Asia and the world through the language of film.' The film festival brings together powerful stories and artistic innovation from Vietnamese and Asia-Pacific filmmakers, offering new perspectives and celebrating cultural diversity. 'I was struck by the youthful energy here — it reminds me of the early days of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival,' Kim told The Korea Herald at the opening ceremony. 'As someone who has helped grow film festivals in Korea, I see that this festival has immense potential, and I'm eager to contribute however I can.' The 29th edition of the fantastic film festival in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, runs from Thursday to July 13. The Asian film competition in Da Nang saw a surge in submissions this year, with 14 selected entries, many of which have already gained recognition at prestigious film festivals. Among the most anticipated highlights is the presentation of the lifetime achievement award to legendary Korean director Im Kwon-taek, a towering figure in Korean cinema with over 100 films to his name. His masterpieces — "Seopyonje" (1993), "Chunhyang" (2000) and "Painted Fire" (2002), the last of which earned him the award for best director at Cannes — will be screened as part of the Focus on Korean Cinema program. In addition to its competition sections, DANAFF 2025 introduces new awards, including a film critics award for the Panorama of Asian Cinema section. Other prizes include the NETPAC Award for Vietnamese entries and the audience choice award within the Vietnamese Cinema Today program. Serving as jury president for the Asian film competition is acclaimed Korean director Jang Joon-hwan, known for "Save the Green Planet!" (2003) and "1987: When the Day Comes" (2017). The festival also includes a series of talent development workshops aimed at aspiring actors, led by Korean actor and lecturer Lydia Park. 'I've been training young actors in Da Nang for over a decade,' Park told The Korea Herald. 'With the establishment of the Da Nang Film Festival, it's now possible to cultivate Vietnamese talent in a more structured and rewarding way.' Several prominent Korean film figures, including director Jang Joon-hwan and actor Moon So-ri, who recently starred in Netflix series "When Life Gives You a Tangerine," as well as actor Park Sung-woong, graced the red carpet at the opening ceremony. Other key figures at DANAFF included Kim Dong-ho, founder of the Busan International Film Festival, current BIFF President Park Kwang-su and Shozo Ichiyama, director of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The Star
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Cannes-winning film to compete at Danang Asian Film Festival 2025
HANOI: Black Dog, the winning film of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, will compete in the Asian Film section at the third Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III). In addition to Black Dog, 13 other films will compete in the same section, notably including Mua Tren Canh Buom (Don't Cry, Butterfly), directed by emerging Vietnamese filmmaker Duong Dieu Linh. DANAFF, which comes this year to the coastal city from June 29 to July 5, is co-organised by the Danang Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA). With the theme 'Asian Bridges', DANAFF will be attended by Asian and international filmmakers, famous Vietnamese filmmakers and artists, alongside screenings from young filmmakers and is expected to attract numerous cinematic fans to the coastal city. The Venice jury praised the 'Don't Cry', Butterfly's uniqueness and creativity, which 'mixes comedy, social drama and fantasy while depicting the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship'. Photo courtesy of An Nam Productions Black Dog tells a story about Lang, newly released from prison, who heads back to his hometown in Northwest China. While working on a team clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he forms a touching bond with one black stray. The film director, Guan Hu, is a Chinese filmmaker associated with the Sixth Generation movement, known for their gritty realism movies, who best known for Mr Six, The Eight Hundred and Cow. The film won the 2024 Venice Film Festival Critics′ Week Grand Prize and the Most Innovative Film Award at Settimana Internazionale della Critica. The Chair of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association and Executive Director of the DANAFF III, Ngo Phuong Lan, said that DANAFF III will mark a significant step up in terms of scale, duration and programming compared to its previous two editions. "Expanding from five official days in the past editions to seven this year, the festival will showcase over 100 selected films, up from 46 in DANAFF I and 63 in DANAFF II," she said. "The number of screenings has also doubled to approximately 200, compared to 100 last year." One of the highlights of DANAFF III is the introduction of the Panorama of Asian Cinema, which showcases outstanding Asian films that have earned acclaim at international film festivals, along with world premieres debuting at DANAFF. This year also marks the launch of the Asian Film Critics Award within the Panorama programme. A selected programme highlights Vietnam war-themed films in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of National Reunification, as well as a country-in-focus programme highlighting Korean cinema. These will be followed by two major seminars, including 'The Legacy of Vietnamese War Cinema Post-Reunification', which offers in-depth evaluations of the genre's achievements and cultural impact. The seminar 'Korean Cinema: Lessons from Global Success and Industrial Development' which will explore both creative content and policy frameworks, with participation from film scholars, industry professionals and educators from Korea and Vietnam. Lan said: "Korean and Vietnamese cinema shared thematic and stylistic similarities during the 1960s–70s, Korean cinema surged forward from the 1990s, leaving a lasting mark on the international scene. We aim to draw practical lessons and inspiration for regional cinema industries." The festival will also see the launch of DANAFF Talents, a series of training, networking, and film development activities for young and emerging filmmakers, including the 'Nurturing Talent' Acting Workshop, the Project Incubator and Master Classes led by industry experts. For the first time, the Project Incubator is introduced as a core component of DANAFF Talents, featuring two main categories, Art-house Film Projects and Genre Film Projects, with a total of 14 standout projects selected for development. As with previous editions, DANAFF III also continues key features that have become its hallmarks, such as the Film Achievement Award, honouring an outstanding Asian filmmaker who has made significant contributions to the development of cinema. In addition to in-competition films and selected programmes' films, the festival will feature screenings of Vietnamese Contemporary Cinema, featuring 18 recently produced Vietnamese films. The festival will have free screenings in theatres and outdoor public spaces. Additionally, Danang audiences can engage in conversations and exchanges with artists and film crews. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chair of the Danang People's Committee, Head of the Organising Committee of DANAFF said: "I hope that in the future, DANAFF will grow to become a prominent film festival in the region like the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea." — Vietnam News/ANN
