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| Trần Việt Bảo Hoàng, CEO of Unimedia, Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee, Ngô Phương Lan, Chairwoman of the Việt Nam Film Development Association and Đỗ Thanh Hải, Deputy Director General of Việt Nam Television (from left to right) at the official announcement ceremony of the fourth Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival. — Photo courtesy of VFDA |
HÀ NỘI — The fourth Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV), themed ‘Bridging Asia’, will be held from June 28 to July 4, 2026, inviting submissions from filmmakers in Việt Nam and the Asia-Pacific region.
DANAFF IV is presided over by the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee and co-organised by the Đà Nẵng Department of Culture and Sports, the Việt Nam Film Development Association (VFDA) and other partners.
Building on the achievements of previous editions, DANAFF IV continues the city’s commitment to developing a professional international film festival, contributing to the promotion of international cooperation in Vietnamese cinema, while showcasing Đà Nẵng’s image as a dynamic and creative destination.
This year’s festival introduces several new highlights.
Ngô Phương Lan, Chairwoman of the VFDA, said that DANAFF IV was envisioned not only as an arthouse film festival.
It would also serve as a regional platform connecting the film industry, while continuing to expand its professional activities, training programmes and production networking.
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| Ngô Phương Lan, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Film Development Association, speaks at the ceremony. — Photo courtesy of VFDA |
In terms of scale, DANAFF IV would see a comprehensive expansion, with an estimated 900 leading film experts in attendance, including over 200 international guests.
DANAFF Industry Networking, a film industry networking programme, would be held for the first time. Featuring roundtable discussions, experience-sharing sessions and partner meet-ups, the programme aims to create direct connections among key players across the film value chain, including producers, distributors, directors and investors.
DANAFF Script Lab, a professional training programme for young screenwriters in Việt Nam, would be launched as a strategic initiative to enhance script quality and build a new generation of creative talent.
The highlights of the festival would remain its two key competitive sections, including the Asian Feature Film and the Vietnamese Feature Film.
In addition to the main awards, the festival would also present other prizes, including the NETPAC Award, the Critics’ Award and the Audience Choice Award.
Screening programmes would also include a Country-in-Focus programme on American cinema, the evolution of Vietnamese cinema over 40 years of Đổi Mới (Renewal) and Asian Cinema Panorama.
Beyond screenings, the festival would feature an extensive series of professional activities, such as seminars and discussions on intellectual property protection and strategies for building a sustainable film industry ecosystem.
Programmes including the Film Project Market, advanced masterclasses with international experts, and the Talent Incubator Workshop under DANAFF Talents would serve as a vital incubator to discover and support emerging filmmakers, while creating practical networking opportunities between producers and investors.
The film festival would also feature an exhibition to introduce the potential filming locations in Đà Nẵng.
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| Actor Shantanu Maheshwari and actress Khả Ngân walk side by side on the red carpet at the premiere of ‘Love in Vietnam’ at DANAFF III. — Photo courtesy of VFDA |
DANAFF III took place from June 29 to July 5, 2025, with the participation of renowned international guests, such as director-actress couple Jang Joon-hwan and Moon So-ri, former Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival Kim Dong-ho and Chairman Park Kwang-su.
The best Asian film was bestowed upon the Kyrgyzstani film titled Deal at the Border by director Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi, while the best Vietnamese film was Chị Dâu (The Real Sister) by director Khương Ngọc.
The film crew can submit their entries starting from now. The deadlines for Asian and Vietnamese films to submit to the 4th DANAFF are March 31 and April 30, 2026, respectively.
Further information can be found at https://vfda.vn/ and https://danaff.vn/ — VNS
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