From November 20-27, the film accommodation program “Hanoi Winter 2021 – In Cinema We Trust” will take place with a series of events regarding learning, discussing and sharing cinematic experiences by many leading experts in the film industry.
“Hanoi Winter 2021 – In Cinema We Trust” is an intensive training and accommodation program organized by O Kia Hanoi, a creative space for Hanoi lovers, in collaboration with its partners, for talented Vietnamese filmmakers who wish to develop film projects in a professional way. This is not only a special cinema accommodation program in which promising faces of Vietnamese cinema will gather but also a very rare large-scale cultural and creative event after a long delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Five years ago, the program “Hanoi Spring 2015” successfully supported the production of many potential film projects, gaining both commercial and artistic achievements. In particular, the debut films of many young directors not only achieved good sales at the domestic box office but also were nominated at many prestigious international film festivals. A network of new generation filmmakers was also created, contributing to the development of a more diverse, modern and creative Vietnamese art.
This November, “Hanoi Winter 2021 – In Cinema We Trust” will be held in a more novel form. In addition to the main task of film development, the program focuses on topics such as women, gender and gender equality, etc. by receiving all potential length or short film projects, to break gender prejudices and change gender stereotypes in cinema. This is also a particularly open opportunity for female filmmakers in Vietnam.
“Gender prejudices and stereotypes is one of the characteristics of Vietnamese cinema in which female characters make up the majority and are always portrayed according to certain social standards with the common type of beauty, common type of emotion, and common way of honoring them. I think women are more than that, and the standards vary every day. Women in real life are freer and stronger than in movies. We need new harmonic standards because new perspectives and thoughts have gradually removed the old prejudices and stereotypes. What is more, if we have an opportunity to talk about this thoroughly, in the language of cinema, why not?” – said Director Nguyen Hoang Diep, who initiated “Hanoi winter 2021”.
Filmmakers participating in the program will be supported from script development, production planning, to presentations, project introduction and finding production opportunities.
This event will feature some prestigious and senior Vietnamese filmmakers with their diverse experience in filmmaking from the position of screenwriter, director to producer. They are famous director Tran Anh Hung who participates in online teaching from France, prominent domestic directors such as Phan Gia Nhat Linh (You and Trinh), Phan Dang Di (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid!), Nguyen Hoang Diep (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere), Trinh Dinh Le Minh (Goodbye Mother), producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc (The Immortal, The Third Wife); Dr. Pham Quoc Loc, and screenwriter/film criticizer Vu Anh Duong.
Currently, “Hanoi Winter 2021 – In Cinema We Trust” has selected 15 + 1 best projects from 100 applications. 30 young filmmakers will embark upon a journey of cinema experience with learning, analyzing, and practicing activities.
Linh Chi