The 1^st ASEAN Award will be presented at the 20^th Viet Nam National Film Festival, marking the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Director Victor Vu (2nd left) and actors in his movie 'I Saw Yellow Flower in the Green Grass' which won the Golden Lotus at the Việt Nam Film Festival 2015. Photo clj.vn

The festival, which will be held from 24 to 28 November in Da Nang, will not only honour the best Vietnamese movies produced in the past 3 years, but also award the best film from amongst the ASEAN member countries.

Each ASEAN nation will send one movie to the festival to be considered for the award. The jury will comprise well-known directors and scriptwriters who are not from the ASEAN countries.  “The national festival has been organised for 20 years, and this year will launch the ASEAN Award, which will help raise the festival to a higher level,” said Ms Ngo Phuong Lan, the Director of the Department of Cinema.

During the 5-day festival, a wide variety of activities will also be held, including an exhibition on 20 film festivals, seminars, exchanges between filmmakers and audiences, and free film screenings.  The movie week will take place in Ha Noi and HCM City for better response.

The Viet Nam National Film Festival was founded in 1970 to award the Golden Lotus to the best movie and best artistes.  It is held every 2 or 3 years in big cities such as Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong City and Nam Dịnh, Buon Me Thuot City and Phu Yen Province.

(Source: VNS)