Host Vietnam hopes for rewards at Asia-Pacific film festival
HANOI -
Vietnam's film industry is hopeful of winning fame and fortune as the country gears up to host the 45th Asia-Pacific film festival,
starting Wednesday in Hanoi,
Coming hot on the heels of Vietnam's success at this year's Cannes film festival, organizers said the five-day event would stand
the industry in good stead.
"It will be a good start for the growth of the cinematography of the region, especially our country as it will gather 400
cinematographers around the world", Nguyen Duy Anh of the Vietnam Film Department told AFP.
The year's 57 best films from the 12 member nations of the Asia-Pacific Film Association will be showcased at the festival.
The programme includes screenings of internationally acclaimed films, including Hong Kong's "In the mood for love" -- winner
of the best actor award for Tony Leung at this year's Cannes Film Festival in France -- and the Vietnamese headline-grabber
"The Season of Guavas", by director Dang Nhat Min.
The 38 features, 14 shorts, five cartoons, from countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Iran and New Zealand, will compete for
15 grand prizes, including best director, best picture, best screenplay.
Vietnam will enter five feature films, three shorts and two cartoons.
This year sees the festival gracing Vietnamese screens for the first time, with local film critics already singling out Dang Nhat
Minh's "The Season of Guavas" and Phi Tien Son's "Down South, Up North" as strong contenders for the grand prize.
Following the official opening ceremony on Thursday, a pop concert will be held, featuring more than 60 music and film stars
and the appearance of South Korean film star Jang Dong Gun, a popular celebrity among Vietnamese television audiences.
In celebration of next year's host, the event will also feature a Jakarta night, focusing on culture and life in Indonesia.
After entering eight consecutive festivals, Vietnam has won five awards for productions including 1998's "Return to Ngu Thuy"
by director Le Manh Thich, and "The Sound of the Violin in My Lai" by director Tran Van Thuy last year.
Agence France Presse - December 5, 2000.
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