Addressing the press, Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Anh Thi noted that after three successful editions, DANAFF has steadily solidified its position as a hallmark cultural and cinematic event for Da Nang, serving as a vibrant rendezvous for both domestic and international film enthusiasts.
According to the Vice Chairwoman, DANAFF IV continues to reflect the city’s ambition to foster an open, dynamic, and creative cultural space. "Cinema is not only celebrated here as an art form but also serves as a bridge connecting people, cultures, and Da Nang with regional and international friends," she emphasized.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan stated: "We aim to create a space where industry professionals from Vietnam, Asia, and across the globe can connect. Through this, we hope to expand the Vietnamese and Asian film markets into the global arena."
According to the organizers, the opening ceremony, themed "Bridging Asia to the World" will take place on the evening of June 28 at the Ariyana Convention Centre Danang. The red-carpet event, scheduled from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM, will be livestreamed across multiple platforms, including VTVgo, VTV Prime, ON Live TV, ON Plus, and the official Facebook pages of VietNamNet and ON Live. The opening ceremony will commence at 8:00 PM and will be broadcast live on VTV1.
The press conference witnessed a lively Q&A session with journalists, producers, and film critics focusing on the festival's development strategy, organizational scale, professional highlights, and particularly its mission to elevate its global profile.
Organizers revealed that DANAFF IV remains firmly anchored on four core pillars: Honoring outstanding Asian and Vietnamese cinematic works; Celebrating cinematic heritage; Discovering and nurturing young talents; Connecting and expanding the Vietnamese film market globally.
DANAFF continues to act as a bridge linking cinema, artists, and audiences, with the ultimate goal of spreading the creative, humanistic values and unique identity of Asian cinema to the global public.
This year's festival is expected to draw over 1,000 delegates, including world-renowned cinematic figures such as Kim Dong-ho, Johnnie To, Jane Seymour, and Bill Mechanic, alongside top South Korean stars like Ji Chang-wook, Park Sung-woong, and Jung Il-woo.
Beyond making red-carpet appearances, these artists will actively participate in audience exchanges and specialized industry activities throughout the festival.
DANAFF IV features a competitive lineup of 13 Asian films and 11 Vietnamese films. In addition, 21 films will be screened in the Asian Film Panorama program, and 26 works will feature in the "Vietnam Today" film program. The festival will also introduce a special showcase titled “The face of Vietnamese Cinema since Doi Moi” Film Program (17 films) and “Focus on American Cinema” Program (13 films).
Furthermore, DANAFF IV is expanding its ecosystem with new initiatives, including the Script Lab, DANAFF Industry Days, DANAFF's Cinephiles, and the DANAFF Booth. Notably, this year's DANAFF Talents program attracted 191 project submissions, with 17 selected to participate alongside over 50 trainees attending workshops and two Masterclasses led by international film experts.
The festival itinerary also includes three international seminars focusing on: The face of Vietnamese Cinema During the Đổi Mới Era; Digital technology, A.I., and intellectual property rights protection in filmmaking; The U.S. film industry - Successful production models and their application in Vietnam
According to the organizers, all movie tickets will be distributed free of charge through an online registration system. DANAFF IV will also host outdoor screenings in various public spaces, open the DANAFF Booth at APEC Park, and organize city tours for international delegates to explore Da Nang's iconic landmarks.
In alignment with the spirit of international connectivity and integration of DANAFF IV, Vietcombank - the festival’s Gold Accompanying Brand - offers convenient cross-border payment solutions. Through VCB Digibank services, customers can scan QR codes to make payments in over 60 countries and territories globally. Exchange rates are transparently converted right at the payment step with no additional costs incurred, and the transaction process remains as familiar as scanning a QR code in Vietnam. Additionally, foreign tourists can use their Alipay wallets to make QR code payments at all shopping centers, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions that utilize Vietcombank's VCB OneQR service. The VCB OneQR service promises to unlock business-boosting opportunities for millions of retail units, household businesses, and enterprises in Vietnam.
