On March 4 (US time), continuing the program to promote Vietnamese cinema in the US to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam – US diplomatic relations, the Vietnam Film Promotion and Development Association (VFDA) organized a roundtable on “Vietnam – US Film Production Cooperation”, with the participation of many experts in the film industry, producers, and representatives of major film studios in Hollywood.
Attending the round table were Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan – Chairwoman of VFDA, former Director of the Cinema Department, Head of VFDA delegation; Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco, producers, representatives of major film studios in Hollywood, investors…
At the seminar, filmmakers enthusiastically discussed opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and the US in the field of film production, including exploiting the advantages of Vietnam’s context, support policies from the government, connecting Vietnamese and US film producers, and cooperating to build training programs with universities with film majors in Vietnam.
Is the film production capacity of Vietnamese producers sufficient?
American film producer Matt Del Piano raised questions such as whether the capacity of film producers and partners in Vietnam can meet their strict working requirements; or whether there are many film training schools in Vietnam? Answering this question, Dr. Lan emphasized that in Vietnam there are many young talents, many partners that can meet the requirements, there are also many universities that train in film, short-term training courses, or invite leading international experts to share experiences and nurture film talent.
According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, in reality, when making a film, every producer wants their work to reach the world, but clearly we still have many gaps. Many films in Vietnam are popular and successful, but when they are brought abroad, the scope is only small. However, there is one thing that is very worthwhile because recently Vietnamese films have been brought to the US to serve a large audience, and have been accepted in some cinemas in the US. The market share of Vietnamese films is increasing from 30% to 44%. If there are Vietnamese-American cooperation films, the market share could be much larger.
Vietnam has improved its film production licensing procedures.
At the seminar, American film producer Adam Schoroeder expressed special interest in preferential financial policies, taxes, technical infrastructure and film production processes in Vietnam.
Dr. Lan said that currently in Vietnam, there have been improvements in the procedures for licensing film production. Regarding infrastructure, hotel prices in Vietnam are quite good, many provinces and cities participating in the Production Attraction Index (PAI) commit to the best prices for international film crews. Although studios in Vietnam are not as expected, private companies also have studios, but they are mainly for making television films, but the highlight in Vietnam is that every province and city has a wonderful “natural studio”.
When Ms. Charlotte Nelson – Vice President of Strategic Organizational Planning at Digital Domain Company – expressed her desire to hear typical examples of state budget incentives when foreign filmmakers come to Vietnam to make films, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan said that when the Kong: Skull Island film crew filmed the main segments at Trang An scenic complex (Ninh Binh), the film crew’s costs in Vietnam were greatly reduced because when they arrived in Ninh Binh, all the boatmen serving the film crew were free during filming, and hotels were offered at the best prices.
According to Dr. Lan, in many places around the world, wherever film producers go, they receive direct incentives, for example, if they spend 10 dong locally, they will receive a refund of 30% to 40%. But in Vietnam, there is no such mechanism, although the new Cinema Law stipulates that tax incentives will be given to foreign filmmakers, but it must be in accordance with tax laws and related laws. So the road to that incentive is long and difficult to implement.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan said: “Vietnam is in a period of strong transformation with the desire to rise in all fields, including cinema. In the past 5 years, Vietnamese cinema has made many remarkable strides, creating an impression on the domestic and international markets. Vietnam has unique natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage and talented human resources. However, since Kong: Skull Island, Vietnam has not welcomed any more major projects from Hollywood. This time, VFDA hopes to narrow the gap between domestic and foreign filmmakers, connecting them with localities to promote film production in Vietnam”.
“We not only promote the image of Vietnam but also aim to become a trusted address for filmmakers and investors when they have film production projects in Vietnam; at the same time, promote cooperation to open up many development opportunities for the Vietnamese film industry with the participation of major Hollywood filmmakers and foreign investors,” affirmed the Chairman of VFDA.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Consul General in San Francisco Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized: “With its unique natural landscape, diverse culture and increasingly open support policies, Vietnam is gradually affirming its position as an attractive destination for international filmmakers. The Vietnamese government is committed to creating the most favorable conditions to attract film projects.
Whether it is blockbusters set in majestic landscapes or emotional stories that explore cultural depth, we are always ready to cooperate to turn those ideas into reality.”
