HCMC university to host Kurosawa Akira film festival By Nhat Linh World-renowned films by legendary Japanese director Kurosawa Akira will be screened at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities HCMC’s film festival - PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ORGANIZER The HCMC-based University of Social Sciences and Humanities will hold a film festival featuring the most popular films by world-renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Akira from June 16 to 22. During the week-long festival, the organizer will screen Kurosawa’s five films, including Rashomon (adapted from two short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa), Ikiru (inspired by Leo Tolstoy's 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich), Throne of Blood (adapted from Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth) and Ran (adapted from Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear). Dreams, a 1990 Japanese-American magical realism film comprising eight vignettes written and directed by Kurosawa, will also be screened. With English subtitles for all of … [Read more...] about HCMC university to host Kurosawa Akira film festival
Treatment short film
Local filmmakers call for preferential treatment
Local filmmakers call for preferential treatment (05-09-2006) Faced with a storm of Hollywood blockbusters this summer, Vietnamese filmmakers are asking cultural authorities for preferential rights to screen their movies. Last week, Chuyen Cua Pao (Pao’s Story), a drama produced by the Viet Nam Film Studio, finally began appearing in HCM City cinemas after five months of requests by the producers. The film, which won the Golden Kite this year for best movie by the Viet Nam Cinematography Association, is being shown in only six of 30 city cinemas. As usual, little advertising or marketing preceded the film. Three weeks ago, the Hollywood blockbusters X-Men III: The Last Stand and Pirates of the Caribbean II began showing at the city’s biggest cinemas, Galaxy, Cinebox and DiamondPlaza. Young audiences are lured by the film’s billboards and posters in public places and advertising campaigns through local media. While Chuyen Cua Pao is screened at smaller, older cinemas … [Read more...] about Local filmmakers call for preferential treatment
Oktoberfest comes to Hanoi
Hoi An saves uprooted trees Around ten ancient trees in the old quarter of Hoi An City, which were either uprooted or blown down after the year's 11th storm, Nari, hit the central region, have been restored. These trees are almost 100-years-old with diameters from 20cm to 50cm, vice chairman of Hoi An People's Committee, Truong Van Bay told Viet Nam News yesterday "We have restored a 50-year-old star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) tree in Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. It was uprooted when Nari hit the city last night," said director of Hoi An City's public works company, Nguyen Quoc Tien. "Experts and staffs will do all for the conservation of the trees, which are part of Hoi An heritage," Tien said, adding that the company has helped restore fallen trees after storms in the city for years. However, he said he only expected the conservation would help half of the old trees to survive. Truong Chi Trung, director of Hoi An Town's Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation, … [Read more...] about Oktoberfest comes to Hanoi
YxineFF award for LGBT-themed film
YxineFF award for LGBT-themed film My Tran By My Tran in HCMC A scene from ‘Feel’ directed by Luk Van In order to help lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people become equal partners in the progression of Vietnamese society, YxineFF and ICS Center have created a new award for YxineFF 2012, the Rainbow Heart Award, for the best LGBT themed film. Six films with diverse topics by filmmakers from Vietnam, Cambodia and the U.S. are the nominees. Who are you?- a documentary by Hoang Huyen My (Hanoi) - is the story of a tomboy searching for answers, The Lover is an experimental film by Chu Tran Minh Duc (HCMC) about a male prostitute, Feel by Luk Van (HCMC) is the story of two high school girls, Dawn by Leon Le (New York) reflects discrimination in a conflicted family relationship, Uncle and Son by Nguyen Dinh Anh (HCMC) is like a sad folk song telling the story about the life of a boy and his skilled tailor uncle who is referred to as a … [Read more...] about YxineFF award for LGBT-themed film
YxineFF screens Panorama selection
YxineFF screens Panorama selection My Tran By My Tran in HCMC YxineFF online international film festival will screen 13 short films from its Panorama section from tomorrow at www.yxineff.com with a new film being screened daily until October 29. The movies bring fresh points of view, brave new ways to tell a story, are character-heavy and focus on individualism. The Journey directed by Cuong Ngo and produced by Ngo Thanh Van, is based on a true story about a boy who has inborn cardiac disease and is supported by Heartbeat Vietnam Surgeries program to have a life-saving operation, and the tireless journey as he and his mother travel back and forth to Saigon for treatment. Short films Husbie! Open door and The tenth great thing feature the honest voices of youth about homosexuality. Being nominated for the Rainbow Heart award, these two films touch secluded sides and both have straightforward points of view and deep sympathy with stories of homosexual lovers: from the very first … [Read more...] about YxineFF screens Panorama selection