A seminar on encouraging local script-writing and improving the quality of Vietnamese filmmaking was held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 10.
Attending the conference were several high-profile actors, journalists and People’s Artists from around the country.
“Artists have a responsibility to make movies that reflect life honestly,” said Vietnamese actress Hien Mai in a report presented at the meeting.
“Actors can only afford to turn down some low-quality films, but not all, because they must earn money to live,” said actress Hanh Thuy.
“Vietnamese audiences, meanwhile, are thirsty for good films and local artists want to be proud of the Vietnamese movie industry,” she added.
Ho Chi Minh City Television Film Studio (TFS)’s Director Nguyen Viet Hung said the attitude and conscientiousness of Vietnamese scriptwriters, directors, producers and distributors needs improvement.
For instance, in the recent past, a particular movie script was sold to two separate stations, both of whom produced the film, he lamented. Energy and funds should not be squandered on making two of the same movie, he said.
During the seminar, journalist To Hoang spoke about creating jobs for students who graduated from Vietnam’s University of Theater and Cinema.
He said the State should pay more attention to funding new talents in this sector.
Others said that the “golden timeslot” when Vietnamese films are aired on local TV should be reserved for works by young directors.
According to director Le Cung Bac, the Vietnam Movies Association and HCMC Movies Association should encourage newly graduated directors to demonstrate their abilities by making films annually.
People’s Artist The Anh suggested that the Government invest more in the country’s filmmaking industry and send local directors and actors abroad for further training. The sector also needs to be reviewed regularly and refresh itself in order to have a bright future, Anh added.