Japanese cartoon festival to be held in Ha Noi

HA NOI — An array of eight famous Japanese animated films will be screened at the National Cinema Centre on January 12-16.

The event is being jointly held by the Japanese Culture Department, the Japanese Cultural Exchange Centre in Viet Nam, the Cinematographic Department and the National Cinema Centre.

The festival will especially feature Spirit away directed by Miyazaki Hayao in 2001, which won the Golden Bear award in 2002 and was among the Oscar competitors for best animated feature film at the 75th annual Academy Awards ceremony.

Spirit away tells about the adventures of a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, who is accidentally thrown into a "spirit" world. While working at a bathhouse catering to spirits and gods, she tries to rescue her parents from a spell that transformed them into pigs.

Prior to the event, popular voice actress Mitsuki Saiga, guitarist Kazuya Nishikawa and several film makers will engage in an exchange with Vietnamese audience.

Cartoon pilgrims may get free tickets at the Japanese Cultural Exchange Centre at 27 Quang Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi, as from 2pm on January 5.

Opera House to count down to New Year's Eve

HA NOI — A special New Year's Eve countdown party will be held outside the Ha Noi Opera House at 9pm on Friday to usher in the new year with entertainment and countdown clocks facing in four directions.

The programme, sponsored by Heineken, will feature performances by singers My Linh and Nguyen Duc Cuong and music by DJs Jonathan Glaser from Sweden, Tempo from the US and Tuan Kruise of Viet Nam.

TV festival celebrates individual contributions

CAÁN THO — Individual contributions were recognised for the first time at the 30th annual television festival that ended on Sunday in the southern city of Can Tho.

The Best Director award went to Bui Quoc Viet for Dam Laây Bac (Marsh), produced by VTV's Television Film Production Centre.

Best Actor was awarded to Huynh Cong for his role as Huynh Van Nghe in Vo Ngua Troi Nam (The South's Heroes), produced by HTV's Television Film Company.

Actress Ho Thanh Ngoc won Best Actress for her role as Lua in Me Chong Nang Dau (Mother and Daughter-in-Law) by Vinh Long Television.

Best Cameraman went to Nguyen Thanh Phuc for his work on Vo Ngua Troi Nam.

There were more than 750 entries at the festival, including documentaries, reports, TV series, theatre and musicals.

Seminars were also held at the festival on digital television and children's programming. — VNS

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Families to host regional youth in cultural exchange

HCM CITY — More than 320 youngsters from Southeast Asia and Japan will arrive in HCM City early next month for an annual cultural exchange.

The Southeast Asian Youth Programme 2010 (SSEAYP) delegation, which includes 29 from Viet Nam, left Yokohama in Japan by ship on a 52-day journey through six countries that will see the youths return to Tokyo on December 15.

The city unit of the HCM City Youth Union is preparing to receive the delegates and host the annual programme that will include music, home stay, and other events as well as charitable activities. It has chosen 60 volunteers for the purpose.

Some 170 families in the city have volunteered to house the guests during their three-day stay which will expose them to Vietnamese culture.

Le Van Minh, a Youth Union official, said several families have done this on more than one occasion, explaining the ship will be on its 11th visit to HCM City.

The visitors will discuss participation by youth in social activities, including culture, environment, international relations, education, health, food, and community development.

They have been to Malaysia and Thailand and are now in Indonesia. They will next leave for Singapore before arriving in Viet Nam on December 5.

SSEAYP, started in 1974, is a joint initiative by Japan and five founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

It seeks to strengthen friendship, co-operation, and understanding between Japanese and Southeast Asian youths to help build a peaceful, stable, and developed region.

Viet Nam joined the programme in 1996 VNS

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US, VN filmmakers share experiences

HCM CITY — Local filmmakers and their American counterparts met at a cultural exchange programme yesterday held by the US Consulate General in HCM City to share experiences about documentary film-making.

Cinematography expert, Diane Carson, and two film directors, Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, have been in Viet Nam as part of the American Documentary Showcase.

The showcase is one of several cultural exchange programmes of the US Consulate General to promote mutual understanding between the countries.

The programme selects the best or most powerful documentaries in the US to screen in other countries.

The main goals of the showcase are to provide a glimpse into American culture, highlight the role of documentary and foster mutual understanding, Patricia Norland, the consulate's Public Affairs Officer, said.

The showcase delegations and various films are currently touring the world, including American embassies and consulates in Ecuador, the Czech Republic, Poland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan and others.

A documentary about life after the Katrina hurricane in the US was shown during the programme.

Diane Carson, former head of the US-based University Film&Video Association, said documentaries had always been popular in the US, but had become more common in the last 20-30 years.

Although the Katrina film criticised the US Government, the US Department of State decided to screen it around the world.

The film has been shown in 300 cities and 500 schools in the US, and broadcast by two TV networks in the country. The powerful documentary was awarded 10 prizes in 2008.

The film shows how 3,000 people lost their lives and millions lost their homes in the city of New Orleans after the devastating storm.

Deal, the film's director, said the situation was somewhat similar to the aftermath of severe storms that often hit Viet Nam.

The story is a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes, two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.

The film opens the day before the storm makes landfall when a 24-year-old aspiring rap artist Kimberly Rivers Roberts turns her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbours trapped in the city.

The Showcase, funded by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, is designed to promote American documentaries and filmmakers at international overseas venues. — VNS

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ASEAN begins culture swap

Fourth wall: Delegates from the Indonesian Consulate General in HCM City perform exciting traditional dances during a cultural exchange programme. — VNS Photos Van Dat Fusion: Vietnamese models present Singaporean traditional costumes at the event.

HCM CITY — Representatives and young people from ASEAN countries gathered yesterday at the HCM City Youth's Cultural House to open a cultural exchange week, which runs through September 4.

The event will feature several activities that will showcase the cultures and lifestyles of the 10 countries. The week-long event has been organised to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi, the 65th Anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, which falls on September 2.

General consuls to HCM City from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Laos and others diplomatic agencies will participate in the cultural exchange programme.

Traditional clothes from ASEAN members were introduced at a fashion show during the opening ceremony.

University students from the Lao Students' Association, who are studying in HCM City, and representatives from the Indonesian, the Philippines, and Thai Consulates General performed traditional dances and songs during the event.

Six food stalls were erected to introduce the traditional cuisine of the countries, which allowed guests and participants to taste the variety of dishes from the 10 countries.

A photography exhibit also opened that features photographs from the revolution and development of Viet Nam. The exhibit also highlights the cultures and beautiful sights in ASEAN countries.

A contest was organised to test and inform Vietnamese students about the cultures and history of ASEAN members. Popular folk games from the Southeast Asian countries were also introduced to visitors during the exchange.

A music programme to celebrate the National Day and an event to introduce art works composed by Vietnamese youngsters during the recent trans-Viet Nam composing camps will held later this week. — VNS

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Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange opens

A Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange opened in Hoi An, the ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam, on Saturday.

During the two-day event, various cultural activities will be held, including an exhibition showcasing photos on Hoi An ancient town and documentary photos on Hoi An-Japan cultural exchanges and an artistic painting exhibition entitled “Colors of Heritages”.

There will be a seminar on cultural heritage preservation and tourism development, an introduction of Japanese cuisine and performances of Japanese musical instruments and children’s games.

In the opening night, Vietnamese and Japanese artists jointly performed special dances from both countries such as lion and royal dances.

The event, co-organized by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Hoi An People’s Committee, offers a chance for artists in particular and the people of the two countries in general to exchange and share their own special cultural characteristics, thus helping boost the friendship between the two nations.

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