The Vietnam Cinema Administration has announced 15 feature films will compete for the Golden Lotus Awards at the 16th Vietnam Film Festival in HCM City.

A scene from “Passport for Love”.

Four film studios have sent two films each to the event, including: Liberation Film with The Moon in the Bottom of Well, Imbalance, the Feature Film 1 with Adrift and Hoai Vu Trang, the Cinema Association Film with Don’t Burn, I Want to Be Famous and Phuoc Sang Film with Miss Muoi, Legend Still Alive.

The four remaining film companies have submitted one film each to the festival: Chanh Phuong with 14 Days Off, Thien Ngan with Save the Death, Than Dong with Passport for Love and Senafilm with Leave Love of Dust.

The 16^th film festival will have a number of new additions. Besides awards presented by the jury, there will be a prize for the best feature film from a jury of journalists.

The two juries will watch 15 features films in Hanoi from December 3-7 before the festival takes place in HCM City from December 8-12.

The names of journalists for the press jury have been announced but the professional jury is not fixed yet.

The organizers wish to have prestigious experts in the jury but they also want to add new blood. However, many young directors can’t play the role of jury member because they are festival award nominess.

This year’s film festival attracts a record high number of films, totaling 99 with 15 large-screen feature films, 11 video feature films, 20 cartoons and 53 documentaries and scientific documentaries.

For the first time, this film festival will have bulletins, which will be issued on December 8, 10 and 12.

Besides side-line activities, there will be two seminars about short films and cartoons and developing and raising funds for film projects.

The festival will have some guests from the USA, South Korea, China, Finland, Russia, Laos and Cambodia.

Bich Hanh