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| The Vietnam - DANAFF booth promotes Vietnamese film locations at Busan International Film Festival. (Photo: thanhnien.vn) |
The inauguration of the booth is a significant highlight at BIFF, aiming to showcase the beautiful landscapes of Vietnamese localities such as Ninh Binh, Phu Yen, Quang Ninh, and Da Nang, contributing to promoting and attracting international investors through the film festival.
Among delegates present at the booth were VFDA president Ngo Phuong Lan, leaders of Ninh Binh, Phu Yen, Quang Ninh, and Da Nang, and film crews. Many Vietnamese film stars, producers, and directors were also present at the booth to share filmmaking experiences with their foreign counterparts.
During the Busan International Film Festival, VFDA will hold workshops to introduce prominent Vietnamese film projects, the filming environment in several localities, and new cinema policies. There will be visits and surveys of film studios in Busan.
The Busan International Film Festival is one of the largest and most important film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the city of Busan, this event attracts filmmakers, critics, and audiences from around the world. BIFF is not only a platform for screening independent and art films but also an opportunity for networking among producers and professionals in the film industry.
The 29th edition is scheduled to last from on October 2 to 11 screening 279 films from 63 countries, including 224 officially invited films and 55 community beef screenings.
The Da Nang International Film Festival (DANAFF) is an event that showcases films from various genres and countries, promoting cultural exchange and collaboration within the film industry. It serves as a platform for filmmakers to present their works and engage with audiences while also highlighting the scenic beauty and cultural richness of Da Nang, Vietnam.
Michael Learns To Rock back to Vietnam for November concert
According to VOV, the legendary band from Denmark Michael Learns To Rock will officially hold a special concert titled Take Us to Your Heart at Phu Tho Indoor Sports Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on November 17.
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| The three members of Michael Learns To Rock at present (Photo: MLTR FB) |
The concert is part of the band’s Asia tour of the same name, which will visit six countries Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The band will perform a total of 24 songs, including new and beloved hits like Someday, Sleeping Child, Complicated Heart, Paint My Love, Take Me to Your Heart, Love Will Never Lie, and 25 Minutes, promising to create an emotional and nostalgic atmosphere. Notably, the artists will introduce new songs for the first time in Vietnam.
This is the fourth time Michael Learns To Rock has performed in Vietnam, following concerts in 1997, 2015, and 2016.
At a previous press conference in Vietnam, Michael Learns To Rock revealed that since English is not the band’s native language, they use plain English when composing and singing. They were proud to hear that many Vietnamese children start to learn English by singing along to their songs on YouTube.
Founded in 1988, Michael Learns To Rock is a Danish band known for their gentle pop and rock ballads, captivating millions of listeners around the world for over 25 years. The band is one of those that is deeply connected to the memories of many generations of Vietnamese audiences, who listened to their music through the radio or MTV Asia programs.
The band started performances with four members, namely Jascha Richter, Kare Wanscher, Mikkel Lentz, and Soren Madsen. After 2000, Soren Madsen left the group, leaving the band with the three remaining members.
To date, the band has sold over 11 million copies globally, mainly in Scandinavia (Northern Europe) and Asia. Some of their hits that quickly became popular in the 90s include The Actor, Sleeping Child, Take Me to Your Heart, and That’s Why.
Quartet Bond girls to wear traditional Vietnamese dress for Hanoi performance
Four members of the world renowned string quarter Bond will put on Áo Dài, the traditional long dress of Vietnam, during their unique performance in Hanoi on October 5 evening.
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| The four members of the string quartet Bond at the press briefing in Hanoi on October 4. (Photo: Hoa Nguyen) |
VOV reported that “We are honoured to wear the traditional long dress of Vietnam because it is so elegant and beautiful,” said Eos Counsell, a member of the band, at a press briefing on October 4.
“Vietnamese women look very stylish in their clothing, so we really look forward to performing in Áo Dài,” said Tania Davis, another member of the band.
The four members of Bond expressed their admiration for Vietnamese cuisine and expected to visit some of Vietnam’s attractions right after their performance on October 5.
The band arrived in Hanoi on October 4 to prepare for the charity concert “Bond Live in Vietnam” at the My Dinh National Convention Centre.
Organisers Nhan Dan (People’s Daily) said the proceeds will be used to support people recently affected by typhoon Yagi.
“Bond Live in Vietnam” is the second concert in the music series “Good Morning Vietnam” initiated and organized by Nhan Dan and its sponsors, following the success of “Kenny G Live in Vietnam” held in November 2023. Not only does “Good Morning Vietnam” aim to bring world-class music to domestic audiences, but it also wants to promote Vietnam’s image globally through MVs of international artists participating in the program.
This is the third time Bond have performed in Vietnam following their trips in 2015 and 2016.
Traditional Vietnamese music, arts shine among French-speaking nations
An art programme featuring Vietnam's unique traditional music and culture was held at the Francophone Village on October 5 as part of the activities on the sidelines of the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris, reported VNA.
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| In Vietnam's exhibition area, visitors has a chance to print Dong Ho folk woodcut paintings. (Photo: VNA) |
The event attracts large crowds of audiences, showcasing Vietnam's image prominently within the community of French-speaking countries.
The arts of Quan ho love duet singing and Chau van (hat van) singing, folk songs, folk dances imbued with the worship of Mother Goddesses, and traditional musical instruments of Vietnams were introduced at the event, creating a special art programme that received endless applause from the audience.
In Vietnam's exhibition area, visitors had a chance to print Dong Ho folk woodcut paintings - the famous folk art that Vietnam is seeking UNESCO's recognition as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.
Taking place from October 2 - 6, the Francophone Village serves as a venue for exchanging and exploring cultures within the French-speaking nations. With over 60 booths, the event attracted the participation from dozens of French-speaking countries from around the world, allowing attendees to engage in and discover cultural diversity through activities and performances that highlight the creativity and artistic expression of all five continents.
Tay Ninh taps into tourism as economic driver
The southern province of Tay Ninh is investing efforts to bolster tourism, one of the breakthroughs in local socio-economic development.
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| Visitors to an attraction on the top of Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province (Photo: VNA) |
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Ngoc said Tay Ninh views 2024 as particularly crucial to the implementation of its five-year economic development plan (2021-2025), and tourism is identified as one of the breakthrough areas.
The province expected to record a growth rate of 7.2% in its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) during the first nine months of 2024, a result attributable to the effective policies and solutions to obstacles.
Tay Ninh recently inked a cooperation deal with the Saigontourist Group with a view to helping maximise local travel potential and advantages. Tourism projects such as the one at the Ba Den Mountain national tourism area, and the project on forest protection and development in connection with eco-tourism on Nhim Island - Dau Tieng Reservoir are receiving fresh development efforts.
During the nine months, a wide range of tourism activities associated with cultural events and cooperation programmes with other localities and businesses were held to attract visitors, connect places of interest in different localities, and design new tours.
Local relic sites, tourist attractions, and lodging establishments have improved infrastructure and services while offering new tourism services to meet the needs of residents and visitors.
As a result, the province welcomed about 4.5 million visitors and earned some 2.38 trillion VND (96 million USD) in tourism revenue during the period, rising 41.7% and 7.1% year on year respectively, statistics show.
Tran Anh Minh, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the sector is stepping up tourism promotion activities and improving service training and quality.
In particular, Tay Ninh has worked to raise awareness of building its image and improving the quality of tourism services through the code of conduct for civilised tourism, thus establishing the province as a civilised, hospitable, and humane destination to attract visitors from far and wide.
He said that in the coming time, localities in Tay Ninh should carry out the plans on tourism quality improvement and stringently improve service excellence through extensive hospitality training.
During the last three months of 2024, the province will work harder to better the quality of cultural and sports activities, including an amateur music festival, 12 sports competitions at the provincial level, and four others at the regional and national levels. It also plans to organise a week to popularise the art of making local vegetarian dishes, and launch a Tay Ninh brand identity kit, he added./.