On October 2nd, in order to concretize the Party and State’s policy on developing the cultural industry; and at the same time promote the development of the cultural industry to become one of the city’s important economic sectors, the Da Nang City People’s Committee organized the Conference on Promoting the Development of Cultural Industries in Da Nang.

In the context of Da Nang’s expanding development space, with its rich cultural heritage, abundant tourism potential, creative resources, and advantages in science and technology, the city has identified the development of cultural industries as a crucial direction to effectively exploit cultural resources, create high value-added products and services, and generate new impetus for development.

The city is focusing on developing six key cultural industries: performing arts, film, fine arts and exhibitions, cultural tourism , digital content, and handicrafts. These are industries with the potential to create concrete products, have a market, and have long-term development potential based on the city’s strengths and advantages.

Speaking at the conference, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan – President of the Vietnam Film Development Promotion Association and Director of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival – stated that Da Nang has ample opportunity to develop its film industry based on the success of previous Da Nang Asian Film Festivals (DANAFF).

Da Nang has the capacity to host and organize an international film event with diverse participants.

DANAFF was established in 2023 when the Vietnam Film Promotion Association and Da Nang City decided to build an annual film festival with an international orientation. Over four editions, DANAFF has gradually established the quality of film selection, a space for dialogue between Vietnamese and Asian cinema, programs for the public, and a professional network. The most notable development is not just the expansion of scale, but the expansion of function: from a place for film screenings and awards ceremonies to a place for nurturing projects, training talent, and connecting with the market.

DANAFF IV in 2026 will showcase over 100 films from 30 countries and territories in nearly 200 screenings; attracting over 1,000 delegates and guests, including more than 300 international delegates, along with tens of thousands of viewers. According to Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, these figures show that Da Nang has the capacity to host and operate an international film event with diverse participants. However, their value to the film industry lies deeper in three accumulated assets: the prestige of the DANAFF brand, direct relationships with producers and filmmakers—those who decide on film projects—and the organizational experience of the film festival team.

Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan believes that reputation is very difficult to buy with a single promotional campaign. Filmmakers come because the program is of high quality, and return because the meeting brings professional value. When producers, distributors, experts, and artists have a reason to return to Da Nang annually, the city possesses a connecting gateway that even larger cities aspire to build but haven’t been able to achieve. The next question is how to utilize that “gateway”?

DANAFF must first and foremost be a good film festival. Film quality, selection, expert discussion, and awards build trust among professionals in the industry. The Vietnamese and Asian film programs place works within an international dialogue, helping Vietnamese cinema access new distributors, festival programs, and partners. At the same time, approximately 200 screenings per event and the enthusiastic response of tens of thousands of viewers demonstrate that the demand for diverse film experiences in Da Nang is not limited to commercially released films.

Based on these results, according to Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, the city can develop a year-round audience market: themed film weeks, film screenings in schools and public spaces, interactions with filmmakers, film enthusiast clubs, programs for teenagers and students. DANAFF’s Cinephiles has suggested this direction. This is not simply a grassroots activity. A community of knowledgeable and habitual film-watching audiences will create demand for cinemas, distributors, event organizers, media, and art education . It also helps a tourist city have more cultural products that local residents can truly participate in.

To see the impact, it’s necessary to track not only the number of tickets sold at DANAFF but also the number of film activities maintained after the festival, the level of participation from schools, businesses, and local audiences. A week’s audience is a good sign, but a twelve-month-long active film-watching community is the foundation of a thriving market.

For Da Nang, the benefits extend beyond simply being named after an international film festival. Each course provides an opportunity for young people in Central Vietnam to work with experts, producers, and colleagues from many countries. Each project developed here helps Da Nang gradually become a hub for creative processes, not just a place for film crews to shoot.

Sharing her plans for the future, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan said that the first DANAFF Industry Days in 2026 will be a significant milestone. The program will bring together 10 Vietnamese film production companies with more than 20 international distributors from over 10 countries and territories. With one-on-one meetings, market exchanges, and distribution dialogues taking place in Da Nang, the city is no longer just a venue for a film festival; it has become a location for industry negotiations.

“From the next DANAFF event onwards, we plan to develop Industry Days into…” ” Industry Connect has expanded both in terms of the number of days and the scale of the program,” said Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan.

From destination imagery to a professional filmmaking environment.

According to Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, Da Nang has beaches, rivers, urban areas, mountains, heritage sites, and connections with neighboring localities. Along with its infrastructure for accommodation, transportation, conferences, and technology, this is a real advantage. DANAFF brings international filmmakers to the city, allowing them to experience it firsthand. However, a beautiful location alone is not enough to be chosen as a filming location; the decision to produce depends on the time taken to process procedures, the reliability of suppliers, manpower, costs, safety, and the ability to coordinate when unforeseen situations arise.

Therefore, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan suggested that a practical step would be to establish a central point of contact to support film crews with clear coordinating authority, possibly called the Da Nang Film Development Promotion Association (a member organization of the Vietnam Film Development Promotion Association – which includes representatives from agencies and organizations related to cinema, cultural management, tourism, etc.). This central point should not only compile a list of scenic locations; it needs to provide bilingual information about the setting, ownership, access conditions, filming requirements, personnel, equipment, and services. It also needs an inter-agency process for film crews to survey, apply for permits, organize traffic, and protect heritage and the environment. Producers may accept a rigorous process; what they find difficult is not knowing where to start and how long it will take. Currently, the Association is actively implementing the PAI (Producer Attractions Index), which is directly related to this activity.

“The appropriate step is to concretize that framework into a cooperation program on the film industry, with DANAFF playing a central role. This doesn’t mean all activities have to take place during the festival week. DANAFF is a place for showcasing, connecting, and verifying results annually; most of the training, project development, film crew support, and market building work should take place between two DANAFF events. An expanded MOU is currently being discussed, which could serve as the basis for both sides to further agree on content, responsibilities, and coordination methods,” Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized.

After four editions of DANAFF, Da Nang has a very good starting point with an attractive film festival, an expanding international network, enthusiastic audiences, and coordination between the city government and professional organizations. This success does not mean Da Nang has a complete film industry. But it gives the city a viable path to building the industry: from quality film programs to audiences; from training to projects; from meetings to contracts; from experiencing a destination to deciding to produce and utilize local services.

“If each DANAFF event leaves a mark of progress in all four of those connecting paths, the festival will not only bring cinema to Da Nang for a week or even 10 days. DANAFF will contribute to enabling cinema to work, create, and generate value in Da Nang year-round. That is an opportunity we have and also a responsibility we need to fulfill with concrete actions starting now,” Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized.

Diep Anh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/da-nang-hoan-toan-co-co-hoi-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-dien-anh-tu-thanh-cong-cua-danaff-102261002192653753.htm