The 4th Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV) began with two important milestones: the press conference on the afternoon of June 27 at Furama Resort Danang and the official opening ceremony on the evening of June 28 at Ariyana Convention Centre Danang. A notable highlight of this year’s opening ceremony was that all three key speeches on stage were delivered by female leaders – Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, Ms. Ngô Phương Lan, and Ms. Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi. Three women, three different roles, yet together they left a strong impression on the opening days of DANAFF IV.

Phạm Thị Thanh Trà – A national vision for a cultural industry

As the highest-ranking speaker among the presenters at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà placed cinema within a vision far beyond the scope of a film festival: the development orientation of the country’s cultural industries. In her directive remarks, she emphasized that for cinema to become a spearhead cultural industry, and for DANAFF to continue elevating its stature in the years ahead, it is essential to focus on improving institutions, unlocking resources, and creating a favorable environment where cinema can develop through talent, creativity, technology, and integration.

Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà delivered directive remarks at the opening ceremony of DANAFF IV, emphasizing the orientation of developing cinema into a spearhead cultural industry.

This was a strategic message: cinema cannot grow solely through artistic inspiration, but requires a broad enough ecosystem – from institutions, markets, technology to human resources – so that creativity can be nurtured sustainably. Her speech therefore served as a national-level affirmation of the direction DANAFF is pursuing.

Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi – The aspiration of a city that wants to tell its story through cinema

As Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee and Co-Head of the Organizing Committee of DANAFF IV, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi delivered the opening remarks at both the press conference and the official opening ceremony. At the press conference on the afternoon of June 27, she shared that after three editions, the Da Nang Asian Film Festival has gradually affirmed its position as a meaningful cultural and cinematic event for the city, while also becoming a meeting point for cinema lovers from Vietnam and around the world.

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee, spoke at the opening ceremony, affirming that DANAFF IV honors outstanding achievements in contemporary cinema.

At the opening ceremony on the evening of June 28, she continued this message with a more specific emphasis: DANAFF IV was built upon major orientations, first and foremost to honor outstanding achievements in contemporary cinema. According to her, the Asian and Vietnamese film competition programs continue to introduce representative works, new artistic explorations, and creative voices rich in identity – outstanding films that not only reflect reality, but also expand the way people perceive the world and themselves. The consistency across both of her speeches reflects the clear vision of a city leader who sees cinema as a new driving force for Da Nang’s development.

Ngô Phương Lan – The person shaping the “soul” of DANAFF

If Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà represents the national vision and Ms. Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi represents the aspirations of the city government, then Dr. Ngô Phương Lan – Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Cinema Development, Co-Head of the Organizing Committee, and Director of DANAFF IV – is the person directly shaping the identity and professional depth of the film festival through each edition.

Dr. Ngô Phương Lan, Director of DANAFF IV, shared the journey of building a cinema ecosystem connected with Da Nang’s culture and tourism.

At the press conference on the afternoon of June 27, she shared that the Organizing Committee entered the fourth edition with greater confidence, following a journey of building and refining the festival year by year: from DANAFF I, which mainly focused on film screenings and awards, subsequent editions have continuously added new pillars such as honoring cinematic heritage, discovering and nurturing young talents, and this year, connecting and expanding the film market. At the opening ceremony, she further emphasized DANAFF’s role in elevating the stature of the festival, aiming to develop a cinema ecosystem closely linked with culture, tourism, and the creative industries – where every film, every red carpet, and every encounter with artists can become a soft promotional channel for Da Nang.

Three voices, one shared belief in cinema

Three women, three different roles – a national-level policymaker, an urban administrator, and a cinema strategist – yet they all came together around one shared belief, carried consistently from the press conference to the opening ceremony: that cinema can become a bridge connecting people, cultures, and places. The image of three female leaders appearing on the Ariyana stage, each in her own distinct áo dài, can be seen as a beautiful symbol of this year’s DANAFF IV – where national vision, local aspiration, and professional depth meet in one shared story of cinema.

This resonance has helped shape DANAFF IV into the largest edition to date, with 102 cinematic works, around 200 screenings, and more than 1,000 domestic and international delegates in attendance. Behind those numbers are three female voices that together defined the spirit of this year’s film festival: graceful yet determined, rich in identity yet full of aspiration for integration.

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