At VFC, director Khai Anh has made his own mark as the director of many famous films such as: "The Judge", "Labyrinth", "Youth", "Balanha Inn", "The Day I Was In Love"...
Lao Dong Newspaper reporter had a conversation with director Khai Anh when the new year 2026 had just begun.
He left the position of Deputy Director of the Television Film Production Center in April 2025, and it has been more than 9 months now. Is this period defined as a period for a former Deputy Director to experience unemployment?
- Saying that is also true. Since quitting my job, I have lived on the savings of both husband and wife. When I first quit, I was quite sad. Because I was used to a busy, stressful work cycle, suddenly life slowed down, I had nothing to do.
During this time, I go on vacation with my family. I have a lot of time to think. Before, work was stressful and busy, I almost didn't have time to think much.
After quitting, I was more relaxed, having time to think about the value of life, redefine happiness. The clearest thing I realized was that, when I no longer had to bear too much pressure on my shoulders, I found peace in my soul.
Looking back at the journey of more than 20 years with TV series, do you have anything to regret?
- The thing that I regret the most is probably that I have never made a movie. I studied and trained in film. For more than 20 years, I have cherished many ideas, but in the end I still haven't had enough patience to go to the end, not enough patience to find investors to realize what I want.
When attached to television dramas, I had many opportunities to work with international filmmakers, I realized that the things I know are still too little, not updated with world trends.
At that time, Ms. Mai Thu Huyen and I had the idea of opening a Film and AI Training Academy. We will invite many international experts to teach, such as Art Doctor Lydia Park - a leading expert in Korean cinema, to teach students how to organize short film production, short film directing, and acting in short films.
This is something I have cherished for a long time, and have thought a lot about when I quit my job. I want to start a new journey, like a start-up.
You are over 40 years old. Giving up the position of Deputy Director to start over from scratch. Are you too risky?
- I am no longer young, but not too old to start over. I think I chose to stop at the right time, when I realized that the path for television dramas is increasingly narrow. The way of producing, the way of distributing movies, the way of watching movies... has changed rapidly. If I only start in 5 years, it will be too late.
I am facing the opportunity to change my life. I know that I will face many challenges and may fail, but I believe in what I am passionate about and pursue.
In 2025, AI has a great impact on life, work, and even redefines the functions of many industries. What do you intend to do with AI and cinema in the startup journey?
- At 40, accessing AI is not easy, but I am trying very hard. I am looking for good AI colleagues to work with.
AI is having a great impact on cinema and television. I have many plans, from training actors (for both cinema, television, short films), to organizing the production of short films, commercials, and finally implementing the distribution stage.
China produced short films 15 years ago, and now they are very successful. The short film and advertising film market in Vietnam is still empty and has a lot of potential.
Regarding actors, with the development of cinema, the number of films produced is increasing, I think opening an acting training academy with the participation of international experts will be very urgent for the market.
Actors in Vietnam are often criticized for being... monotonous. They usually only shine in one type of role, in a certain movie. How will you train them to provide for the film market that is expected to be industrialized?
- Actors are often divided into two types, trained from school or acting instinctively. There is no right or wrong in these cases, but if not learned a lot in the direction of internationalization, both types of acting can easily fall into the beaten path.
When making films, producers are willing to invite lecturers to guide actors - but only to serve the only role in that project. After this role, if actors do not continue to learn and explore themselves, they will immediately sink.
Therefore, I want to open an acting academy, invite international lecturers, so that Vietnamese actors can approach international standards. I expect that actors in my academy will not only participate in Vietnamese films, but also act in films for Thailand, China, other Asian countries... I have many relationships with foreign units, they are also willing to cooperate.
Recently, entertainment programs in Vietnam have been quite booming, and the market needs versatile artists who can act, sing, dance, perform... I will aim for this. Our Academy will train versatile artists.
These will not be short-term training courses, but lasting several years to nurture a student with a "taste" for art, for the ability to perceive, and to confidently show their talents.
You invite foreign lecturers to teach - it will definitely cost money. You are ambitious to open long-term training courses to make students become multi-talented artists. How do you calculate the economic problem?
- That is a problem for me. Compared to the current level of art schools, the quality of our education must be different, the cost for international lecturers is very expensive, we also commit to "output" for students. But, if tuition fees are too high - of course, it will be difficult for students to study.
South Korea once sent hundreds of its personnel to study abroad to develop the cultural industry. Such costs are extremely expensive. Bringing international experts to teach domestic students will be much cheaper.
You have to start working to gain experience. That is a challenge for startups like me. In the immediate future, perhaps I will try to do other things to compensate for the training work.
I also want to promote the advertising film market in Vietnam. Currently, businesses mainly look at TVC advertising, but the potential of advertising films is very large.
Advertising films are only 5-10 minutes long but are no different from feature films, there are many things for audiences to comment on about quality, artistic messages. I want to create a market for businesses to re-examine advertising films. I am determined to both do and wait for the time, wait for trends.
How do you consider your strengths and weaknesses, when considering the possibility of success - failure on the new journey?
- For more than 7 months, I have thought a lot. Emotions are like a sine wave graph. One day, every plan drawn made me very satisfied, feeling very happy. But only the next day, when I realized that some things did not happen as I wanted, my emotions went down again.
I reflect on myself. Anticipating failure. Also worried that I would go the wrong way... But, I think that is the general psychology of entrepreneurs.
When I have more time to explore myself and life, I am both painful and happy, but consider it an experience.
I think, life is turbulent, changing like a flow that we cannot resist. At a corner, the more we try to resist, the more miserable it will be. Instead of resisting, we should relax, enjoy all experiences, all emotions, to see where life will lead us.
At the age of 20, of course I have a different definition of success, failure and happiness. Now, I am over 40 years old, and have gone through a long enough journey to cherish every emotional experience.
Happiness comes from freedom, being able to do what you want.
And the new year has begun.
