Cinema is a tool to promote tourism
With the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) taking place in 2025, the Han River city is sending a strong message about the orientation to become one of the new cultural and film industry centers of Vietnam and the region.
Da Nang is constantly striving to create a modern cultural institution, becoming a space for organizing large-scale events and an ideal destination for domestic and foreign filmmakers.
First launched in 2023, DANAFF has quickly affirmed its reputation. In the third edition, DANAFF has the participation of more than 100 special films from many Asian-Pacific film industries, this is a testament to the strong influence of the event.
Many films that were first released here have filming locations in famous places in Vietnam such as Da Lat, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Ha Long and Da Nang. This shows that cinema is becoming an effective destination promotion tool, creating deep emotional connection with tourists.
A typical example is the first cooperation project between Vietnam and India - the film Love in Vietnam. The film crew's choice of Da Nang as the setting is a meaningful step forward, bringing the city's image closer to international audiences, especially the rapidly growing potential Indian tourist market here.
The success of the previous two film festival seasons has created the premise for a long-term commitment. Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Cinema Development Promotion Association (VFDA) said that VFDA and the People's Committee of Da Nang City have signed a cooperation agreement to organize annual DANAFF from 2025 to the end of 2031. Da Nang is an extremely favorable location, a solid premise for the Film Festival to fly higher and further. From now until 2031, we will meet in Da Nang every year, Ms. Lan affirmed.
Realizing cinema dreams
This aspiration is completely in line with the strategic orientation of the country and the city. Resolution 43 of the Politburo has set the goal of building Da Nang into one of the major socio-economic centers of the country and Southeast Asia, with a vision to become a large urban area, reaching the Asian region's class by 2045.
To concretize the goal, Da Nang has issued the Project "Developing cultural industries by 2030", with the ambition that the cultural industry will contribute about 7.5% to GRDP. The film industry alone is targeted to grow by an average of 8%/year, achieving a revenue of nearly 2,000 billion VND by 2030, making Da Nang one of the three major film centers of the country.
To have a "phoenix basket to beans", infrastructure is being invested heavily. The Cultural - Cinema Center project with a total investment of nearly 520 billion VND has just been approved, promising to create a modern space for major cultural events and festivals. Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi - Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee - shared: "The Film Festival is a vivid testament to the city's integration efforts. Certainly in the future, Da Nang will have many specific plans to become one of the country's cultural and cinematic centers".
Appreciating Da Nang's efforts, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang - Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics - said that the initiative to organize the annual DANAFF, in the direction of socialization, is completely in line with the spirit of the Party's resolutions on innovation, international integration and private economic development. He emphasized that cinema is not only an art but also a spearhead of the cultural industry, with high ideological and economic value.
The Da Nang Asian Film Festival needs to be oriented to become a prestigious international film festival, contributing to enhancing the position of Vietnam's creative culture and being an important fulcrum for Da Nang to gradually become a creative city of UNESCO, said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang.
From a "Asia's leading event and festival destination", Da Nang is gradually identifying itself on the regional cinema map. With a methodical strategy, serious investment and consensus from the central to local levels, the dream of a new film capital of Vietnam is gradually coming true on the banks of the Han River.
