The Vietnam Cinema Development Promotion Association (VFDA) in collaboration with the Boston Global Forum (BGF), the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and Harvard University organized a Roundtable at Harvard University, with the theme "Vietnam - US Cinema Development Cooperation in the context of Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Revolution 4.0".
The event is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US, with the aim of strengthening connectivity between the two countries' film industries, promoting cooperation in film production, applying technology to cinema and developing high-quality human resources.
The round table gathered the participation of Mr. Dang Hoang Giang - Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam in New York; Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - President of the Vietnam Cinema Development Promotion Association (VFDA); former Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis, co-founder & co-chair of the Boston Global Forum; Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nguyen - Ambassador, Deputy Head of the Permanent mission of Vietnam in New York; professors from Harvard University, Professor Nazli Choucri, MIT.
At the beginning of the workshop, Mr. Dang Hoang Giang acknowledged the strong development of Vietnamese cinema, which is increasingly recognized in the international arena, and affirmed that the application of technology, especially AI, needs to aim at preserving and spreading human values.
According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - President of VFDA, Vietnamese cinema is going through an important transformation period. In the past 5 years, for the first time, Vietnamese films have achieved a revenue of tens of millions of USD, demonstrating the strong development of the domestic market. At the same time, the new Cinema Law has created more favorable conditions for international film crews to come to Vietnam, opening up more cooperation opportunities with Hollywood producers and foreign markets.
Looking to the future, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan affirmed that VFDA has actively implemented the Film Institute (PAI) to provinces and cities, while on the other hand, it strives to expand cooperation with film organizations, universities and technology film partners in the US to create more development opportunities for Vietnamese cinema.
Former Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis also emphasized the role of Vietnamese cinema in spreading human values and compassion, contributing to promoting connectivity between cultures. Cooperation in the film industry is an important part of the Vietnam-US relationship, not only in film production but also opens up opportunities for technology connection, human resource training and support policy development.
He said that AIWS Cinema Park is a breakthrough initiative, helping Vietnam rise as a creative film center, connecting with Boston, New York, Hollywood and global markets.
Referring to financial factors, experts said that it is not only a matter of low production costs, Vietnam needs to build a post-term support system, financial incentives and policies to attract talent, as other countries are doing. This will make Vietnam a more attractive destination for international filmmakers.
One of the decisive factors for the success of the film industry is not only technology or policy, but also human resource quality. Expert Angela Perry (Boston Casting) commented that Vietnam has a great filming location, but to compete with Hollywood or Toronto, it is most necessary to train a team of professional personnel, capable of meeting the strict requirements of major film producers.
At the workshop, one of the contents discussed was the AIWS Cinema Park initiative, a strategic project to apply AI technology to cinema, while connecting Vietnam with the global creative ecosystem.
AIWS Film Park is not only a film production hub, but also plays the role of an AI-powered film ecosystem, connecting with leading film hubs such as Boston, New York, Hollywood, Washington DC, San Francisco, Paris, Rome, Venice and London.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized that, despite many controversies, AI really plays an important role in film production by saving time, costs and resources. However, AI can only be an excellent assistant, supporting the creative process, but cannot replace humans in coming up with ideas, creating emotions and imagination - the core elements that make the vitality of cinematic art.
This initiative is also part of the "Friends of Vietnam - U.S. Filmlabor Collation", a film cooperation initiative between Vietnam and the US, aims to support filmmakers and investors on both sides in developing projects, connecting resources and building a sustainable cinematic ecosystem.
