# 17th Vietnam Film Festival

The 16th Vietnam Film Festival was held from December 14 to December 17, 2009 in Tuy Hòa City, Phú Yên Province, Vietnam, with the slogan "For a reformed and integrated Vietnam cinema" (Vietnamese: "Vì một nền điện ảnh Việt Nam đổi mới và hội nhập").

## Event

The 17th Vietnam Film Festival is one of the special cultural activities, responding to the National Tourism Year of the South Central Coast - Phú Yên 2011. It is an interesting coincidence that the 17th Vietnam Film Festival has exactly 17 feature films participating in the competition. In addition, the closing ceremony of the film festival also took place on December 17, 2011.
This year, no feature films were awarded gold. The jury awarded 4 Golden Lotuses for each category: Documentary Feature, Direct-to-video Documentary, Science film and Animated film.

### Participation

Eligible films for the award are films released after the 16th Vietnam Film Festival until the deadline for the Organizing Committee to receive the registration form and attached documents is October 20. The deadline to receive films is from November 1 to 15.
The 17th Vietnam Film Festival attracted the participation of 108 films from 30 film establishments nationwide, including 17 feature films, 5 direct-to-video feature films, 10 documentary feature films, 52 direct-to-video documentary, 8 science films and 16 animated films.

### Jury

In addition to the usual awards, at this festival, the award "Best Sound Design" was brought back but there will be no film award voted by the audience. The Film Festival will have only 3 Jury Panels (feature films, documentary - science and animated) instead 4 as before, each with at least 7 members. The feature film segment will be led by Director Lưu Trọng Ninh as Head of the Jury; Director Bùi Đình Hạc is the Head of the Jury for the Documentary - Science category and director Vũ Kim Dũng is the Head of the Animation Jury.
The jury team has also "makeover" and "rejuvenated" to the maximum. That more or less helps the public to be reassured by the proximity of contemporary Vietnamese cinema to the world, and at the same time affirms the innovative wind of national cinema.

### Activities

All films participating in the 17th Vietnamese Film Festival will be screened from December 12, 2011 to December 17, 2011 at 4 locations: Hưng Đạo Cinema, Diên Hồng Cultural Center, Nha Trang Cinema Labor Culture, Multi-Language Department (under Thuan Thao Joint Stock Company). This is an opportunity for the public to approach and directly evaluate the films participating in the Festival. In addition, the Organizing Committee and the locality will organize outdoor movie screening spots at the April 1st Square so that the audience has the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular films that have been staged so far, meeting the movie viewing needs of a large number of people. audience and "warm up" the atmosphere during the Film Festival.
Within the framework of the festival, in addition to general activities such as opening, closing and awarding ceremonies, there are also various activities such as:
* Seminar "Vietnamese Cinema - Current situation and solutions" (Vietnamese: "Điện ảnh Việt Nam thực trạng và giải pháp")
* Seminar "Sharing on cinema development policy" (Vietnamese: "Chia sẻ về chính sách phát triển điện ảnh") with the participation of speakers Simon Christopher, policy maker of European cinema development and Ms. Kim Jung Ah, General Director in charge of Cinema, CJ Media Group (South Korea)
* An exhibition with the theme "Four Decades of Vietnam Film Festival"
* The event "Cinema artists do charity" for people with meritorious services to the revolution, the poor, disabled children
* Incense offering ceremony at Uncle Hồ's pavilion and Nhạn Mountain Martyrs' Monument
* Visiting to Phú Yên scenic spots to promote tourism
* Exchanges between artists and soldiers of the Airborne Regiment 910, students of Phú Yên University, audiences and ethnic minorities in Hai Riêng town, Sông Hinh district.
The opening ceremony took place at 8 pm on December 15 at Sao Mai Theater, Tuy Hòa city, Phú Yên province and was broadcast live on VTV2 channel of Vietnam Television. Leaving the most emotions in the opening night was the part honoring generations of actors through four periods of Vietnamese cinema. More than 3,000 spectators present in the hall of Sao Mai Theater as well as television viewers were able to look back at the faces of artists who have made great contributions to the country's cinema from the first days until today.
The closing ceremony and awarding ceremony took place at 8 pm on December 17 and was broadcast live on VTV1 channel.

### Inadequacy

In the ceremony honoring the artists who made the 40-year history of the Vietnam Film Festival, it seems that the animators still occupy a too modest position. Not many animators were honored, and this number is not enough compared to the fact that many people have worked hard to make Vietnamese animation during the past 40 years. Meanwhile, Phi Thanh Vân and Mai Thu Huyền, two actors who have not contributed much, were honored alongside other veteran names of the film industry, making the public and the press react.
The glitches in the awards night, from movies or individuals who are not nominated and still receive the award, or there is only one general introduction clip playing for all the nominations. The clip was even used to illustrate the singer's performance, causing an offensive feeling. For example, when the singer sings a song about love on stage on stage, the image shown on the 5 large LED screens behind is a scene from a revolutionary war movie with a shooting scene.
In addition, the poor joke from two MCs Huy Khánh and Hồng Ánh has left undue bad impressions on the film festival.

## Official Selection
### Feature film

| Original title | English title | Director(s) | Production |
| Cánh đồng bất tận | The Floating Lives | Nguyễn Phan Quang Bình | BHD |
| Cô dâu đại chiến | Battle of the Brides | Victor Vu | Galaxy Studio |
| Công chúa teen và Ngũ Hổ Tướng | Teen Princess and the Five Brave Generals | Lê Lộc | Phước Sang Film |
| Để Mai tính | Fool for Love | Charlie Nguyễn | Wonderboy Entertainment |
| Hoa đào | Peach Blossoms | Nguyễn Thế Vinh | Feature Film Studio I |
| Hot boy nổi loạn và câu chuyện về thằng Cười, cô gái điếm và con vịt | Lost in Paradise | Vũ Ngọc Đãng | BHD |
| Khi yêu đừng quay đầu lại | Don't Look Back | Nguyễn Võ Nghiêm Minh | Galaxy Studio |
| Long thành cầm giả ca | The Musician at the Dragon Citadel | Đào Bá Sơn | Giải Phóng Film |
| Mùi cỏ cháy | The Scent of Burning Grass | Hữu Mười | VFS |
| Nhìn ra biển cả | Ocean View | Vũ Châu | Hodafilm |
| Những bức thư từ Sơn Mỹ | Letters From Sơn Mỹ | Lê Dân | Lê Dân JSC |
| Những nụ hôn rực rỡ | Burning Kisses | Nguyễn Quang Dũng | BHD |
| Tâm hồn mẹ | Mother's Soul | Phạm Nhuệ Giang | VFS |
| Tây Sơn hào kiệt | Heroes of the Tây Sơn Dynasty | Phượng Hoàng, Lý Hùng | Lý Huỳnh Film, Youth Film Studio |
| Thiên sứ 99 | Angel 99 | Nguyễn Minh Cao | Phước Sang Film |
| Vũ điệu đam mê | Passionate Dance | Nguyễn Đức Việt | Galaxy Studio |
| Vượt qua bến Thượng Hải | Across the Shanghai Bund | Triệu Tuấn, Fan Dongyu | Vivafilm |
    Highlighted title indicates Golden Lotus winner but no winner declared this year.

## Awards
### Feature film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | not awarded |
| Film | Silver Lotus | The Scent of Burning Grass Lost in Paradise Passionate Dance |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Mother's Soul The Musician at the Dragon Citadel The Floating Lives |
| Best Director | Best Director | Vũ Ngọc Đãng – Lost in Paradise |
| Best Actor | Best Actor | Quách Ngọc Ngoan – The Musician at the Dragon Citadel |
| Best Actress | Best Actress | Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc – The Floating Lives Nguyễn Mỹ Hạnh – Passionate Dance |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actor | Hồ Vĩnh Khoa – Lost in Paradise |
| Best Supporting Actress | Best Supporting Actress | Phương Thanh – Lost in Paradise Lê Khánh – Battle of the Brides |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Hoàng Nhuận Cầm – The Scent of Burning Grass |
| Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography | Nguyễn Nam – Lost in Paradise Nguyễn K'Linh – Battle of the Brides |
| Best Art Design | Best Art Design | Nguyễn Trung Phan, Nguyễn Mạnh Đức – The Musician at the Dragon Citadel |
| Best Original Score | Best Original Score | Võ Thiện Thanh, Huy Tuấn – Burning Kisses |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Bành Bắc Hải – Passionate Dance |
| Prospective Director Prize of Vietnam Cinema Assoc. | Prospective Director Prize of Vietnam Cinema Assoc. | Nguyễn Quang Dũng – Burning Kisses |

#### Direct-to-video

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | not awarded |
| Film | Silver Lotus | not awarded |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Rượu cần đêm mưa Vũ khúc ánh trăng |

### Documentary/Science film
#### Documentary film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Hoàng Sa trong lòng tổ quốc |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Sóng nhà giàn Người thắp lửa |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Gươm đàn Thăng Long Từ Thác Bà đến Sơn La |
| Best Director | Best Director | Lưu Quỳ – Hoàng Sa trong lòng tổ quốc |
| Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography | Vương Khánh Trần Linh – Từ Thác Bà đến Sơn La |

#### Direct-to-Video

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Hồ Chí Minh - Cội nguồn cảm hứng sáng tạo |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Chuyện ông Hội đồng Bạn thờ ơ với nó |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Thả một bè lau Xe ôm |

#### Science film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Bướm - Côn trùng cánh vảy |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Rừng Cà Mau kể chuyện |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Gầm ghì trắng |
| Best Director | Best Director | Trịnh Quang Tùng, Bùi Thị Phương Thảo – Bướm - Côn trùng cánh vảy |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Nguyễn Thu Tuyết – Bướm - Côn trùng cánh vảy |

### Animated film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Chiếc lá |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Người con của Rồng Quái vật hồ sen |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Giấc mơ Loa thành Vũ điệu ánh sáng |
| Best Director | Best Director | Phạm Hồng Sơn – Chiếc lá |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Nguyễn Thu Trang – Chiếc lá |
| Best Shaping Animator | Best Shaping Animator | Phạm Ngọc Tuấn – Chiếc lá |
| Best Acting Animator | Best Acting Animator | The Animator Crew of Vũ điệu ánh sáng |
| Best Original Score | Best Original Score | Đặng Hữu Phúc – Người con của Rồng |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Bành Bắc Hải – Chiếc lá, Giấc mơ Loa thành |