# 22nd Vietnam Film Festival

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival was held from November 18 to November 20, 2021, in Huế City, Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Vietnam, with the slogan "Building a Vietnamese film industry rich in national identity, modern and humane" (Vietnamese: "Xây dựng nền công nghiệp điện ảnh Việt Nam giàu bản sắc dân tộc, hiện đại và nhân văn"). It was originally scheduled to be held in September 2021 but had to be moved to November due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Event

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival is a national art and culture event to celebrate the country's major holidays in 2021, especially implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress. This is also an opportunity for artists and filmmakers to continue implementing the approved project to build and promote the national brand of the Vietnam Film Festival in the 2021-2030 period.
This year, for the first time, the festival has two more awards besides the usual award system: Best First Film Director and Best Visual Effects.
In the end, 4 Golden Lotus award were given to films in categories: feature film, documentary film, science film and animated film.

### Participation

Films for the contest include feature films, documentaries, animated films, and science films, licensed for distribution from September 11, 2019, to August 10, 2021. Films participating in the festival must be Vietnamese-language films, produced by Vietnamese film establishments or in cooperation with foreign organizations and individuals, without copyright disputes.
In addition, films participating in this festival must be works that have not yet attended the 21st Vietnam Film Festival and the National Television Festival, and do not violate the Intellectual Property Law and related regulations. Remake films (based on scripts, foreign films) can register to attend the festival's programs. In case the film is selected for the contest round, individual awards for director, actor, painter, cinematographer, sound and music will be considered.
The organizers do not award awards to remake movies and screenplay writers. The last date to receive applications to attend the Festival is August 15. The last date to receive the film is September 20.
From 141 films submitted for participation, the Organizing Committee selected 128 films from 48 units, including: 26 feature films, 56 documentaries, 15 scientific films, and 31 animated films. In which, 17 feature films, 37 documentaries, 15 scientific films, 23 animated films will participate in the Competition Program, the rest will be under the Panorama Program.

### Juries

The jury panels of the 21st Vietnam Film Festival were announced on November 18.
The Feature Film jury consists of 9 members:
* Director Nguyễn Vinh Sơn (Head)
* Composer Đỗ Trường An
* Director, Cinematographer Phạm Việt Thanh
* Director Lương Đình Dũng
* Screenwriter, Producer Nguyễn Thị Hồng Ngát
* Actress, Producer Trương Ngọc Ánh
* Director Lý Minh Thắng
* Art Designer Phạm Quốc Trung
* Journalist Trần Hữu Việt
The Documentary & Science Film jury consists of 7 members:
* Director Lê Hồng Chương (Head)
The Animated Film jury consists of 5 members:
* Director, Animator Nguyễn Thị Phương Hoa (Head)
* Composer Giáng Son

### Activities

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, although there are still some activities held in person, most of the programs to interact with the audience and show introductory films within the framework of the film festival are in online form.
Feature films participating in the film festival that are screened in the program "Welcome to the 22nd Vietnam Film Festival" will be broadcast on the digital platform VTVGo (for movies that are allowed to be shown online) from November 10 to November 16.
From November 14 to 20, Huế audiences can watch movies, with the condition that they comply with the 5K distancing regulations, at 4 cinemas as follows:
* Đông Ba cinema (187 Trần Hưng Đạo street)
* BHD Cineplex (Vincom Plaza, 50A Hùng Vương street)
* Cine Star (25 Hai Bà Trưng street)
* Lotte Cinema (4th floor, BigC Huế Building, 181 Bà Triệu street)
The films were also broadcast on the digital platform VTVGo (for movies that are allowed to be shown online).
The opening and closing ceremonies of this year's film festival were shortened. The opening and press conference ceremony was incorporated in the press conference, taking place at Silk Path Hotel, Huế city and 9 am on November 18, 2021. The announcement and award ceremony of the Film Festival took place at Song Huong Theater, inside the Huế Academy of Music, and was broadcast live at 20:10 on November 20, 2021 on VTV1 channel Vietnam Television, Thừa Thiên-Huế Radio and Television Station and on VTVGo platform.
The festival also includes many side programs:
* Exhibition "Thua Thien-Hue - Destination of filmmakers" (Vietnamese: "Thừa Thiên-Huế - Điểm đến của các nhà làm phim"), hosted by the Vietnam Film Institute
* Exhibition "The Heritage and You" (Vietnamese: "Di sản và Bạn"), hosted by the Department of Tourism of Thừa Thiên-Huế province, held both offline and online, at Huế Academy of Music and Điềm Phùng Thị Art Space
* Ao dai show "Ao Dai with Cinema" took place on the evening of November 18 in the campus of Huế Academy of Music
* The tour "Discover the film set in Hue with the five-body ao dai" (Vietnamese: "Khám phá bối cảnh phim trường ở Huế cùng áo dài ngũ thân")

## Official Selection
### Feature film
#### In Competition

| Original title | English title | Director(s) | Production |
| Bằng chứng vô hình | Invisible Evidence | Trịnh Đình Lê Minh | CJ HK Entertainment, HK Film |
| Bình minh đỏ | Red Dawn | Nguyễn Thanh Vân | Hodafilm |
| Bố già | Dad, I'm Sorry | Vũ Ngọc Đãng, Trấn Thành | Trấn Thành Town, HKFilm, Galaxy Studio |
| Chị Mười Ba: 3 ngày sinh tử | 13th Sister: Three Deadly Days | Võ Thanh Hòa | Galaxy M&E |
| Con đường có mặt trời | Sunshine All the Way | Vũ Anh Nhất | People's Army Cinema |
| Cơn giông | Thunderstorm | Trần Ngọc Phong | Giải Phóng Film |
| Gái già lắm chiêu V: Những cuộc đời vương giả | Camellia Sisters | Nam Cito, Bảo Nhân | Mar6 Pictures |
| Khúc mưa | | Bùi Tuấn Dũng | People's Army Cinema |
| Kiều | Kiều | Mai Thu Huyền | Tincom Media |
| Lính chiến | | Nguyễn Mạnh Hà | Feature Film Studio I |
| Mắt biếc | Dreamy Eyes | Victor Vu | Galaxy M&E, November Films |
| Miền ký ức | Memoryland | Bùi Kim Quy | (independent film) |
| Nắng 3: Lời hứa của cha | Sunshine 3: The Father's Promise | Đồng Đăng Giao | ABC Pictures |
| Ngốc ơi tuổi 17 | Silly 17 | Chu Thiện, Đinh Tuấn Vũ | Midia |
| Ròm | Ròm | Trần Dũng Thanh Huy | HKFilm, Red Ruby, East Films |
| Tiệc trăng máu | Blood Moon Party | Nguyễn Quang Dũng | Lotte Entertainment Việt Nam, Anh Tễu Studio, HKFilm, Sidus Vietnam |
| Võ sinh đại chiến | Great War of Pupils | Nguyễn Bá Cường | DC Entertainment |
    Highlighted title indicates Golden Lotus winner.

#### Panorama Program

There were 9 films officially selected for this program but later, 2 of them withdrew. Award for the most favorite film voted by the audience was not presented this year.
| Original title | English title | Director(s) | Production |
| Cậu Vàng | | Trần Vũ Thủy | Bùi Cường Film |
| Điên tối | Darkness | Jack Carry On | Viettel Media |
| Đôi mắt âm dương | The Eyes | Nhất Trung | ABC Pictures, NT Studio |
| 'em' LÀ CỦA em | | Lê Thiện Viễn | Lê Đào Media, V Pictures, BLE Entertainment, Y&K Entertainment, Mega GS |
| Sám hối | | Peter Hein | Anh Sao Production |
| Song song | | Nguyễn Hữu Hoàng | CJ HK Entertainment, Wallsound |
| Vào đời | | Síu Phạm | VIET MY'S FILM, T&T |

## Awards
### Feature film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Dreamy Eyes |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Dad, I'm Sorry |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Camellia Sisters Red Dawn |
| Film | Special Prize for Film Set in Huế | Dreamy Eyes |
| Best Director | Best Director | Trịnh Đình Lê Minh – Invisible Evidence |
| Best Actor | Best Actor | Tuấn Trần – Dad, I'm Sorry |
| Best Actress | Best Actress | Lê Khanh – Camellia Sisters |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actor | Otis Đỗ Nhật Trường – Invisible Evidence |
| Best Supporting Actress | Best Supporting Actress | Nguyễn Ngọc Ngân Chi – Dad, I'm Sorry, Sunshine 3: The Father's Promise |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Trấn Thành, Bùi Trương Hữu Nhi, Hồ Thúc An – Dad, I'm Sorry |
| Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography | Nguyễn Vinh Phúc – Ròm Dominic Pereira – Dreamy Eyes |
| Best Art Design | Best Art Design | Phạm Hùng – Camellia Sisters |
| Best Original Score | Best Original Score | Christopher Wong – Dreamy Eyes |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Peter Mulheron – Invisible Evidence |
| Best Visual Effects | Best Visual Effects | not awarded |
| Best First Film Director | Best First Film Director | not awarded |

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

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Ranh giới |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Phim đỏ Ánh sáng của con |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Mầm xanh đất lửa Nữ du kích Sông Hương |
| Best Director | Best Director | Tạ Quỳnh Tư – Ranh giới, Nẻo đường hội ngộ |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Nguyễn Hạnh Lê – Kỳ tích chinh phục một dòng sông |
| Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography | Lê Duy Hồi, Hà Hải Long – Lá cờ trên Phu Văn Lâu |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Chu Đức Thắng, Đào Thị Hằng – Mầm xanh đất lửa |

#### Science film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Điểm mù giao thông |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Lũ miền núi |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Ca trù vọng tiếng ngàn năm |
| Best Director | Best Director | Trịnh Quang Tùng – Lũ miền núi |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Lê Danh Trường – Tắc mạch xạ trị |
| Best Cinematography | Best Cinematography | Công Sơn, Dương Huy, Tuấn Anh – Ô nhiễm trắng |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Hữu Bính, Xuân Phương – Ca trù vọng tiếng ngàn năm |

### Animated film

| Award | Award | Winner |
| Film | Golden Lotus | Con chim gỗ |
| Film | Silver Lotus | Người thầy của muôn đời Ánh sáng không bao giờ tắt |
| Film | Jury's Merit | Bí mật của khu vườn Mái tơ phúc hậu |
| Best Director | Best Director | Trần Khánh Duyên – Con chim gỗ |
| Best Screenplay | Best Screenplay | Bùi Hoài Thu – Người thầy của muôn đời |
| Best Shaping Animator | Best Shaping Animator | Lê Bình – Bí mật của khu vườn |
| Best Acting Animator | Best Acting Animator | The Animator Crew of Người thầy của muôn đời |
| Best Original Score | Best Original Score | Đặng Duy Chiến – Ánh sáng không bao giờ tắt |
| Best Sound Design | Best Sound Design | Nguyễn Hồng Quân – Ánh sáng không bao giờ tắt |
| Best Animated Effects | Best Animated Effects | Nguyễn Quang Trung – Mảnh ghép của Rồng |