If you’re a movie buff in Saigon this month, you’re extremely lucky because a handful of film festivals will happen concurrently.
Earlier this week, we wrote about the first-ever Singapore Film Festival HCMC 2018, which is already halfway through its planned program at the time of writing. The festival is a joint collaboration between the Singapore Film Society and Vietnam media company RICE.
Nonetheless, you can still catch a panel discussion between filmmakers Boo Junfeng, Tan Pin Pin and Ham Tran at the Factory Contemporary Arts Centre at 2pm today. Then, head to screenings of cheery comedy 3688 at 7:30pm on November 3 and heart-warming Ramen Teh at 7:30pm on November 4. More details are available here.
Another festival that’s already underway is the Japanese Film Festival 2018, in which 11 Japanese features are screened at CineStar Hai Ba Trung from November 2 to 18. The selections are all recently produced (from 2016 or later) and are available with Vietnamese and English subtitles. Click here for more information.
BHD Cinema, on the other hand, is hosting a Polish Film Festival to commemorate the European country’s 100th anniversary of independence (November 11, 1918). From November 1 to November 6, movie aficionados can watch six Polish films for free at cinemas in the Bitexco Financial Tower. Check out the list of films here. Movies are screened with both Vietnamese and English subtitles.
If you’re not too keen on complicated artsy features, the activities at the Science Film Festival 2018 might interest you and perhaps a younger sibling or child. Organized by the Goethe Institute, this year’s program takes place in both Saigon and Hanoi from October 22 to December 23 with 12 short films and many other accompanying activities for both teachers and students. Head to the Goethe Institute’s website for more details.
Last but not least, the most prolific and ambitious one in the bunch is the upcoming European Film Festival 2018 that takes place from November 16 to 29. The 19th installment of the festival will bring films to four cities this time: Hanoi, Saigon, Hue and Da Lat. Tickets will be given out for free starting from November 14 in all four locations, so watch the event’s official Facebook page for more announcements.
