The two renowned directors participated in a panel discussion titled "The Role of Young Filmmakers in Positioning Vietnamese Cinema," held within the framework of the launch event for the Vietnamese 2026 short film competition.

Nguyen Quang Dung has served as a judge for the competition for the past three years. He shared that he participates to encourage young people to pursue their passion for filmmaking and to share his experience. He also finds personal rejuvenation by interacting with and learning from Gen Z's perspectives and creativity. "I hope to have more talented colleagues so we can advance together in the future," he stated.

Director Nguyen Quang Dung reminisced about his early days in filmmaking with students at Van Lang University (TP HCM) last weekend.

The director of Dat Rung Phuong Nam observed that young people currently possess many advantages in technology, content, and special effects for development. With the nation's cinema undergoing change, featuring a series of multi-genre projects that have earned hundreds of billions of dong, he hopes this will motivate young people not to overly worry about financial concerns when choosing to commit to the profession. He recalled how his generation was often preoccupied with box office revenue whenever a film was released. At that time, some even had to mortgage or sell their homes to make a film. For each project, directors had to carefully consider the producers' interests, then share in their joys and sorrows when a work succeeded or failed.

"I believe young people will go further, potentially stepping out into the world and conquering foreign markets," he said.

During the panel discussion, director Ham Tran offered many words of encouragement to young filmmakers. He advised his juniors: "For me, only truly authentic storytelling can reach viewers."

Director Ham Tran shared filmmaking experience with Gen Z.

Ham Tran cited examples from the production process of Tu Chien Tren Khong, released in 2025, and the upcoming Nu Biet Dong Sai Gon. He emphasized that in addition to authenticity, delving into the national spirit within each cinematic work is essential. "If there is a good film, between foreign and domestic films, I believe the audience will choose Vietnamese films. There are many national heroes whose stories have yet to be told. While making recent films, I had the opportunity to meet living witnesses, which strengthened my resolve to bring their stories to the big screen," he explained.

From this perspective, Ham Tran advised young directors not to be afraid, but to start creating works with a "daring" spirit. He believes that embarking on any project, large or small, will provide valuable experience. "Today, you have modern devices like phones and studios to support the filmmaking process – something I greatly longed for in the past. What we need is determination to tell our stories," the veteran director added.

From left: Doctor Ngo Phuong Lan, directors Ham Tran, Nguyen Quang Dung, and actress Hong Anh at the panel discussion.

At the event, Doctor Ngo Phuong Lan, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Cinema Development Promotion Association and former Director of the Vietnam Cinema Department, announced that a selection of outstanding short films from Vietnamese will be screened at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival 2026. This aims to open more opportunities for young filmmakers to reach international audiences.

Director Nguyen Quang Dung, 46, is the son of writer Nguyen Quang Sang. He graduated from the film directing program at TP HCM University of Theater and Cinema in 1999. In the 2000s, he became known for a series of entertainment films. Many of his films achieved high box office revenues, such as Thang Nam Ruc Ro with 85 billion VND, Tiec Trang Mau with 175 billion VND, and Dat Rung Phuong Nam with over 140 billion VND.

Ham Tran, 51, whose full name is Tran Quang Ham, moved to the United States as a child. Growing up, Ham Tran studied directing, producing, and screenwriting. He began his career as an editor for works such as Bay Rong, De Mai Tinh, Khat Vong Thang Long, and Long Rui. He gradually gained fame in both horror-suspense and romantic genres, with films like Doat Hon, Sieu Trom, Ban Gai Toi La Sep, and Am Muu Giay Got Nhon. In early 2025, his directed series Tiem An Cua Quy garnered attention when it streamed on Netflix.

The competition, organized by Thanh Nien newspaper, seeks to discover talent in filmmaking. Many young individuals have developed their careers through this platform, such as director Bui Duc Anh, who won the Canh Dieu 2025 short film category with Mam Nho, and filmmaker Hung Tran, a top 20 finalist in the first season of Vietnamese, who is preparing to release his debut feature film Lau Chu Hoa in june.

Participants must be 15 years or older, be domestic citizens or foreign nationals legally residing in Vietnam. Submitted works must be a maximum of 30 minutes in length and adhere to themes permitted by the Cinema Law. The judging panel includes Doctor Ngo Phuong Lan, directors Nguyen Quang Dung, Ham Tran, and actress Hong Anh. The organizers will accept submissions from 16/5 to 11/7 and will not accept films created using artificial intelligence.

Trailer for the short film "Mam Nho" – an award-winning work at Vietnamese 2025. Video: Organizers provided

Tan Cao