At 14:30 on December 4, 2025, the roundtable “Vietnamese and French Cinema: Cooperation opportunities” at the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France. This event, one of the highlights of the Week, offered a space for in-depth dialogue bringing together institutional leaders, experts, producers, and artists from both countries to discuss development strategies and the international integration of Vietnamese cinema in a rapidly evolving context.
The Organizing Committee of the “Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light” is pleased to announce the round table entitled “Vietnamese and French Cinema: Cooperation Opportunities,” held at 2:30 p.m. on December 4, 2025, at the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France, located at 19 rue Albert, 75013 Paris. This event, one of the highlights of the Week, offered a space for in-depth dialogue bringing together institutional leaders, experts, producers, and artists from both countries to discuss development strategies and the international integration of Vietnamese cinema in a rapidly evolving context.
The roundtable contributed to promoting cultural exchange and strengthening Vietnam - France cooperation.
The round table welcomed many Vietnamese and international guests, including: Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, Ambassador of Vietnam to France; Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), former Director of the Cinema Department; Mr. Mathieu Ripka, Managing Director of ARP (Society of Authors–Directors–Producers); Major General Do Trieu Phong, Director of the Communication Department of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security; Ms. Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, renowned producer of Vietnamese and international films, one of the emblematic figures of contemporary Vietnamese cinemaas well as numerous French and Vietnamese artists, filmmakers, and film critics engaged in creation, production, and distribution.
Strengthening ties and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnamese and French cinema
The round table took place in a context in which Vietnamese cinema has been experiencing remarkable growth: increasing presence at prestigious international festivals, vitality of a young creative generation, and clear signs of expansion in the domestic market. In recent years, Vietnam has also successfully organized recognized international festivals such as Haniff and Danaff in Hanoi and Da Nang, enhancing its regional credibility. Moreover, the national strategy for the development of cultural industries toward 2030 identifies cinema as one of the seven key sectors, laying the foundation for ambitious international integration. Within this movement of openness, strengthening exchanges with developed film industries, particularly France, which possesses a comprehensive ecosystem and advanced support mechanisms, represents an essential lever to expand the audience of Vietnamese cinema and increase its competitiveness.
Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang emphasized: “In recent years, Franco-Vietnamese exchanges have been particularly dynamic across many fields. Cinema, too, is exploring new forms of cooperation, more ambitious, more structured, and serving the development of both countries.”
The Ambassador of Vietnam to France, Dinh Toan Thang, shared his views at the event.
For his part, Mr. Mathieu Ripka stated: “Why not imagine an ambitious goal: this year, a film coproduced by France and Iran is representing France at the Oscars; we can absolutely envision that one day, a French-Vietnamese coproduction could also represent France. Vietnam is fully part of this story: the Vietnamese community is very present in France, and many French citizens are of Vietnamese origin. Exchanges between artists of both countries will continue, particularly in cinema, helping to enrich and strengthen this privileged relationship.”
Mr. Mathieu Ripka (far left), Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan (center), and Ms. Tran Thi Bich Ngoc (far right) attended the seminar.
The event thus aims to open new avenues of collaboration between Vietnamese and French institutions, promote human, technical, and artistic exchange, and strengthen the international visibility of Vietnamese cinema. More than a professional meeting, it serves as a genuine cultural bridge supporting the sustainable development of the film industry in Vietnam. Young director Le Binh Giang shared his enthusiasm: “As a young filmmaker, I am eager for international cooperation, especially with France, the cradle of great directors and landmark films. I hope to learn and collaborate with French filmmakers and support funds to move closer to world cinema. I also hope to see more cooperation programs that foster the joint development of Vietnamese and French cinema. Together, we not only create cinematic value but also help promote Vietnam’s culture, tourism, and image internationally.”
Analyses, perspectives, and concrete cooperation opportunities
Speakers highlighted bilateral strengths: a mature and structured French film ecosystem, and a dynamic Vietnam with a young creative generation and a rapidly expanding market. According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, the year 2025 marks a turning point for Vietnamese cinema: remarkable market share growth, overall sector expansion, and increased presence of Vietnamese films and young directors at international festivals. Vietnam’s dynamic creative environment is now attracting investors and filmmakers from Asia and around the world. She expressed hope that 2026 would be even more fruitful, bringing concrete results in Franco-Vietnamese cooperation.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan spoke about Vietnam - France film production cooperation.
Proposals focused on practical initiatives to intensify exchanges, pool resources, and develop competitive projects on a global scale. Mr. Mathieu Ripka explained: “Cooperation can further expand, especially in distribution: facilitating access for French films to the Vietnamese market and for Vietnamese films to the French market. Why not also consider the exhibition sector, which is one of France’s strengths? We have a very dense cinema network and recognized know-how. All this calls for increased exchange.” Ms. Tran Thi Bich Ngoc added: “The history of Vietnamese cinema clearly shows that collaborations with France have evolved positively: once limited to technical services, they have now shifted to genuine coproductions, where French producers and Vietnamese directors create together, co-own the works, and bring them jointly to the international stage.”
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan concluded: “Finally, we must underline the strong aspiration to bring Vietnamese cinema to the world, driven by organizations such as VFDA and AVSE Global. With the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Embassy of Vietnam in France, we hope to build a program that will leave a lasting mark on Vietnamese cinema and Franco-Vietnamese friendship, today and in the future.”
The round table “Vietnamese and French Cinema: Cooperation Opportunities” is among the major activities of the “Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light”, contributing to strengthening cultural exchanges, consolidating Franco-Vietnamese cooperation, and affirming the strong development potential of Vietnamese cinema. The Week will be officially inaugurated on December 5, 2025, at Le Grand Rex, the largest cinema in Europe and a cultural symbol of Paris.
The event brought together many Vietnamese and French artists, filmmakers, and film critics.
The opening ceremony will mark the start of the presentation of 17 major Vietnamese film works to the international public, in the presence of numerous officials, directors, artists, and experts from France and Vietnam. In the majestic setting of the “City of Light,” the Week promises a radiant opening fueled by creativity, openness, and the international ambition of Vietnamese cinema.
