Among them, the only one local movie competing in the Feature Films category is “Ngay Xua Co Mot Chuyen Tinh” (Love Upon a Time), which is adapted from a novel by best-selling author Nguyen Nhat Anh. The film, directed by Trinh Dinh Le Minh, tells the story of romantic love and the journey of personal growth by the main characters.

Meanwhile, there are eight short films and 33 contemporary Vietnam films which will compete at the event.

The organising board said that the festival, to be held from November 7-11, will offer a venue for Vietnamese and global filmmakers to meet, exchange ideas, form cooperation, and introduce their best creative works. It will be an opportunity to honour the best of the talents in the industry.

Besides, the festival is expected to contribute to popularising the image of Vietnam as a safe, friendly, hospitable, integrated, and developed country.

HANIFF was first held in 2010 as one of the many activities celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi capital and has ever since been held biennially,

It aims to build a new film festival brand and affirm the position of Vietnamese cinema in international cinematography and attract the attention of world filmmakers to Vietnamese cinema.

At the previous festival, there were 800 international and Vietnamese delegates from over 50 countries and territories with the participation of 123 films including motion pictures, short films, documentaries, and animation.

Award-winners included best film for Brazilian Paloma in the main official competition, the Jury Award for feature-length Woman on the Roof produced by Poland and Sweden, while the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) awards went to Bone Marrow and The Villain Kotrabid from the Philippines./.VNA