📋 Tender Overview
Starting from 2025, the Project Incubator under DANAFF Talents - the film talent discovery and development program of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival - officially returns with many practical activities for domestic and international filmmakers. This years program continues to maintain two strong categories: Asian Art-house Projects and Vietnamese commercial/multi-genre film projects (Genre Film Projects). Download The Ivory Comb - Screenwriters: Kim and ToTo Chan, Director: Nguyen Quang Dung in the List of Multi-genre Vietnamese Projects - Script Lab Although it has just passed its first season, the Project Incubator has soon picked sweet fruits with encouraging achievements. A typical example is the movie Thank you for staying up with me by director Chung Chi Cong, a rare Vietnamese musical film that has reached a revenue of more than 44 billion VND at the box office and received high praise from experts for the dare to do spirit of the crew when bringing to the screen a genre that is less familiar to the audience. In addition, Flying Milk Cow (Director: Nguyen Pham Thanh Dat, Producer: Nguyen Huu Thi Tuong Vi) - a project that won the Most Promising Project award worth 5,000 USD awarded by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) - has just finished filming and plans to premiere in theaters nationwide next November. The film has the participation of Nguyen Hung, Ngoc Xuan, Vo Dien Gia Huy... are popular young actors who have attended DANAFFs Talent Incubation acting classes in recent seasons. Expanding the global network for Asian Art films This years Asian Art Film Project category is divided into two branches for filmmakers inside and outside the ASEAN region. Here, students will undergo in-depth training (workshop), participate in presentations (pitching) in front of an international jury, and connect directly with reputable experts, producers and distributors in the worlds network of important film festivals and art film distributions. In particular, after completing the class at DANAFF Talents, ASEAN projects will continue to complete the project at two workshops in the Asia-Europe international training series including Thailand Lan (September 2026) and France (December 2026). In France, filmmakers will have the opportunity to approach European co-producers through a series of activities under the Cinema du Monde fund of the French National Cinema Center (CNC). This journey across 3 countries is guaranteed by leading prestigious strategic partners such as: Production & Storytelling Program (Three Continents International Film Festival, Nantes, France), French Embassy in Vietnam, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Institute and Cinema du Monde Foundation (CNC). Comprehensive innovation with Script Lab in conjunction with Columbia University (USA) In the category of Vietnamese commercial/multi-genre film projects, DANAFF 2026 marks the return with a completely new look called Script Lab. This 10-day intensive scriptwriting training course will take place in Da Nang next June and July. Here, the eight best long-form feature film scripts will be selected for comprehensive development with the advice and guidance of professors and experts from Columbia University (USA) - one of the most prestigious cradles of film training in the world. After the course, the authors will participate in a pitching session in front of an international jury, and at the same time connect deeply with investors, producers and distributors both domestically and internationally through one-on-one meetings right at the Project Market. Strong attraction and the reunion of big names The companionship of famous international film organizations not only affirms the increasing reputation of DANAFF Talents, but also demonstrates for the practical value that the program brings to the community. Project Incubator 2026 witnessed an explosion with more than 350 registration documents in both categories. Notably, this years class welcomes back many veteran faces. In the art film project category, director Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi (who won the Best Asian Film award at DANAFF 2025 with Deal At The Border) brings the new project Zholdogu Bala (Stuck like babies); Director Nguyen Trung Nghia (who once had a short film entered Cannes Directors Fortnight 2024) participates in the project The Rats Wedding. This year also marks the return of South Asian projects or set in South Asia, Golden Swan by Bangladeshi director Rajib Rafi and Before the Earth Collapses by Japanese female director Noriko Yuasa, the film is expected to be filmed in Japan, Nepal and Bangladesh. These choices demonstrate DANAFFs desire to connect with cinemas or places that are rarely seen on international screens but need to be discovered. At the Script Lab playground, besides promising young talents such as Tran Quang Thien, Ngo Thanh Phong, Vu Nguyen Nam Khue, the list of participating filmmakers also includes names of Vietnamese cinema such as: director Nguyen Quang Dung, Phan Gia Nhat Linh, Dinh Tuan Vu, along with screenwriters Tran Khanh Hoang, Kim & ToTo Chan...ClassroomDANAFF Talents is not only a place where ideas are tested, commented, consulted, and criticized by leading industry experts to be perfected, but also a launching pad to help filmmakers realize their works through direct connection opportunities at the project market. By penetrating deeply into the global film ecosystem with partners such as Columbia University in the United States, the Three Continents International Film Festival, or the CNC World Cinema Fund in France, DANAFF Talents is gradually contributing to establishing a professional filmmaking environment, connecting young talents to the international production network and promoting sustainable development for the Vietnamese film industry. Diep AnhSee moreDANAFF IV organizes to introduce The Appearance of Vietnamese Cinema 40 Years of Doi MoiSee moreDANAFF - Asian cinema rendezvous and the dream of Vietnamese fil
