The opening ceremony of the 23rd Vietnam Film Festival (Photo: VOV)

This year’s event drew 147 films, including 91 official entries. 56 films will be shown in the Panorama Program.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said the film festival is an opportunity for Vietnamese cinema to show its remarkable progress in creating a film industry imbued with national identity, modernity, and humanity.

He said: “This year’s festival saw a greater number of Vietnamese movies of high quality, attracting movie lovers, investors, producers, and artists who have helped develop Vietnam’s cinema industry. The cinema has made an important contribution to promoting Vietnam and its people, culture, and tourism to international friends.”

The festival, which aims to honor outstanding cinematographic works, film makers, and artists, will feature an exhibition entitled “Da Lat – a source of inspiration for cinema” on Tuesday and conferences on Wednesday and Thursday.