The Motion Picture Association (MPA) in Washington D.C. hosted the opening of the Vietnamese Film Days, showcasing the film Mua tren canh buom (Don’t Cry, Butterfly), directed by Duong Dieu Linh. The event, held on March 5, drew a distinguished audience and highlighted the growing cultural and diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the United States.
Co-organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the MPA, and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), the screening marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. It attracted a wide range of notable attendees, including senior officials from the US Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce, US senators, Lower House representatives, key Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros and Walt Disney, diplomats, and members of the business and socio-political communities.
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Nguyen Quoc Dung, reflected on the milestone of three decades of Vietnam-US relations. He underscored the significance of cultural exchanges, particularly in the film industry, as a testament to the deepening bilateral ties. Ambassador Dung hailed the Vietnamese Film Days as an essential step in elevating Vietnamese cinema on the global stage.
VFDA President Ngo Phuong Lan also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of the film industry in Vietnam’s creative economy. Lan pointed to the newly enacted Cinema Law of 2023, which she believes will fuel further growth in the sector. She highlighted Mua tren canh buom, which earned critical acclaim at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and won the MPA’s Best Screenplay Award in 2019. Lan expressed her hopes that more Vietnamese films would reach US theaters, while extending an invitation to US filmmakers and audiences to the Da Nang Asian Film Festival in June 2025. “Seeing this film embraced in the heart of the MPA filled me with emotion and hope,” she said. “It’s a glimpse of the promising future awaiting Vietnamese cinema.”
Charles Rivkin, Chairman of the MPA, praised the growing interest in the Vietnamese film market, noting that major US studios are increasingly recognizing the potential of Vietnamese cinema.
After the screening, Director Duong Dieu Linh participated in a discussion with the audience, joined by Melissa Bisagni, Director of the Asia-Pacific-America Film Festival in Washington, D.C. The dialogue centered on the global impact of Vietnamese films and the evolving dynamics of international film collaborations.
In addition to the screening, the Vietnamese Embassy, in partnership with the MPA and VFDA, organized a panel discussion focusing on policies designed to attract foreign film producers to Vietnam. The panel featured representatives from major film studios such as Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, and Disney. The VFDA introduced a series of incentives aimed at positioning Vietnam as a leading destination for filmmakers, highlighting untapped opportunities for collaboration. In response, industry partners expressed a strong interest in expanding their projects in Vietnam.
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