1. Project description

As a socio-political and occupational cinema association, Vietnam Cinema Association established the Center for assistance and development of movie talents (TPD) with the purposes to design and implement the programs to assist and develop movie talents and other activities for the development of Vietnam cinema.

TPD Center has contacted, called upon and encouraged domestic and foreign organizations, including the Ford Foundation (through the representative office in Vietnam), to assist and support TPD Center’s activities.  With the sponsor by the Ford Foundation, TPD Center implemented the first project on “10 months, 10 films” in Vietnam from September 2003 to July 2004.

This project is a pioneer in effectively assisting and helping young filmmakers to make their own short films, as making short films does not require massive expenditure or huge investment in technologies. After the project, students would know about the process of short film making from script-writing to short film production. The results of the project: students made 10 short films, many of which won prizes at national short film festivals, and were also sent to

international short film festivals.

TPD Center successfully implemented the 2005-2006 project on “Assisting young filmmakers” including: “10 months, 10 films” - the 3 best scripts were made into 35mm celluloid films (the course on “Master class”), and established Cinema Space – the first movie library in Vietnam to meet the needs of not only its members, young filmmakers, students at Hanoi Institute of Theater and Cinema,

but also movie lovers in general.

Follow the success of the 2003-2004 project on 10 months, 10 films and the 2005-2006 project on assisting young filmmakers, TPD Center with the help and support from the Ford Foundation will continue the 2007-2009 project on assisting young filmmakers including: making 10 short films, maintaining the movie library Cinema Space and the general assistance, and establishing the Cinema Development Fund of TPD Center.

The 2007-2009 project is based on the lessons drawn from the first and the second projects on 10 months, 10 films. This project will assist 10 students to complete 10 short films of good quality with their own creativeness. Those 10 short films will not only be valuable practice of the students, their graduation theses at the Institute of Theater and Cinema, but also the bridge connecting young filmmakers with professional producers. The best short films will be sent and introduced to international film festivals.

      2. The necessity for the implementation of the project

     The 2007-2009 project on assisting young filmmakers is very necessary, because:

     - Follow the previous projects, the 2007-2009 project will help to train and assist young filmmakers with good professional skills, and help them to meet the modern standards of the World’s Cinema.

     - The project will contribute to the development of filmmakers, especially young filmmakers, help and guide them to professionally make their own films.

     - The project will give Vietnamese young filmmakers more chances to exchange and learn from the experiences of foreign filmmakers, and to update knowledge of cinema.

     - As Vietnam cinema is now coping with difficulties arising from the transition period from the subsidized to the market economy, the project implemented by the Vietnam cinema association will help to attract and encourage filmmakers, particularly young filmmakers to be more determined to practise their professions.

      3. Objectives

    The 2007-2009 project on “10 months, 10 films” aims at achieving:

    * Encourage and seek for promising young filmmakers.

    * Create opportunities for young filmmakers to freely experiment their works.

    * Help young filmmakers comprehensively understand the process of filmmaking from script-writing to post production.

    * Help young filmmakers to have their first contact with the audience through their short films. This is a very important factor encouraging the creativeness of the students.

4. Expected Results of the 2007-2009 project on “10 months, 10 films”:

      * Young filmmakers will be equipped with professional knowledge on cinema, and chances to cover and complete all the steps of the script writing and the film producing process during the time of the project.

      * 10 short films will be made.

      * At the end of the course, 3 out of 10 short films will be made as feature films. These 3 films will also be sent and introduced to national and international short film festivals.

      * This project will act as a link between young Vietnamese filmmakers and international cinema.