Strengthening quality human resources for cinema

Vietnamese cinema has seen a lot of improvement in recent years with about 40-50 films released each year, many of which have grossed over 100 billion VND. However, behind that is a serious shortage of a generation of young, professionally trained, creatively oriented human resources aiming to contribute to and elevate the national cinema.

"Project Incubator" seminar at the 2025 Da Nang Asian Film Festival. (Photo: TUYET LOAN)

Among the outstanding young faces who have won international awards, we can mention Pham Thien An with “Inside the Golden Cocoon”, Ha Le Diem with “The Children in the Mist”, Pham Ngoc Lan with “The Coolie Who Never Cries”…

However, the "little swallows" still find it difficult to create a foundation and impressive appearance for the film industry.

In reality, most of the current filmmaking workforce is still in an "amateur" state, lacking proper training and a very thin practice environment.

Experienced director Dang Nhat Minh also commented that what worries him is not the lack of passion, but the lack of a solid foundation for the next generation.

Specifically, there is a lack of international standard training environment, lack of sustainable support funds, and lack of connection between training, production and distribution.

Recently, the “Project Incubator” at the 2025 Da Nang Asian Film Festival has made efforts in long-term investment in human quality - the core of sustainable cinema.

Unlike short-term introductory workshops, this project has created a small but meaningful ecosystem. Here, young filmmakers have the opportunity to meet international experts from Korea, France, Lebanon, etc. to have more opportunities to listen, debate, and learn about the path to bringing ideas to production - something that even domestic directors who have won international awards still admit is lacking in Vietnam.

Going beyond the familiar concept of film festivals, considering them as “playgrounds”, “Project Incubators” have suggested a sustainable direction with a specific environment, “hand-holding” interactions and creating long-term connections and support.

Cinema is a unique creative industry, requiring human resources with not only skills and techniques but also aesthetic thinking, storytelling ability and the ability to reflect national cultural identity in modern cinematic language.

Therefore, solutions to improve the quality of Vietnamese cinema human resources need to be viewed systematically, linked to the national strategy for developing culture and creative industries.

Specifically, Vietnam needs integrated film centers like "Creative Hub" like in France, Korea or Singapore, helping young people to study, practice, produce and distribute in the same space.

The classroom model is also a film studio, the lecturer is a producer, director and the team of technicians are real-life, creating a real, lively and practical environment.

In addition, increasing funds to support first-time films and young creatives with independent professional councils, public review, and investment in the form of production capital contributions is also a solution worth considering.

In particular, this fund should prioritize genres that receive little investment, such as documentaries, animations, political films, etc., thereby creating genre diversity and shaping the style of Vietnamese cinema.

Film schools also need to combine traditional teaching methods with highly applied orientation, cross-disciplinary cooperation with other fields such as fine arts, music , technology, encourage experimental filmmaking, continuously organize script writing camps, film criticism workshops...

Inspired by the “Project Incubator”, the film industry can develop “satellite centers” in many provinces and cities across the country for young people to submit scripts, interact, and connect with investors.

Intimate, practical spaces will help keep the fire burning and provide continuous encouragement instead of just appearing during seasonal events.

An equally important issue is that Vietnamese cinema human resources need to be nurtured in a spirit that is both global and unique. Young filmmakers should be encouraged to tell Vietnamese stories in the language of modern cinema, documentaries about ethnic minorities, animations on historical topics… all of which are fertile ground if approached properly.

No film industry can be strong without a solid next generation. Models like “Project Incubators” are a step in the right direction but are still small and sparse.

Investing systematically, strategically and synchronously in high-quality human resources is something that cannot be delayed and is not the responsibility of the film industry alone, but is truly a national cultural mission in the integration era.

( According to nhandan.vn )

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202507/tang-cuong-nhan-luc-chat-luong-cho-dien-anh-1046545/