including legal support, for international partners interested in
producing films in Vietnam.
The offers were
made at a workshop held in Hanoi on October 19, where organisers
emphasised simple licensing procedures, tax exemption and low production
costs as major incentives for foreign film producers.
Playwright Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, Vice President of the Vietnam
Cinematography Association, made it clear that international film
producers were exempt from taxes for using local services while services
were cheaper than other countries, such as the hire of skilled workers
or professionals, enabling a large number of people to be employed at
relatively low cost overall.
Licensing procedures
were being simplified and Cinematography Law simply asks applicants to
submit a written request and film scripts in both English and
Vietnamese. The licences will be granted within 30 days, or the Ministry
of Culture, Sports and Tourism will have to explain in writing the
reasons for refusal to grant a licence.
The Head
of International Relations Section under the Cinematography Department,
Do Duy Anh, said with Vietnam’s open-door policy, an increasing number
of international award-winning foreign-made films have been shot in
Vietnam, such as “Indochina”, “The Quiet American”, “Cyclo” and “Buffalo
Boy”.
“In each of the past five years, Vietnam
welcomed between 15 and 20 foreign film-making delegations to shoot
footage,” said the film official in charge of international affairs.
Actor Phuoc Sang, who represented the private film studio of the same
name, described Vietnam as a virgin and promising land for the seventh
art industry and called for further investment and greater efforts by
film makers, both domestic and international, to roll out high quality
and attractive products.
Foreign delegates called
on Vietnam to build and upgrade their film studios as well as
establish truly professional film-making companies as basic conditions
to attract more foreign film producers./.
