HCM CITY – Vietnamese filmmakers are encouraged to participate in the 2025 CJ Short Film Making Project, a prominent national contest in the genre.

Eligible entries include a short film (excluding animation or documentary films) made within the last three years, an outline for a new film project, and a detailed plan for filmmaking.

Contestants aged 18-40 can send their entries to the contest by July 20 at duanphimngancj.cgv.vn. 

The jury board will seek 10 projects for the presentation and Q&A section on August 6. The board includes leading Vietnamese directors Phan Đăng Di, Charlie Nguyễn, Trịnh Đình Lê Minh and Trần Thanh Huy, and film producer Trần Thị Bích Ngọc.

The judges will select the best five projects, which will receive VNĐ300 million (roughly US$11,500) each to make the films.

They will also be the mentors of the final five during the filmmaking process to ensure that the films meet the qualifications for international film festivals.

The finalists will receive technical and post-production support from HK Film, and join a training course about production planning, directing and film editing with experts from the Korean Academy of Film Arts.

The winner of this year’s contest will be announced in December.

Director Phạm Ngọc Lân, the winner of the contest’s first season, is invited to be an instructor to help the winners prepare dossiers to send their films to international film festivals.

Lân, 39, won Best Film of International Competition Fiction & Documentary at the 16th VIS Vienna Shorts Festival in Austria in 2023 with his short film Một Khu Đất Tốt (Blessed Land).

His first feature film, Cu Li Không Bao Giờ Khóc (Cu Li Never Cries), won the GWFF Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024.

Lân was invited to serve as one of the three jury members for the short film category at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025.

Prof. Dr Đỗ Lệnh Hùng Tú, chairman of the Việt Nam Cinema Association, said at the launch of the contest in HCM City that he has seen many excellent short films produced under the CJ Short Film Project in the past few years.

He said that with the guidance and assistance of prestigious filmmakers and the support of CGV and the CJ Cultural Foundation, young Vietnamese filmmakers would have the opportunity to unleash their creativity and make their best projects. 

The CJ Short Film Making Project was initiated by the CJ Cultural Foundation and CJ CGV Vietnam in 2018, aiming to bring works by Vietnamese filmmakers to top international film festivals.

All the entries have featured different genres, and various topics and stories covering aspects of life and humanity.

Many productions from the contest have been selected to screen and compete at over 50 international film festivals around the world. – VNS