VNU-USSH lecturers participate in the film selection committee for the Hanoi International Film Festival 2026.

The Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF VIII) is scheduled to take place from November 28th to December 2nd, 2026, with many new features in its organization, from expanding professional activities and developing projects to strengthening connections with international cinema, aiming for a festival with a clearer mark on the regional film map. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, HANIFF VIII is oriented towards becoming a prestigious film brand at the national and international levels, while contributing to promoting exchange and cooperation between Vietnamese filmmakers and the international film community. In 2026, HANIFF VIII is expected to attract approximately 300 works from various regions around the world.

The Film Selection Council for the 2026 Hanoi International Film Festival consists of 7 members, bringing together experts, managers, and professionals from various fields of cinema, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Cam Giang - Head of the Department of Film and Television Theory, History and Criticism, Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

The Preliminary Selection Committee is tasked with reviewing, evaluating, and recommending works that align with the artistic direction, selection criteria, and program of HANIFF VIII. With their diverse expertise and experience, each member brings unique perspectives to the process of approaching and evaluating cinematic works.

Associate Professor Hoang Cam Giang has served as a judge, curator, coordinator, and speaker at several film festivals, notably the Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) in 2024, 2025, and 2026; the Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF); and the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival.

She previously served as a research fellow at the Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Harvard Asia Center (part of Harvard University), and has organized, attended, and presented papers on cinema at numerous major conferences worldwide (in the US, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand). She has also published many research papers on cinema in prestigious domestic and international scientific journals (ISI/Scopus) and received a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training for her outstanding contributions to research and training.

The participation of Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Cam Giang as a member of the Film Selection Council is expected to contribute to improving the academic quality of the Hanoi International Film Festival 2026, while also expanding the bridge between Vietnamese cinema and film industries in the region and internationally.

As Head of the Department of Film and Television Theory, History, and Criticism, Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Cam Giang has made significant contributions to the development of this field at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. In recent years, the department has attracted a large number of applicants. The training program is built on an interdisciplinary orientation, ensuring modernity and keeping up with global trends in film and popular arts education, while also leveraging the strengths of connecting academic knowledge with practical cultural and social life. This approach has facilitated the effective transformation of specialized knowledge into professional competence for students. The program is designed with many attractive specialized modules such as Popular Arts in the Digital Age; Vietnamese Cinema and the Process of Forming National Identity; Hollywood, Globalization, and Transnational Cinema; Korean and Japanese Popular Culture; Adaptation of screenplays in filmmaking; Art and cultural communication and consumption…

Students majoring in Film and Television Theory, History and Criticism at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, participate in many professional activities at film festivals and scientific forums in the field of film and television.

In the context of the rapidly developing cultural and digital media industries, the field of Film and Television Theory, History, and Criticism plays a crucial role in providing a foundational knowledge system, linking training activities with creative practice and the operation of the cultural industry. Through this, the field contributes to shaping the national artistic identity in the context of globalization, while directly participating in the dynamics of contemporary popular culture, helping to shape public taste and improve the quality of artistic creation and criticism.

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