Film Club – A meeting place for souls passionate about cinema.

As a specialized club, the Film Club was initially established with the primary purpose of serving Literature students in their studies of Art Studies and film research. However, the club's activities are not limited to Literature students but extend to students both within and outside the university, and to anyone who loves cinema. In particular, as cinema increasingly adapts to contemporary trends, the establishment of the Film Club also aims for broader objectives. In an interview with a USSH reporter, Professor Tran Hinh – Head of the Art Studies Department and founder of the club – expressed:Film Studies is a modern field of study that keeps pace with the times. This is especially true since, currently in Vietnam, only the Vietnam National University of Theatre and Film offers specialized training in this field. The establishment of a Film Club and the maintenance of all film-related activities and projects aim to create a separate academic discipline called Film Studies. Film is truly a symbol of a modern society."

Club members at a film screening (Photo: Do ​​Que)

The Film Club has officially launched and has immediate goals aimed at students passionate about filmmaking. Ms. Hoang Cam Giang, the club's officer in charge, shared:“The Film Club is the brainchild of the faculty members in the department in general and the Art Studies department in particular. With the sponsorship of the Ford Foundation, the club has all the necessary resources to operate. The club is a meeting place for all students passionate about film and aspiring to study film.”

Over the past 7 years, the club has held more than 300 screenings with many loyal and dedicated audience members. The club's main activity is free film screenings every Friday morning. Each screening receives enthusiastic support from students both inside and outside the university. Lam Hong Diep, the team leader, expressed:The film screenings are attended not only by students from the Literature department but also by students from other departments, other universities, and even alumni. The club usually screens films by theme, so those interested in a particular topic can follow the films related to that theme. Therefore, the membership is becoming increasingly diverse.”

Each year, the club holds a recruitment drive to maintain its activities. Currently, the club's executive board consists of four members: group leader Lam Hong Diep, deputy group leader Le My Linh, and two members Tran Thi Thu Hang and Pham Doan Phuong. In addition, the club has many collaborators and nearly 100 permanent members, a number that is constantly growing. Members take turns representing the club and introducing films at screenings. Becoming a collaborator provides many opportunities to learn, expand knowledge about cinema, and develop various other skills.

Joining the club, students not only get to watch good, meaningful, and high-quality films, but also have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with professors teaching in the Art Studies department (Mr. Tran Hinh, Mr. Pham Xuan Thach, Ms. Hoang Cam Giang, etc.) and guest speakers who are professionals in the field (Mr. Hai Nam - a graduate of the film and theater school, specializing in directing, or Ms. Trinh Dan Phuong - a screenwriter already familiar through films like "Grandma Doesn't Eat Pizza," "Eva's Secret," etc.). Duong Thi Ngoc Ha, a regular member who watches the club's films, shared:When we watched the films, we were given every opportunity to experience them in the most vivid way possible. In particular, after watching the film, we were able to freely exchange and discuss it. Each screening had a teacher or senior colleague from the film industry who came to share their thoughts on the film and answer students' questions. I am very satisfied with this. We were both entertained and gained valuable knowledge about filmmaking.”

Ms. Hoang Cam Giang (center left) shares her thoughts about the film (Photo: Do ​​Que)

In addition to regular film screenings, the club also organizes other activities such as a film week to welcome new students, collaborates with Doclab to screen films, participates in organizing film seminars, and participates in organizing film conferences.

In addition, the club lends and sells specialized books on film to help students study cinema. Currently, the club has a vast library of books and discs, with 3000 film discs and over 700 books, newspapers, and magazines on cinema (in Vietnamese and foreign languages). These are valuable resources for both those who have studied in depth and those who are new to the field and passionate about cinema. In the near future, the club will be translating and subtitling films to serve a wider audience and meet the diverse needs of its members.

Despite facing many challenges in its operations, with the enthusiastic support from teachers and volunteers, the Film Club always promises to bring meaningful works of art to all those interested in and passionate about cinema.