artLIVE – The CJ short film project 2025 has officially announced the twelve outstanding projects that have passed the preliminary selection round. These projects will now move forward to the pitching session, which will take place on August 6.
A remarkable selection: 12 projects from over 400 submissions
After nearly two months of open submissions, the CJ Short Film Project 2025 received more than 400 applications from the filmmaking community. This year’s entries demonstrated impressive diversity in subject matter, storytelling style, and cinematic perspective. The creativity and vision of a new generation of Vietnamese directors were strongly reflected in the selected works.
The chosen projects range from personal and poetic stories to experimental and thought-provoking concepts. Many of them explore complex social issues with depth and sensitivity, showing strong potential to be developed into high quality short films capable of competing at international film festivals.
This year’s judging panel includes well-respected names in Vietnamese cinema: directors Phan Dang Di, Charlie Nguyen, Trinh Dinh Le Minh, Tran Thanh Huy, and producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc. After the initial selection round, the jury carefully reviewed and discussed each project to select the top twelve. These finalists were chosen based on their creative ideas, promising scripts, clear production plans, and strong feasibility within the scope of the program.
- Deep Blue Days – Vu Trung Duc
- When Quiet Blossoms – Bui Phuong Thao
- Clatter – Le Hoang
- When the Earth Stops Spinning – Tran Chi Cuong
- Who Named the Mountains? – Tran Huu Thanh
- The Nameless Girl – Nguyen Huu Uy
- City Stories – Nguyen Thanh Giang
- Made in Vietnam – Nguyen Duy Anh
- Behind the Sin – Cam Duc Hiep
- Awake or Asleep – Le Van Ninh
- A Dream Like a Snail – Nguyen Thien An
- Confession on Earth – Lam Cong Thinh
Director Tran Thanh Huy, a member of the jury, shared his thoughts on the selection process. He said that the jury had many thoughtful discussions before making the final decision. Many of the projects not only showed originality in content but also revealed the inner strength and personal voice of the young filmmakers. He especially appreciated how some participants approached difficult topics with emotional depth and artistic sensitivity.
The pitching session is not only an opportunity for the directors to present their ideas directly to the jury, but also a rare chance to receive valuable professional feedback from some of Vietnam’s most experienced filmmakers.
A chance to go global with the CJ Short Film Project 2025
Five of the twelve finalists will be selected to receive production funding totaling 1.5 billion VND. In addition to financial support, the program offers a complete development ecosystem. This includes intensive training led by experts from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), technical support from HKFilm and Pixelsgarden, and one-on-one consultations throughout the production process.
Once the short films are completed, the program will also support their journey to prestigious international film festivals. This helps bring Vietnamese stories and cinematic voices to audiences around the world.
Over the past five editions, the CJ Short Film Project has played an important role in discovering and nurturing many promising Vietnamese directors. Among them are Pham Thien An, who won the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023; Pham Ngoc Lan, who achieved success at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024; and Duong Dieu Linh, who received two awards at the Venice Film Festival in 2024. These achievements reflect the long-term impact and lasting value of the program.
The 2025 pitching session will take place on August 6, 2025, at CGV Van Hanh Mall, located at 11 Su Van Hanh Street, Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. (Formerly: 6th Floor, Van Hanh Mall, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City).
Photo credit: CJ Vietnam
