Hanoi to host six Italian films with free admission
Italian Film Week will run from October 27 to November 1, with organisers dropping charges after a ticket-sales trial in 2025.
Admission will be free for all six films at Italian Film Week in Vietnam 2026, taking place at Hanoi’s National Cinema Centre between October 27 and November 1. The event is a collaboration between Italy’s embassy in Hanoi and the Rome-based Asian Film Festival.
Explaining the decision on October 19, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Della Seta said the 2025 ticket-sales trial had tested how charges affected audience size and composition, rather than sought to generate revenue.
He said receipts had partly offset cinema rental costs without significantly affecting attendance. Some people who bought tickets did not turn up, denying others a chance to attend. Free entry was intended to widen access to contemporary Italian cinema, which he said was not widely available in Vietnamese cinemas.
The programme covers political responsibility, freedom, family relationships and solidarity among women. Antonio Termenini, the film week’s artistic director and director of Rome’s Asian Film Festival, said organisers aimed to present work from established directors alongside emerging filmmakers.
Della Seta said the event sought to deepen Vietnamese audiences’ understanding of contemporary Italy. He described cultural exchanges as reflecting the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership and strengthening bilateral relations through closer connections between their peoples.
