New Delhi (VNA) – A Vietnamese film festival and photography exhibition introducing thenation and people of Vietnam were held in Film City centre in Noida city ofIndia’s Uttar Pradesh state during August 30-31, as part of the celebrations ofthe 73rd National Day.

The event drew hundredsof audience members, notably including Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton SinhThanh and India’s President of the International Chamber of Media andEntertainment (ICME) Sandeep Marwah.

Addressing the openingof the event, Ambassador Thanh said that the film festival and photo exhibitionwere taking place in the context of strong growth across many fields in theVietnam-India relationship, especially after ties were raised to a ComprehensiveStrategic Partnership. Bilateral cooperation in culture has also receivedadequate attention, he noted.

The diplomat said thatthrough this event, Vietnam excellently displayed the pressing themes ofnational integration and development, drawing attention to Vietnamese tradevillages, festivals, cuisine, cultural heritage, and overall beauty.

A series of famousVietnamese films, many of which have received domestic and internationalawards, were screened, giving Indian audiences a deeper understanding of thenation and people of Vietnam, in turn fostering the long-standing friendship betweenthe two nations over the past 46 years.

Thanh affirmed thatcultural exchange plays a significant role in strengthening mutualunderstanding among people of both nations, expressing his belief that the eventwill be a good start for further cooperation in film production between the twocountries.

Speaking to VietnamNews Agency correspondents in New Delhi on the sidelines of the event, ICMEIPresident Sandeep Marwah said that the chamber had previously held aVietnam-India film festival and will work harder to strengthen cooperation inthe field.

He said that India, proudowners of the world’s largest film sector, has strived to access markets in allcountries around the world.

Next month, he and anIndian delegation will join a Vietnamese film festival as part of efforts to strengthencultural partnership.

ICMEI is a group ofmedia and entertainment enterprises from India and many other countries.According to the chamber, India’s media and entertainment sector earns over 1trillion rupee (about 14.1 billion USD) each year, with growth of around 12.5percent year-on-year.

A report from the PHDChamber and BnBNation of India said their cinema sector will enjoy a revenue of238 billion rupee (about 3.35 billion USD) in 2020. India’s film industry,often referred to as Bollywood, is the biggest in the world, producing some1,500-2,000 films each year. –VNA