Vietnamese cinema and Ho Chi Minh City as a tourist destination will be promoted at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The event is scheduled to take place from May 17 to 28 in France.

The information was released by the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ho Chi Minh City municipal Tourism Department at a press conference on May 9.

On the occasion, three posters of 21m x 3m size have been completed for the festival, including one featuring the image of Son Doong cave in Quang Binh province where the movie ‘Kong - Skull Island’ was filmed and three others highlighting the beauty of the land and people of Ho Chi Minh City.

All the billboards were designed with modern technology by Cannes's leading traditional design professionals. In addition, a “Vietnamese night” will be held on May 20 under the framework of the festival, featuring the most famous and successful films of Vietnamese cinema. On the occasion, the Vietnam Cinema Department and French Cinema Centre will sign several cooperation agreements.

The 2017 Cannes Film Festival is expected to attract more than 23,000 visitors from many countries around the world. The event will be a good opportunity for Vietnam to promote its cinema and tourism, particularly Ho Chi Minh City – an “attractive, friendly and safe” destination – to international friends and film makers. At the film festival, representatives of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Department will talk with some international investors and communicators to discuss the sector’s development strategy as well as call for the investment.

At the festival, for the second year in a row, Vietnamese actress Ly Nha Ky will take part in media events and a program to support young talented actors. Ly Nha Ky is known for her many roles in TV serials such as Kieu nu va dai gia (Beautiful women and rich men), Tinh yeu con mai (Being in love forever), Chuyen tinh yeu (Love story), Gia mua mot thuong de (how much for a God), Em muon lam nguoi noi tieng (I want to be a famous person), Vang trong cat (Gold in sand) and as an extra in the movie “Shanghai”, directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Hafstrom.

Since 2011, she has been serving as a tourism ambassador of Vietnam. She was also an ambassador for Operation Smile in Vietnam. Born in 1982 in Vung Tau, Ly Nha Ky moved to Germany to pursue her studies when she was 16.  In 2006, she returned to Vietnam to work and to be closer to her family. Attributed with a pretty face and attractive features, she was invited to participate in several TV serials.