Sadai's inclusion is seen as a significant step in the festival’s efforts to internationalise its jury and elevate the global profile of Vietnamese cinema. His participation underscores the organisers' commitment to bringing a more diverse, international perspective to the evaluation process.

A leading figure in Japan’s film industry, Yuji Sadai founded Bitters End in 1994, a major company known for producing and distributing international arthouse films within Japan. Throughout his career, he has served as Jury President of the Nest Film Students section at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2019 and has also participated in various other international festivals.

Sadai has produced and co-produced several critically acclaimed films, such as The Land of Hope (2012), This Is What I Remember (2022), and the Oscar-winning Drive My Car (2021), directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, which took home the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

DANAFF III is co-organised by the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA) and the Da Nang People’s Committee. This year’s festival will span seven days and showcase over 100 carefully selected films, a significant rise from 46 in the first edition and 63 in the second.

The competition lineup will feature 14 films in the Asian Features category and 12 in the Vietnamese Features category, further solidifying DANAFF’s growing reputation as a key cultural event in the region’s cinematic calendar.

Iconic war films in Vietnam to be screened for free at DANAFF III

VOV.VN - A total of 22 classic films featuring wars in Vietnam will be screened for free in the curated programme “Half A Century of Vietnamese War Cinema” at the third Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) from June 29 to July 5.