A training course for independent filmmakers is being held in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi from March 10 to 17 with the aim of educating talented youth with crucial filming knowledge.

The week-long event is organized by local film production company VBLOCK Media in collaboration with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) from the U.S., with the sponsorship of the Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF) and French cultural center L'Espace.

The course is led by young Vietnamese director Nguyen Hoang Diep, whose film “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere) grabbed prizes at several international film festivals last year.

Diep’s role is to help participants write film production proposals and detailed production plans for their future films.

The 7-day training also welcomes Swedish lawyer Rolf Larsson to give guidance on co-production issues related to law and contract.

Other topics mentioned at the course include copyright protection and online publishing and the system of international film festivals.

Fourteen people attending the course were carefully selected based on their previous film proposal debut, which might be in the brainstorming process, or already have a script. Some projects have even been partially filmed.

On the final day, March 17, besides a sharing session with American producer Jon Kuyper at L’Espace, at 24 Trang Tien Street in Hoan Kiem District, there will be a pitching session where participants can grab a chance to visit Hollywood and present their winning filming proposal at studios that MPA represents.