Many Indian directors have planned to shoot parts of their movies at some locations in Vietnam next year, according to the head of the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Some have promised that they will come back to Vietnam as early as January next year to shoot certain parts of their films at some scenic locations,” said Smita Pant, Indian Consul General, said at the closing ceremony of the Indian Film Festival 2015 on Wednesday.

“Action film director Peter Hien, of Indo-Vietnamese lineage, told me that he has planned four films in which many scenes will be shot in the Southeast Asian country,” she added.

The closing ceremony of the Indian Film Festival, which commenced in the central city of Da Nang on December 12, was held at the helipad of the Bitexco Financial Tower in downtown Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of many Indian and Vietnamese directors, actors and actresses.

The location was picked to showcase the beauty of Ho Chi Minh City, of which the tower is considered an iconic building, and the southern economic hub can be a wonderful location for Indian filmmakers to shoot their movies, Pant added.

The 12-day festival was organized to encourage Indian filmmakers to shoot films in Vietnam as well as to urge Vietnamese artists to explore the Indian film industry, which is expected to generate over US$5 billion by 2019.

During the festival, the Indian delegation praised the warm hospitality and cultural diversity of Vietnam and also announced that they are looking at the possibility of having Vietnamese artists star in Bollywood films, the diplomat said.

Eight Indian movies including “3 Idiots,” “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” “Paheli,” “Taare Zameen Par,” “Dil Chahta Hai,” “Wake Up Sid,” “Oh My God!” and “Jodhaa Akbar” were screened in Da Nang, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City as part of many activities of the film fest, co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Directorate of Film Festivals under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India.

In Ho Chi Minh City, six Bollywood movies, including “3 Idiots,” “Oh My God!” and “Taare Zameen Par,” were shown at entry free at BHD Star Cineplex ICON 68 in the Bitexco Financial Tower on December 22 and 23.

As they received huge applause from the audience, the Consulate General of India is planning to screen “3 Idiots” again in Ho Chi Minh City in the near future, the Indian consul general said.

Pant also proposed that a Vietnamese film festival could be held in India to promote tourism, cultural cooperation and people to people links.

During the Indian Film Festival, roundtable conferences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City between the Indian and Vietnamese sides were held to discuss cooperation in tourism and cinema, wherein both sides exchanged meaningful ideas.

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