Jointly organized by the Embassy of Sweden, the Vietnam Film Institute, and Kim Dong Publishing House, the 5-day event celebrates storytelling traditions from both countries while highlighting the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Sweden.
The festival also reflects decades of cooperation in culture and cinema. Since the 1970s, Sweden has supported the development of Vietnam’s film sector through technical assistance, professional training, and film preservation efforts.
This year’s program features 3 newly restored Swedish classics adapted from the works of renowned children’s author Astrid Lindgren: Pippi Longstocking and the Seven Seas, The Brothers Lionheart, and Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter.
A key feature of the festival is a cultural exchange between Swedish and Vietnamese cinema. Alongside the Swedish films, audiences will enjoy 11 Vietnamese animated films spanning 6 decades.
The selection includes classics such as The Fox Gets What It Deserves (1960), The Little Kitten (1965), and The Story of Saint Gióng (1970), as well as more recent productions like The Damaged Feather and The Warm Light.
Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Johan Ndisi said, "At the heart of all of this is people-to-people relations, and there's no better way than through culture... This children's film festival is another step in the close collaboration between our countries, our peoples, and our film institutes. We continue to work on people-to-people relations, and I think that's really at the core of what diplomacy actually is."
The screenings explore the way children’s stories, values, and imagination are seen through different cultural lenses. Kim Dong Publishing House has introduced 4 new illustrated editions of the Pippi Longstocking books, to bring the beloved stories to a new generation of Vietnamese readers.
