Five days of cinema in a cool Hanoi winter
HANIFF is Vietnam’s main international film festival. The 8th edition runs from November 28 to December 2, 2026, and fills five days with screenings, competition judging and two formal ceremonies.
The festival was launched in 2010 under Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Since then it has been held roughly every couple of years. Each edition mixes Vietnamese releases with features and shorts from across Asia and beyond. In earlier editions, the programme was split between competition sections and a wider panorama of out-of-competition titles.
For an international visitor it is a rare look at Vietnamese cinema with an audience that knows it well. You hear the reactions in Vietnamese before the subtitles catch up.
How the festival week is shaped
The calendar has two fixed bookends. The opening ceremony falls on the first evening, November 28, and the closing ceremony with the awards falls on December 2. Both take place at the Vietnam National Convention Center.
The days in between are for films. In past editions, screenings ran at several cinemas across the city at the same time, from morning into the evening. Panel discussions and industry talks with visiting filmmakers ran alongside them.
The full film list and screening schedule are published by the festival itself. This guide doesn’t list titles or times, because none were in the information supplied for it.
The Vietnam National Convention Center
The ceremony venue is about as far from the Old Quarter’s narrow tube houses as Hanoi gets. The Vietnam National Convention Center sits in the Me Tri area of Nam Tu Liem district. Its long, low roof curves like a wave over a wide forecourt and a broad approach road.
It was built for the 2006 APEC summit and still handles state-level conferences and large concerts. On ceremony nights the forecourt carries the red carpet. Photographers line the barriers and guests step out of cars into the lights.
Inside, the main hall is a large tiered auditorium designed for plenary sessions. On ceremony nights it fills with industry guests, invited audiences and press. Ceremonies in earlier editions were televised nationally, so the staging is built for cameras as much as for the room.
Getting out to My Dinh
The convention center is in the newer western half of Hanoi, not the historic core. From Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter it’s roughly 12–15 km. That means a ride along wide boulevards lined with towers, a long way from the lakeside lanes.
Most visitors make the trip by Grab car or taxi. On a weekday evening, Hanoi’s rush hour can stretch that drive well past half an hour. Grab is the app locals use, and it shows the fare before you confirm, so there’s no haggling at the kerb.
Some festival-goers stay nearer the action for the week, around My Dinh or Cau Giay. Those districts have international hotels and quick access to the convention center. The trade-off is that you swap the Old Quarter’s street food for a more corporate skyline.
Getting a seat at a HANIFF screening
Seating works differently from a commercial cinema. In past editions, screening tickets were handed out at the participating cinemas, often at no charge. Seats went first to the people who turned up in person, so the queue counted for more than an online cart.
Some habits that help:
- Popular Vietnamese premieres draw the longest lines, and regulars usually join them well before the showtime.
- Subtitles vary by film. Foreign titles generally carry Vietnamese subtitles. English subtitles are usually noted in the festival programme, so it’s worth scanning for them.
- Ceremony access has been by invitation and accreditation in earlier editions, not general sale.
- Phones away. Filming the screen is frowned upon, and ushers do step in.
The festival’s own official channels are where the organiser posts the current ticketing method and screening venues.
Hanoi in late November
The timing works in your favour. Late November and early December fall in Hanoi’s dry season. Days are mild, and evenings are cool enough that locals switch to jackets and scarves.
This is the season for a hot bowl of phở bò at a plastic stool or a cup of cà phê trứng (egg coffee) in the Old Quarter. Between screenings, Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature fill a few hours well. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology sits in Cau Giay, closer to the convention center side of town.
Hanoi also has a cinema culture of its own. The National Cinema Center on Lang Ha street has long been a favourite with local film lovers. In earlier editions it served as one of HANIFF’s screening venues.
Who this festival suits
HANIFF rewards curiosity more than celebrity-spotting. Ceremony nights carry the glamour, but the festival’s real value is in the daytime screenings. That’s where Vietnamese films you are unlikely to find on streaming play to full houses.
A handful of days fits the shape well. Plan one evening around the red-carpet arrivals at My Dinh and two or three days of films in between, then spend the rest of your time in the older city.
Frequently asked questions
When is HANIFF 2026?
The 8th Hanoi International Film Festival runs from November 28 to December 2, 2026. The opening ceremony is on November 28 and the closing ceremony on December 2.
Where are the opening and closing ceremonies held?
Both ceremonies are held at the Vietnam National Convention Center in the Me Tri area of Nam Tu Liem district, in western Hanoi. In past editions, the film screenings took place at cinemas across the city.
How do I get to the Vietnam National Convention Center from the Old Quarter?
Most visitors take a Grab car or a taxi, a ride of roughly 12–15 km. Evening rush-hour traffic can push the journey well past half an hour.
How do tickets for screenings work?
In earlier editions, screening tickets were handed out at the participating cinemas, often at no charge, and ceremonies were by invitation. The festival's official channels carry the ticketing method for each edition.
What is the weather like in Hanoi during the festival?
Late November and early December fall in Hanoi's dry season. Days are mild and evenings are cool, so locals wear light jackets after dark.
Plan your trip to Hanoi
Vietnam eSIM & staying connected →
Some links above are affiliate links — if you book through them, Wander Atlas earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. It's how we keep every guide free.
