March 15 has been selected as Vietnamese Movie Day to honor local filmmakers and promote the country’s movie industry, said Mr. Tran Luan Kim, chairman of the Vietnam Cinema Association in Hanoi on October 28.

Various activities including free screenings of new films and classical pictures, along with exchanges between filmmakers and audiences will be held in the Vietnamese Movie Day on March 15.

It will also commemorate the day when late President Ho Chi Minh signed a decree to establish the country’s film industry.

The first Vietnamese Movie Day is planned for 2010 to coincide with the award ceremony of Vietnamese film festival Canh Dieu Vang (Golden Kite) in Hanoi.

The inaugural event will also feature various activities including free screenings of new films and classical pictures, along with exchanges between filmmakers and audiences. Activities are set to run over the course of a week following the official movie day.