HA NOI (VNS) — An upcoming science film festival will provide young audiences across the country with a chance to learn about how the world works.

The festival's opening ceremony will take place on Thursday at Ha Noi's Nguyen Binh Khiem High School. Films will be shown at 9am and 2pm.

After the screenings, the students will take part in exciting experiments and play games supervised by volunteers.

"We think that the festival is a great way to get Vietnamese children involved in science in a fun and engaging way. It is important that scientific information is available in both rural and urban areas in Viet Nam," said Do Van Nguyet, director of Viet Nam Live and Learn organisation.

This year, audience members include elementary and high school students from Ha Noi, Hai Phong and the northern province of Vinh Phuc; the central cities of Vinh, Hue and Da Nang; the central highland province of Dak Lak and the southern area including HCM City and the provinces of Phu Yen, Bac Lieu, An Giang and Kien Giang.

The 20 films were selected by a four-member jury, according to a representative from the Ha Noi Goethe Institute. They emphasize the importance of environmental protection and preserving water as a resource for human life, as well as other useful scientific information.

The Science Film Festival has been held annually in a Southeast Asian country since 2005. Last year, the festival was held for the first time in Viet Nam, where over 17,700 attended.

Following that successful debut, this year's festival will take place from November 8 to 30 and is sponsored by the Ha Noi Goethe Institute, Viet Nam Live and Learn and the Centre for Research, Support and Development of Culture (A&C).

"Live&Learn and A&C hold screenings and activities for young audiences from the whole country," said the institute's director, Dr Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch.

The films will be shown in their original languages with Vietnamese subtitles. After each screening, the audience can participate in games and science experiments. — VNS