HA NOI (VNS)— Digital film has become the smart choice of film-makers around the world, in particular in Europe and the US, a seminar in Ha Noi was told yesterday.

The one-day seminar, held as part of the second Ha Noi International Film Festival, heard that the trend dissolves the huge costs of making traditional 35mm films.

The event drew experts on film making from Viet Nam, France, and England who discussed trends in today's film industry.

Digital cinema refers to the use of digital technology to capture, distribute and project motion pictures instead of using film.

According to Vietnamese director Bui Thac Chuyen, the two best things about the digital technique is that it encourages film-makers take more shots and that it is excellent for sound recording.

Until a few years ago, the ubiquity of 35mm movie projectors in commercial movie theatres made it the only format that could be played in most of the world's cinemas. However since 2008, the rapid conversion of the cinema exhibition industry to digital projection has seen 35mm projectors replaced by digital ones in most projection rooms.

While in Viet Nam, quite many cinemas are still use 35mm film, according to Claire Lajournard from the French production company Acrobates Films, at the end of this year, cinemas in France will cease to project 35mm films.

Ian Riches, British cinema consultant and director of Golden Duck International, said that in the US, next year would also be the end of 35mm films, which first appeared in 1892.

"Demand for film print now is so low that production of film stock is ceasing," he said.

"We expect that 35mm prints will not be available after mid 2013. Big Hollywood film studios no longer use 35mm films," he said.

However, according to Lajournad, the use of either technique is still a choice for every director.

She said 35mm film could provide good artistic value and it was much easier to use than digital for film-makers. — VNS