Hollywood film producer shares experience with Vietnam

Bill Mechanic, a famous Hollywood film producer is meeting with Vietnamese filmmakers and directors today (May 18) and tomorrow at the Vietnam Cinema Association’s headquarters in Hanoi to share with them his experience in movie business.

Mechanic, who was chairman of Twentieth Century Fox Filmed Entertainment from 1994 to 2000, is discussing with Vietnamese filmmakers on the film production, cinema direction and scriptwriting, and globalisation of the movie industry.

The discussion is illustrated by an extracts of the films produced by him such as Fight Club (directed by David Finche), Titanic (by James Cameron), Boys Don’t Cry (by Kimberly Peirce), The New World (by Terrence Malick), Brave Heart (by Mel Gibson) and Ice Age (by Chris Wedge).

The workshop is also to to hear reports on Vietnamese cinema and the future direction of Vietnamese cinema; advantages and difficulties of film projects in Vietnam and cinema studies and co-production in Vietnam by Vietnamese filmmakers such as Lai Van Sinh, director of the cinema department, Vuong Duc, vice director of the Vietnam Cinema Feature, film director Pham Nhue Giang and Tat Binh, director of the Studio No 1.

Mechanic had worked for the Twentieth Century Fox for seven years. During that time,  Mechanic oversaw production of such hits as Independence Day, Titanic, Braveheart, Star Wars Episode 1 and many others. Also of the same period, the Twentieth Century Fox has had 72 nominations for Oscar award. Of films produced by Mechanic, the film Braveheart and Titanic have won the Oscar award for best films.

Before that, Mechanic was president of international distribution and worldwide video agency agency at Walt Disney Studios.

By Dieu Thuy