University of Theatre and Cinema Ho Chi Minh City

Reputation

Many of the university's alumni have gone on to become well-known figures in the entertainment industry in Vietnam (see Notable alumni).^[6] In addition, its students and alumni have received national and global recognitions. In Vietnam, alumni of the university have been nominated for and won prestigious national awards such as the Kite Awards and the Golden Lotus Prize,^[7][8][9] as well as receiving honorary titles of Merited Artist (Nghệ sĩ ưu tú) and People's Artist (Nghệ sĩ nhân dân).^[6]

Students and alumni of the institution have also won recognitions at international film festivals. Some notable recent achievements are:

• 2025 Asian Film Awards - Best new director nomination for alumn Minh Quy Truong^[10]
• 2025 New York Asian Film Festival - Special Jury Award for alumn Võ Điền Gia Huy (actor), of the entry On Ao Tuoi Tre (Skin of Youth)^[11]
• 2020 Busan International Film Festival - ArteKino International Prize for alumn Le Binh Giang (director)^[12]
• 2019 Busan International Film Festival - New Currents Award for Ròm, directed by alumn Tran Thanh Huy, who had also won several awards during his time as a university student^[13]
• 2019 Oxford International Short Film Festival - Best actress for alumna Nhã Phương, of the entry Infill & Full set,^[14] which was also premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.^[15]

Preserving and promoting traditional Vietnamese theatre

The university has an academic department dedicated to traditional Vietnamese musical theatre, with a special focus on Cải lương - a type of folk opera indigenous to Southern Vietnam.^[16] As part of its initiatives to preserve this art form, students who enrol in a Cải lương programme would receive a 70% deduction in tuition fee, as well as receiving designated career support.^[17][18] The university's work in Cải lương has received international recognition. In 2025, its production entitled Eclipse won four medals at China-ASEAN Theatre Week in Nanning, China.^[19]

However, it has been suggested that more could be done in preserving traditional Vietnamese theatrical practices, including art forms other than Cải lương. One criticism of the university's Cải lương programme is that it only trains students in singing and performing but not script-writing.^[20] Additionally, the university also no longer offers programmes in make-up and costume design, which has a knock-on impact on traditional theatres since they are important aspects of these genres.^[21] Another shortcoming of the university's work in preserving traditional theatre lies in its difficulty in recruiting students wishing to study these art forms:^[22] the application deadline for the Cải lương programme has had to be extended, for example.^[17] The shortage of demand to study traditional theatre has also been said to stop the university, and other institutions, from offering specialist programmes. "The [Ho Chi Minh] City University of Theatre and Cinema does not have a major in hát bội because no one is currently pursuing this form of art. So it is impossible to have a degree in this classical opera genre", said a director of a major theatre in Ho Chi Minh City.^[23]

Controversy

As is the case for all universities in Vietnam, the university is subject to regular inspections by the Ministry of Education and Training. An inspection in 2025 criticised the university for the lack of highly qualified teaching staff with doctorate degrees, particularly in the Stage Directing and Cinematography departments, where no teaching staff held doctorate degrees. The inspection report also condemned the university's practice of employing teaching staff with only Master's and Bachelor's qualifications, whose level of expertise and experience was called into question. Additionally, the inspector also criticised poor administration at the university, where signatures for important paperwork were missing, and inconsistent record of university's campus size.^[1]

Partner institutions

The university has collaborated with a number of institutions around the world, including the following:

• Central Academy of Drama (Beijing, China)^[30]
• Dankook University (Seoul, South Korea)^[31]