Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City will hold various events to celebrate the 2010 International Francophone Day which is scheduled to run from mid March to early April this year.

The information was announced on March 10 by a group of embassies, delegations, and Francophone-related organisations in Hanoi and the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Romanian Ambassador Dumitru Olaru, who chairs the group of Francophone embassies and organisations, this year’s event coincides with the 40^th founding anniversary of the International Organisation of the Francophone (OIF) and the 1,000^th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. Therefore, he said, a wide range of activities will be designed to highlight the diversity of French speaking cultures, which can be best conveyed by cinema.

A film festival will be held in the three cities, showing 13 prize-winning films from seven Francophone countries.

There will also be a concert of two Vietnamese musical forms, “Tru” (ceremonial singing) and “Quan ho” (love duets singing), which have been recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.