On 16 October 2026, Portorož will host the international event SloViet Connect: Film between Slovenia and Vietnam, dedicated to strengthening ties between the audiovisual industries of the two countries and opening new opportunities for cooperation in film production, distribution and exhibition. The event, held as part of the Slovenian Film Festival, will also feature a screening of the Vietnamese family comedy When Pho Smells Good, followed by a meeting with the Vietnamese delegation and director Minh Beta.
As part of the visit of a Vietnamese business delegation to Slovenia, a special international event, SloViet Connect: Film between Slovenia and Vietnam, will take place on Friday, 16 October 2026, at 4:10 PM during the Slovenian Film Festival Portorož at Avditorij Portorož. The meeting will focus on connecting the Slovenian and Vietnamese audiovisual industries and opening new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of film production, distribution and exhibition. The event is organised in cooperation with the Primorska Chamber of Commerce and Vinakoper.
The film segment of the event offers a rare opportunity to see a contemporary Vietnamese production. The programme will feature the family comedy with a culinary touch, When Pho Smells Good (Mùi Phở, Minh Beta, Vietnam, 2026, 111 min). At the heart of the story is a devoted master of the famous Vietnamese pho soup, who chooses his young grandson as the successor to the respected family business. The boy’s strong-willed nature unsettles relationships within the multi-generational family, while secrets gradually emerge behind the conflicts and disagreements. Through humorous, warm and charmingly lively moments, the story leads the family towards rediscovering closeness and affection. The film will be screened with English subtitles. Tickets are already available through online sales.
The screening will be followed by a discussion and meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, led by the film’s director Minh Beta, a filmmaker and producer as well as president of Beta Cinemas, one of Vietnam’s leading companies in film production, distribution and cinema management. Beta Cinemas is regarded as a rapidly growing cinema chain, making the meeting an opportunity to explore new distribution channels for Slovenian films in the large but still relatively unfamiliar Vietnamese market. The discussion will be moderated by producer Aleš Pavlin.
Source: Slovenian Film Festival
