Vietnamese films need a dedicated export strategy and strong
support from the Government to make inroads into the global film market.

Action-packed: Bay Rong (Clash), a movie made by Chanh Phuong Studio, was sold to and shown in more than 30 countries. — File Photo

They are
only now finding their way into foreign markets and exports remain an initiative
of individual studios, mostly private ones.

However,
the studios face many difficulties due to the high costs involved in marketing
and advertising a movie in foreign countries, translation, designing and
printing posters and catalogues for it.

Without
co-operation among themselves, private studios are susceptible to pressure by
distributors in other countries on price and others.

The HCM
City Television-owned Television Film Studio (TFS) began to export serials in
the late 1990s with Nguoi Dep Tay Do (Beautiful Girl of Tay Do) which it sold to
Thai Television.

Thai
Television then began to buy and show Vietnamese short films.

Nguyen
Viet Hung, TFS’ director, said: “Now, TFS sells all its serials abroad after
showing on HTV. [Besides] it also sells short films, documentaries, docudramas,
and other films.”

TFS’
series Ngon Nen Hoang Cung (A Candle in the Royal Palace) and Mekong Ky Su
(Mekong Discovery) were shown on KXLA 44 while several serials were shown on VBS,
both in the US, and the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TV Thai PBC) showed
some documentaries, he said.

Thailand
is now a regular market that buys most of TFS’ products, he said.

“TFS has
an agent in the US to sell its films and programmes to the Vietnamese community.

“Vietnamese films are not bad in comparison with other Asian and Southeast Asian
films.

“But we
sell less because there is no real market for Vietnamese films. All commercial
transactions have for long been done through individual tie-ups without any
general strategy or support.”

The
culture authority and Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries need to pitch in
to help film exports.

The
Vietnamese film market became more vibrant in the early 2000’s after private
studios were encouraged to make movies.

Private
film-makers, with their savvy and self-motivation, gradually took Vietnamese
movies to foreign viewers through university and museum cultural exchanges.

The
success achieved by a series of Vietnamese films at major international film
festivals raised the profile of the country on the international market.

BHD is
the top private media company in terms of introducing and marketing Vietnamese
movies abroad.

BHD,
which participates in almost all global film fairs, currently acts as the
representative for many studios like Viet Nam Feature Film, Feature Film Studio
1, Giai Phong (Liberation) Film, Phuoc Sang Film, and HK Film and helps them
export their products.

Nguyen
Thi Bao Mai, head of BHD’s copyright department, said: “Though good films have
been appreciated by many foreign distributors, they are mostly bought by
countries in the region or with a large overseas Vietnamese community.

“But
films that win international awards attract viewers and distributors on a larger
scale, including in Europe and the US.”

BHD sold
films that won awards at international film festivals – like Ao Lua Ha Dong
(White Dress), Chuyen Cua Pao (Pao’s Story), Choi Voi (Adrift), Canh Dong Bat
Tan (Floating Lives), and Bi, Dung So (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid) – to the US, and
several markets in Europe and Asia.

“These
films have created a positive impression on foreign viewers,” Mai said,
revealing that more and more distributors ask for information about the latest
Vietnamese movie projects.

“They
even place orders when the film is still at the pre-production stage.”

Others
have started looking for foreign distributors themselves.

Actor
Johnny Tri Nguyen said two movies made by his Chanh Phuong Studio, Dong Mau Anh
Hung (The Rebel) and Bay Rong (Clash), were sold to and shown in more than 30
countries.

De Mai
Tinh (Fool for Love) is currently being shown in Vietnamese communities in the
US.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News