A scene from veteran director Vuong Duc’s Rung den.

The only potential Vietnamese candidate in the 81st Academy Awards next February may be ineligible to enter the prestigious movie industry event.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Deputy Minister Le Tien Tho said to enter the category a film must be aired in its home country for at least seven consecutive days at a commercial cinema between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2008.

And the screening must make a profit for the producer and exhibitor.

Since its release last year, Rung Den’s only publicity has been free screenings at film festivals and for Vietnam military forces, after being bought by the Army Film Studio.

The ministry’s Department of Cinematography on Tuesday asked the film’s producer – state-owned Vietnam Film Studio – to report on the details of Rung Den’s release so a decision could be made at the end of this month about entering the film in the Oscars.

Vietnam Film Studio Deputy Director Phan Dinh Thanh said his company was trying to find an exhibitor in Ho Chi Minh City to screen Rung Den from Wednesday until the September 30 deadline.

Vietnamese state-owned studios have great difficulty in getting their products publicized because “artistic” films are often considered box-office bombs by domestic cinemas and distributors.

Rung Den is the only motion picture that has applied to the Department of Cinematography for permission to compete in the next Academy Awards in Hollywood.

The film tells the tale of a love triangle between an illegal lodger in a northern forest, his fiancé and his second son.

It was the third runner-up in the Best Feature category at the 2007 Golden Kite Awards, Vietnam’s biggest movie awards.

The film will participate in the 23rd Namur International French-language Film Festival in Belgium from tomorrow until October 3.

Reported by Y Nguyen