Three time Academy Awards-winner Sir Michael Caine (L) and director Phillip Noyce on the sets of acclaimed 2002 film “The Quiet American” in the northern province of Ninh Binh

Cultural diversity, stability and untapped beauty make Vietnam an attractive filming destination.

Increasing numbers of foreign film crews are opting to shoot in Vietnam over other countries in the region.

Vietnamese filmmakers often wonder why their colleagues in distant countries choose Vietnam to shoot their films in.

Its political stability is a welcome factor, ensuring high security for the crew, as is the cultural diversity that the country offers.

Influences range from the Cham culture omnipresent at the My Son complex in central Quang Nam Province or in Nha Trang Town in central Khanh Hoa Province; the ancient Japanese culture found at ancient Hoi An Town in central Quang Nam Province; the French culture manifest in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; and the Chinese culture exemplified by the Cho Lon (Big market) quarter in HCMC.

The country is also endowed with scenic landscapes that have hitherto been untapped by films.

Producer Tran Bich Ngoc, who has worked with foreign crews on major movies such as Mua he chieu thang dung (The Vertical Ray of the Sun) in 2000 and “The Quiet American” in 2002, attributes the country’s attractiveness to the abundance of untapped material.

Vietnam’s widely known heroic fighting history, the most prominent of which are resounding victories against French and American invaders, is another beacon that draws in film makers from other countries.

Contrary to common belief that it’s difficult to obtain a shooting permit in Vietnam, local producers who have worked on major foreign projects say they’ve faced little difficulty in doing so.

The problems they have encountered are likely the result of the cooperation with inexperienced producers, they add.

After getting an overall permit, producers should categorize, choose the projects and know which agencies to apply for permits first.

A location manager at Paramount Pictures Corp. says they scout different places around the world and keep them in mind, so that when they have a new project, they can choose the right place with minimum fuss.

Before applying for the permit to start filming in a country, location managers often scout the place together with a local producer before the film’s producer comes to check the place.

“Through my years of working with them, I’ve found foreign film crews are much more professional and meticulous than us,” says Ngoc.

This may be due to the thoroughness of training they receive, greater experience, substantial funding and state-of-the-art technology, she surmises.

“But I think working attitude is the thing that counts the most and makes the biggest difference.”

A lot of countries have specific policies to attract foreign film crews. Since the 1990s, Australia and New Zealand have sought to promote their tourism industry through major films.

Tax incentives are offered to film crews by these countries as another way to entice them.

The number of tourists visiting New Zealand jumped 56 percent within two years after it was chosen as the location for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Australia has also benefited greatly from the two US blockbusters “Mission Impossible II” and Oscar-winning “Finding Nemo.”

Nearer home, the Thai government has also approved tax incentives for foreign film crews to lure them to the country.

“This may hurt the income tax policy, but the arrival of foreign film crews will boost the local film industry and develop the economy,” said Wirintira Nathongborjaras, a Thai government official.

Vietnam should adopt similar measures to consolidate and expand its movie industry and gain greater access to global film industries.

Reported by Le Thi Thai Hoa