Like several other local flicks released this summer, “Duong dua” (The racetrack), which received much critical acclaim and applause before hitting screens, has been a box office failure after the first three days of screening.

Over recent years, local films have been released throughout the year, not only during the Tet holiday, which usually falls on February.

This summer began with “Lo Lem Saigon” (Saigon Cinderella), a Vietnamese-Korean film, which is a great disappointment to both the media and audiences after hitting local cinemas in late May.

“Biet chet lien” (I certainly have no idea), a well-invested 3D film by director Le Bao Trung, fell far short of the expectations and suffered losses.

Meanwhile, “San dan ong” (Men hunting) and “Hit Hoang tu & Lo Lem” (The Prince & Cinderella Hit), a  film by director Ngo Quang Hai, whose “Chuyen cua Pao” (Pao’s story) film won the 2005 Golden Kite, the country’s equivalent of the Oscar, are considered ‘cinema disasters’ though the films feature hot boys and hot girls and their titillating scenes.

Amidst the gloomy picture, critically acclaimed “Duong dua”, which was screened at 2013 Cannes, raised high hopes that it would be a box office success. However, its revenue within the first three days fell frustratingly short of expectations.

Meanwhile, the discrepancy between foreign and local films right on the local film market is getting bigger this year, though several local films have seen notable improvements, and more have been produced by Vietnamese expats.

Within the first seven months of this year, only five local flicks were released while at least two foreign ones hit local screens every week.

“Despicable me 2” is currently topping the local box office charts this summer with a revenue of nearly VND54.7 billion (US$2.6 million). “Pee Mak”, a hit Thai comic thriller, also earned almost VND20 billion.

Meanwhile, the revenues pocketed by “Biet chet lien”, “Lo Lem Saigon”, “San dan ong” and “Cat nong” by July 30 are VND7.2 billion, 1.9 billion, 741 million and 35 million respectively.

Unlike China which bans certain foreign films, like the two parts of “Despicable me”, from being screened in the country in an attempt to curb their viewers’ excessive interest, Vietnam doesn’t have quotas on imported films.

With “Duong dua”’s modest earnings of VND853 million after the first few days’ screening, perhaps the glimmer of hope to boost local flicks’ revenues this summer pins on “Lua Phat” (Once upon a time in Vietnam), which was made only to be screened at Cannes and is set to hit local screens by this month’s end.