Five films by local and expat Vietnamese directors have been invited to the 19th Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s largest, for the first time.

The film fest will run from October 2 to 11 in South Korea.

Though Vietnamese films were invited to the festival in previous years, the unprecedented participation of five local films at the same time proves an auspicious, upbeat sign for the country’s cinema.

Phan Dang Di’s “Tiec Trang Tron” (Full-Moon Party), will join the festival’s Asian Project Market category, alongside 29 other projects, to seek production or funding opportunities.

Di’s first film, “Bi, Dung So!” (Bi, Don't Be Afraid!), has been screened and won prizes at several international film festivals, although it sparked controversy at home.

He is now in France completing production on his second film, “Cha, Con va…” (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories).

Four other Vietnamese films were invited to the 2014 Busan festival’s A Window on Asian Cinema category, which offers audiences a comprehensive panorama of Asian cinema over the past year.

The films are Nguyen Hoang Diep’s “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere); Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh’s “Nuoc” (2030); Le Van Kiet’s “Diu Dang” (Gentle); and Bui Kim Quy’s “Nguoi Truyen Giong” (The Inseminator).

This year, the category features 57 films from 28 countries and territories including Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, India, Myanmar, and China.

“Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” won Best Film at the Venice Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week, a program for debut films, earlier this month.

The 99-minute film beat seven others from France, Italy, China, Germany and Palestine to garner the award, which is given annually by the Federation of European and Mediterranean Film Critics.

The film was also screened at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival and the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, which closed on Sunday last week.

One of Diep’s short films, Hai – Tu – Sau (Monday – Wednesday – Friday), was also selected for the Cannes Court Metrage (Cannes Short Film Corner) category in 2012.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese-American director Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh’s “Nuoc,” which fuses the apocalyptic sci-fi, thriller and romance genres, will be shown at the “non-competitive” Mill Valley Film Festival in California in October.

An adaptation of a popular short story by a local writer, “Nuoc” was also chosen for the 2014 International Film Festival Berlin’s Panorama category, which honors works with unique esthetic perspectives.

Minh’s other film, “Mua Len Trau” (Buffalo Boy), has been featured at multiple international film fests and won several awards.

Le Van Kiet, a young Vietnamese-American director, is known in Vietnam for his 2012 thriller, “Ngoi Nha Trong Hem” (House in the Alley.)

He is also popular among expat Vietnamese communities for his two critically acclaimed films, “Bui Doi” (Dust of Life) and “Sau Ngu” (Sad Fish).

His new film, “Diu Dang,” which will be shown at the Busan festival, is a romantic tale set in the Mekong Delta.

An adaptation of a Russian story, the film stars Vietnamese-American actor/director Dustin Nguyen.

Meanwhile, “Nguoi Truyen Giong,” the fifth Vietnamese film to be showcased at this year’s Busan festival, is a tragic tale revolving around a suicidal father, his mentally challenged son who craves a woman’s love, and his daughter, who must stay faithful to a curse. The flick is set amidst the stunning landscapes of Sapa, in the northern province of Lao Cai, and was shot in one month with a surprisingly modest budget of less than VND150 million (US$7,060).

In 2011, “Do Hay Day” (Here or There), by director Siu Pham, was also selected for the Busan festival’s New Currents category.

Previously, Nguyen Phan Quang Binh’s “Canh Dong Bat Tan” (Floating Lives) and Luu Huynh’s “Ao Lua Ha Dong” (The White Silk Dress) also competed in the category.

Despite the participation of Vietnamese films and directors at the Busan festival, Vietnamese filmmakers have yet to make the most of their appearances, promotion and investment opportunities at the event and its Asian Film Market section.

BHD is the country’s sole film company to appear regularly at the festival’s film market so far.

In comparison, other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, feature both national and corporate stalls at the fest’s market every year to better promote their countries’ cinema and tap into international investment potential.

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