The movie market in Vietnam has picked up heat as several films intended for Tet (the traditional Lunar New Year) are ready to hit local screens.

Tet falls on February 19 this year, with festive preparations beginning around one week before the date and the celebratory atmosphere lingering another week after that.

The Lunar New Year is very special in Vietnamese culture as it is an occasion when people get together with their family after spending a lunar year studying or working away from one another.

During these days, family members, couples and groups of friends generally go to local cinemas and unwind during locally-made comedies and other light-hearted films, apart from Hollywood blockbusters and Korean and Chinese flicks.

The Tet holiday is typically an occasion when Vietnamese movies are teeming with life as an upbeat ending to an entire year of lukewarm audience reception.

Christmas, Valentine’s Day and summer also see new local films coming out, but Tet typically sees the greatest number of such flicks.

This year’s Valentine’s Day falls on the 26th of the current lunar year, or five days before Tet begins.

Local films are thus expected to appeal to both family members and young couples this year.

A scene from "Quy Tu Bat Dac Di,” a Tet comedy which stars beloved expat Vietnamese comedian Hoai Linh (right) and his adopted son, Hoai Lam, who won the second Vietnamese version of the Spanish show “Your Face Sounds Familiar” in 2014. Photo: Film Crew

Ubiquitous, but quite monotonous

Tet is when local and expat Vietnamese directors rush to release films to tap into the burgeoning number of viewers.

At least five films intended for the country’s southern market are scheduled to hit local screens in early and mid-February.

Just like previous years, most of the films are comedies, which directors consider a financially safe option, as audiences generally prefer light-hearted, Tet-themed comedies before and during the holiday.

Tet films incline to feature gorgeous models, beauty queens and popular singers.

Many young audience members admit they usually go to see Tet films not necessarily for their content or quality, but mainly for their star-studded cast. 

A scene from "Hop Dong Bat Ma," another Tet comedy in 2015. Photo: Film Crew

One of these films is “Quy Tu Bat Dac Di,” a comedy which stars beloved expat comedian Hoai Linh and his adopted son, Hoai Lam, who won the second Vietnamese version of the Spanish show “Your Face Sounds Familiar” last year.

The film is one of this Tet’s few comedies expected to be a sure-fire commercial success.

“Trung So,” a film directed by expat actor/director Dustin Nguyen, who has helmed several commercially successful films, also promises to be a box office triumph with its sentiment-packed storyline and a cast studded with local beauties.

A scene from "Trung So," another Vietnamese comedy romance which is intended for the 2015 Tet market. Photo: Film Crew

Another comedy titled “Ngay Nay Ngay Nay” (The Lost Dragon), features model-turned-actress Ngo Thanh Van in one of the leading roles.

Its trailer promises that the film will be packed with fun and aerial stunts.

Van, who is the producer of this film, starred in several local blockbusters including “Dong Mau Anh Hung” (The Rebels).

A scene from a 2015 Tet comedy titled “Ngay Nay Ngay Nay” (The Lost Dragon), which features model-turned-actress Ngo Thanh Van (left) in one of the leading roles. Photo: Film Crew

According to The Thao va Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) newspaper, an affiliate of the Vietnam News Agency, statistics released by CGV – one of South Korea’s largest multiplex cinema chains and the owner of the first international-standard cinema complex in Vietnam – last week revealed that “De Hoi Tinh” (Let Hoi Take Care of It), the sequel to “De Mai Tinh” (Fool For Love), is one of the Southeast Asian country’s most successful box office hits so far.

The comedy, which revolves around a seemingly exaggerated gay protagonist, has earned a whopping revenue of VND99 billion (US$4.61 million) and is still being shown at local theaters.

A scene from Vietnamese blockbuster "De Hoi Tinh" (Let Hoi Take Care of It). Photo: Sports and Culture newspaper.

Lacklustre market at other times of the year

Except for Tet, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and summer, the local movie market stays downbeat most of the time. Limited capital is a major impediment for Vietnamese filmmakers. Dustin Nguyen said in a recent interview with The Thao va Van Hoa that a worthy action flick needs at least $2 million.

However, few local filmmakers are willing to make such a risky investment, as there is no guarantee they will recoup the investment, let alone make a profit. They thus have few options but to produce comedies meant for the Tet market.

Artistic films, particularly critically acclaimed and internationally award-winning pictures, including “Bi, Dung So!” (Bi, Don't Be Afraid!), “Mua Len Trau” (Buffalo Boy) and “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung” (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere) generally reach viewers elsewhere other than cinemas.

They are generally available on pirated DVDs or downloaded for free from numerous film websites.

Several films released in late 2013, expected to be local hits, were devastating box office failures.

Among them is Dustin Nguyen’s “Lua Phat” (Once Upon a Time in Vietnam).

The film, which cost over VND30 billion ($1.42 million) to make and was heavily promoted, was expected to be a local hit and earn US$3-4 million.

However, its release fell far short of expectations and the fantasy action film earned a meager one third of its whopping cost.

A scene from "Lua Phat" (Once Upon a Time in Vietnam0, directed by expat Vietnamese director/actor Dustin Nguyen (left). Photo: BHD

Similarly “Duong Dua” (The Racetrack), which received critical acclaim, also failed at the box office.

The common failures have tremendously discouraged and frustrated local and expat Vietnamese directors. Overseas Vietnamese director Nguyen Duc Minh, whose film “Cham” (Touch) was quite a success in 2012, returned home expectantly to get ready for his new film project “Ky Nu Mau Va Tinh Yeu Xanh.”

Film flops deal a devastating blow to their directors and producers. Some private film companies have gone bankrupt after their first flicks fell flat.

Private film companies have become more cautious and hesitant to produce artistic films or those with questionable box office success potential.

They have already begun, or are looking into, projects in less-costly genres that will give them an immediate return on their capital when released for Tet or some other festive occasions.

However, light-hearted films are not always fail-proof.

In previous years, several films meant for the Tet market also faced poor ticket sales. Some even suffered heavy losses.

In recent years, a few producers of Tet movies in Hanoi have thus chosen not to screen their works at local cinemas, veteran director Pham Dong Hong told The Thao va Van Hoa. They would rather release them on DVD/VCD or sell them to television stations, he noted.

A scene from "Cham" (Touch), a critically acclaimed film by expat Vietnamese director Nguyen Duc Minh

State-funded movies suffer an even poorer fate.

Many government-sponsored films, including locally award-winning pictures, have had tremendous difficulty reaching their intended audience, which is a huge waste of State coffers, effort, and time.

“Nhung Nguoi Viet Huyen Thoai” (The Legend Makers), a war film which has won national awards and enjoyed critical acclaim, struggled hard in late 2013 just to make its way to local audiences.

In August 2013, “Thai Su Tran Thu Do,” another State-funded historical film which was produced to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in 2010 but was not finished on time, was presented to national broadcaster Vietnam Television for free in a desperate attempt just to air it.

A sex scene from "Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung," a Vietnamese film which won a prize at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival and some other international prizes

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