This year, the Vietnam film area at the 29th Hong Kong International Film and Television Market (FILMART) is organized on a larger scale than ever, making it easier for visitors to locate Vietnam on the world film map.

The 29th FILMART, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is taking place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center from March 17 to 20.

As Asia’s leading entertainment content marketplace, FILMART 2025 continues to be the market for international producers, distributors, sales agents, and investors to build new connections, explore business opportunities, and showcase their latest productions.

This year, FILMART has brought together over 760 exhibitors from more than 34 countries and regions, with Vietnamese films participating through a pavilion supported by the Vietnam Film Development Association, alongside three individual exhibitors with adjacent booths.

Vietnam’s potential

“Vietnam has a wonderful production facility and an up-and-coming strong film industry with huge potential to develop in culture and arts,” HKTDC deputy executive director Patrick Lau told Tuoi Tre News at a media briefing on FILMART 2025’s opening day. 

“We very much welcome the Vietnamese participation and for the first time, the Vietnam pavilion,” he added, noting the significantly increased international participation this year in FILMART. 

“I think this is also to leverage the trend that now filmmaking is about technology, collaboration, cross-sector collaboration, and cross-border collaboration.

“And this is all what FILMART is trying to achieve and what Hong Kong has positioned ourselves as the hub to generate and to help facilitate all this entertainment content.

“I think collaboration with Hong Kong and also using the Hong Kong platform to collaborate with even more countries around the world will be the right direction. 

“We are very confident of the Vietnam film industry going forward.”

Meanwhile, Jacky Yuen, CEO of MediaQuiz International Culture Co. Ltd, which specializes in acquiring and distributing film and television content, noted that Vietnam is a large and positive market with a young and energetic population, representing good potential for the media market.

With his booth claiming to be 'Vietnam Media Specialist,' Yuen mentioned he has over 30 years of experience with the Vietnamese market. 

He said that many content providers have contacted him for support in entering the Vietnamese market.

Vietnamese horror movies in demand

The booth of V Pictures, a subsidiary of CJ CGV Vietnam, welcomed many international guests with about eight films spanning genres like horror, animation, and concert film to showcase. 

Among them, the guests from Taiwan are the largest group of buyers, thanks to the success of the film 'Ma Da,' which was released in the Taiwanese market last year, leading to a demand for Vietnamese horror films among Taiwanese audiences.

Tran Phuong Thao, head of international sales and acquisitions at BHD, also shared that she has a booked schedule full of appointments with buyers wanting to explore and purchase films throughout the four days of FILMART.

Her clients are from many countries worldwide, predominantly from Asia, she revealed. 

Having participated in FILMART for many years, this year BHD brings a diverse range of products at various stages, including projects in script development such as 'Soul Guardians, Legend of the First Emperor’s Tomb,' currently in production like 'With You Under The Sunshine,' and popular films that the company produces and distributes.

According to Tina Phan, director of HKTDC’s Indochina office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese films previously appeared at FILMART sporadically, with individual exhibitors showcasing their works.

This year, however, Vietnam's film industry has a more defined presence, offering visitors a clearer and more comprehensive view of its rapid growth in recent years.

Enhancing producers’ connectivity and AI

In addition to new pavilions from Australia, Cambodia, France, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, FILMART’s 29th edition also features first-time exhibitors from Armenia, Czechia, and Kazakhstan, further enhancing the event's cultural diversity.

Furthermore, the Producers Connect program, which features a series of events to foster international collaboration and support up-and-coming Hong Kong producers, and the Inaugural AI Hub pilot project, which showcases innovative AI applications across the filmmaking process, also made their debut at the market.

Held concurrently with FILMART, the EntertainmentPulse event convenes global entertainment industry leaders to explore pressing topics including cross-border co-production, ASEAN entertainment markets, Asian animation industry, and streaming content trends.

Notably, FILMART's opening day also hosted a ceremony to officially kick off the 2025 Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, which features a series of nine major Hong Kong entertainment events, including both FILMART and EntertainmentPulse.

The others are Hong Kong International Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Awards, Asian Film Awards, Digital Entertainment Summit, Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music), and Hong Kong Film Music Fiesta.

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