On a side note, Vietnam has been actively pushing for more films to be produced in the country, particularly foreign films as a means to upskill its own creative workforce. It does, however, impose a number of restrictions on film production that can make it difficult for both domestic and foreign filmmakers alike to produce good quality storytelling in Vietnam.

‘Destination Vietnam’ campaign kicks into gear with Directors Guild of America event

the-shiv October 8, 2024

Of note, however, is that the business environment in Vietnam has changed significantly in terms of regulatory oversight and censorship, both of which have proven key obstacles for foreign studios looking to make films in Vietnam…

Why More Foreign Films Aren’t Made in Vietnam

Mark Barnes September 24, 2024

Vietnam’s Ministry of Tourism, Sports, and Culture is headed to Hollywood to pitch Vietnam as a film set in the hopes that Vietnam’s appearance on the silver screen will boost tourist numbers. It will, however, likely take more than simply raising awareness to see more films made in Vietnam with censorship weighing heavily on foreign film productions.

Vietnam’s Film Industry: Overview 2024

the-shiv September 22, 2024

Vietnam’s film industry is still in a developing phase, characterised by a mix of challenges and opportunities. Historically, the industry has been dominated by government-produced films with limited private investment. While there has been a slow but steady increase in the number of commercially-oriented films, the market remains relatively small compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

Vietnam’s Law on Cinema: Overview 2024

the-shiv September 21, 2024

Vietnam’s Law on Cinema 2022 regulates film production, distribution, and exhibition. This is an important piece of legislation for businesses operating in creative industries as it contains a number of key regulations unique to Vietnam.

Vietnam to sell itself as filming location in US despite censorship issues

the-shiv August 7, 2024

In the past, Hollywood studios have generally used Thailand as a stand-in for Vietnam on the back of a more well developed film industry in Thailand as well as complicated procedures for getting approval to film in Vietnam. Most recently, producers of the Netflix series The Sympathiser, who had intended to film in Vietnam, could not get approval to do so on the back of censorship issues…

State media laments struggling Vietnamese films days after censors ban ‘gloomy’ local film

the-shiv May 16, 2024

This comes just days after it was reported that the locally produced film Viet and Nam, which is headed for the Cannes Film Festival, was banned from distribution by the Department of Cinema because of its ‘gloomy’ depiction of Vietnam.

Vietnam creative industries dealt another blow with Cannes-slated movie banned

the-shiv May 15, 2024

A Vietnamese film headed for Cannes has been denied a distribution licence by Vietnam’s Ministry of Communications on the grounds that it shows ‘a gloomy, deadlocked, and negative view’ of Vietnam, according to Screen Daily. This is another blow to Vietnam’s creative industries which are widely seen as underdeveloped, yet

Vietnam PM laments foreign content dominating local film, television

the-shiv December 27, 2023

The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, told a conference last week it was ‘gut-wrenching seeing foreign films on TV every time I turn it on’, VN Express is reporting. The PM said 70 percent of films on TV and at the movies are foreign (no primary source cited);