(To Quoc) - For the first time, four animated feature film projects have been announced, marking a resurgence in the Vietnamese animation market. 2025 will mark the end of a long period when the big screen was dominated by imported animated films.
As part of the first "Aspiration" Animation Film Festival, Sconnect Studio, Alpha Studio, and Colory Animation Studio simultaneously announced four animated feature film projects currently in production, scheduled for commercial release in 2025. This is great news for Vietnamese cinema, marking an unprecedented step forward for the Vietnamese animation industry.
The premiere event for four animated feature films, featuring many famous actors and major film industry entities, will take place on November 28, 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnamese animation has witnessed many proud developments, with an increasing number of studios producing unique, highly creative works that resonate with the public. However, producing feature-length animated films remains a risky venture that few producers choose. The challenge for animation studios today lies in the investment of both human and financial resources, as well as the need to invest in compelling content (scripts, visuals, acting) to compete with foreign masterpieces and win the trust of audiences accustomed to foreign animation.
Committed to both "quality" and "quantity" to win over the "home" audience.
In October 2023, the animated film "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island," produced by Sconnect Studio, premiered in theaters nationwide, marking a new turning point for Vietnamese animation. This first commercially successful animated film achieved very positive results, ranking in the Top 3 of the box office in its first week of release.
The love and support of Vietnamese audiences motivates producers to boldly explore further projects. In 2024, Sconnect Studio announced two new projects: "Wolfoo and the Race Across the Three Realms" and "The Ceramic Warrior - Blank Blank".
Wolfoo, a beloved friend of many children, returns in a new, mischievous version, produced using familiar 2D technology. However, this time, Wolfoo's appearance has been visually refined by the filmmaking team to create a more lively and dynamic character.
The return of Wolfoo promises to deliver a thrilling yet heartwarming story about the journey of strengthening family bonds.
"Wolfoo and the Race Across the Three Realms" tells the story of Wolfoo and his father's journey through three realms: the Culinary Realm, the Festival Realm, and the Outer Realm. Along the way, they face a series of challenges; will this cause a rift in their father-son relationship?
Meanwhile, "Blank Blank" is the first animated feature film made entirely using stop-motion animation. This is a filmmaking technology that challenges studios worldwide due to its meticulousness and investment level. On average, a short film of about 2 minutes requires 2,700 images stitched together; with this characteristic, a feature film of about 90-120 minutes would require up to 16,200 images. Because of this significant challenge, while there are thousands of stop-motion animation studios worldwide, only 1-2% of them have the capacity to produce feature films. The release of the first stop-motion feature film is expected to be a step towards bringing Sconnect Studio on par with major international studios.
The main character of the movie, The Pottery Warrior, is the boy Blank, set in the Joyful Forest.
Regarding the production of two feature films per year, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tung, representative of Sconnect Studio, stated: "Not only in 2025, but we have a long-term strategy to consistently produce 3-4 feature animated films each year, ensuring optimal production processes and the delivery of high-quality content."
People's Artist Pham Ngoc Tuan (far left) presents flowers to representatives of the film crew, who optimized the production time from 3 years to just 18 months.
Alpha Studio brings national culture into Vietnam's first 3D feature film.
Following the debut of the 3D animated series "Trạng Quỳnh Thời Nhí Nhố" in 2023, Alpha Studio has now released over 300 pieces of content on YouTube, with many episodes reaching millions of views. Featuring flawless 3D visuals, the "Trạng Quỳnh Thời Nhí Nhố" series revolves around Vietnamese customs and cultural elements such as banyan trees, riverside docks, village courtyards, rice-farming culture, and important holidays like the Kitchen God Festival, Lunar New Year, and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Expected in 2025, the first big-screen version of the story by Quỳnh Nhí, titled "Legend of the Golden Bull," will be released, setting a record as Vietnam's first 3D animated feature film. Still based on the folk tale combined with advanced production technology, "Legend of the Golden Bull" follows Quỳnh and his friends on a thrilling and colorful adventure filled with mystery.
A blend of folk cultural elements in a cutting-edge 3D technology product.
"One of the biggest challenges of 3D animation projects is optimizing the production process. Instead of the usual 36 months, Alpha Studio has strived to shorten the completion time to just 18 months," shared Meritorious Artist and Director Trinh Lam Tung, Director of Alpha Studio.
The film "Legend of the Golden Bull" is not only an entertaining story with a humanistic message, but also offers viewers a journey to discover traditional cultural values, arousing a sense of self-respect and national pride.
Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son (far left) presents flowers to the film crew of "Legend of the Golden Ox".
"We can eat Italian pasta, Thai hot pot, and many other dishes, but with 'Trạng Quỳnh Thời Nhì Nhố' and 'Truyền truyền thuyết Kim Ngưu,' the meal is purely Vietnamese, with just fish sauce, pickles, and vegetables."
"The Legend of the Golden Ox" is Vietnam's first 3D animated film to be released in theaters. I've heard the word "first" for over a decade, I waited, and when I couldn't wait any longer, I decided to make it myself. Many colleagues have helped me, giving wings to my dream," shared Meritorious Artist Trinh Lam Tung, director of the film The Legend of the Golden Ox, about his "brainchild."
The first "debut" of the "cross-eyed zombie" and promising signs.
Colory Animation Studio is an experienced animation studio with 15 years of experience. Distinguished by its ability to produce 3D animation, "Cross-Eyed Zombie" marks their foray into feature films after a long period of success with short films and television series.
While incorporating horror elements, the main message of "Cross-Eyed Zombie" is to relieve the pressure that society places on young people, and to free them from the constant urging to "be positive."
"We may think negatively, feel confused or weak, we may not be strong or outstanding, but we never give up." - This is the message in the film's introduction from Colory Animation Studio.
Describing himself as "not good at talking," Mr. Doan Tran Anh Tuan - Director of Colory Animation Studio - didn't share much, instead showing a 14-minute preview and receiving positive feedback from the audience. This 14-minute film is the clearest evidence of the team's production capabilities and the promise of film quality upon release.
A 14-minute preview of "Cross-Eyed Zombie" proved its appeal and the 90 minutes it's worth seeing in theaters.
From an investor's perspective, Ms. Vu Phuong, Investment Director of Red Ruby Entertainment, stated: "We, as investors already familiar with feature films, now have a new option from the animation market, which offers a wide variety of genres such as 2D, 3D, and Stopmotion. I believe the investment potential of animation films is greater than that of live-action films because we can not only exploit it in theaters but also on other platforms such as merchandise, F&B activities, and promotional campaigns."
Ms. Vu Phuong assessed animated films as a potential market for investors due to their diverse and flexible exploitation possibilities.
The simultaneous release of four animated films in 2025 is an unprecedented event for the Vietnamese animation industry. This event marks a major shift in the strategies of film producers and promises a strong transformation of "make in Vietnam" animation in the future.
"I never imagined that Vietnamese animation would develop so strongly. We've truly reached the level of the world's leading nations. Not only me, but I believe that all the artists present here, such as Associate Professor Dr. Do Le Hung Tu, People's Artist Nguyen Ha Bac, etc., see the talent and aspirations of the younger generation. They promise to create strong advancements for Vietnamese animation in the future. I sincerely thank these young people for giving us more faith and pride in a field that is especially important to the film industry in particular and the national culture in general." - Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education , speaking after witnessing the presentation of four film projects.
Source: https://toquoc.vn/4-du-an-bom-tan-hoat-hinh-man-anh-rong-trong-nam-2025-20241129171005181.htm
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