The market is very attractive.
The recently released Thai film "My Beloved Bear" is the fourth film that Khang Media has imported and distributed in Vietnam through CGV, following "Youngsters Can't Be Joked With," "Rider - Ghost Delivery," and "Love for Money, Madness for Love." Khang Media's representative, director and Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh, stated: "The number of moviegoers is increasing sharply, showing the great potential of the domestic theatrical film market. Therefore, at the recent Hong Kong International Film and Television Fair, many international partners approached us with the desire to bring films to Vietnam, even offering preferential prices."
Producer Hang Trinh, CEO of Skyline Media (a film production and distribution company), stated that the imported film market is experiencing many advantages, such as more open censorship, exemplified by the fact that many horror films that were previously difficult to release in theaters are now easily accessible to audiences. In addition, the emergence of many film importers has contributed to a more vibrant market. “No single entity can dominate the market. Therefore, a strategy of working together, cooperating, and sharing market segments will be the most sustainable approach,” Ms. Hang Trinh asserted.
Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh believes that opportunities are always open, even for new companies. According to him, in business, it's not necessary to be the top-grossing company to make a profit; it also depends on the purchase price of the film. "If you buy at 1 and sell at 3, you make a profit; if you sell at 2, you break even. That's why film importers will proactively import niche films like art films and experimental films… creating diversity in the domestic theatrical film market," Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh analyzed.
According to director Nguyen Huu Tuan, representative of the company that recently imported the animated film *Flow*, tastes are constantly shifting between generations and geographical regions, and understanding this will determine the film purchasing strategy. Many companies prioritize finding films with content that suits new tastes, unique scripts, close to regional culture, or with a loyal audience.
Profit or loss, bear the consequences.
Assessing the imported film market, which presents both opportunities and challenges, producer Hang Trinh offers an analysis from two perspectives. Firstly, importing blockbuster films has always been considered a safe strategy, but this seems to be less effective now. A series of recent domestic blockbusters have failed at the box office, most recently Snow White and Mickey 17.
According to Box Office Vietnam, Mickey 17 only grossed over 4 billion VND in ticket sales. Given the film's popularity, the purchase price (although not specifically disclosed) was certainly not cheap, resulting in significant losses for the importer. Secondly, companies owning large cinema chains have an advantage in purchasing films from major studios. The increasing number of domestic and international companies participating in the theatrical release market drives up the licensing fees for certain film genres and countries, leading to intense competition. Advertising and marketing budgets are also steadily increasing.
Currently, film imports take several basic forms: outright purchase and sale, and placing a deposit to receive films from studios and sharing a percentage of the revenue. With the deposit method, if the film fails, the deposit is forfeited; if it succeeds, after deducting expenses, a percentage of the revenue is shared with the film studio. According to Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh, many organizations now choose to purchase films in packages to get preferential prices. However, this method also has a drawback: the quality of films in the package is often inconsistent, with some good films but many of low quality, making them less appealing to audiences.
The current import costs for films vary widely, ranging from a few thousand USD to several hundred thousand USD, and in some cases, the fee can reach millions of USD, depending on the scale and brand of the film. According to Meritorious Artist Vu Thanh Vinh, many films face intense competition among Vietnamese import companies, causing the selling price to increase 3-4 times compared to the original price.
“I think releasing a foreign film is like playing a game of cards; luck plays a very high role. There are so many lessons to be learned from previous films, but the truth is no two films are alike. So it all comes down to judgment and belief in your choices, and then setting a suitable budget to ensure a safe and successful outcome,” producer Hang Trinh said.
The Thai film 404: Run Away is the only imported film to have topped the weekly box office in Vietnam since the beginning of 2025. According to Box Office Vietnam, the film has surpassed 105 billion VND in revenue. The film is considered to have several favorable factors to attract domestic audiences, such as: its release during the period leading up to the Lunar New Year, when domestic films are waiting to be released during the holiday, so the film faces little competition; Thai cinema is already quite familiar to Vietnamese audiences; and the dubbed version is considered appealing and accessible to viewers…
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhap-khau-phim-chieu-rap-co-hoi-mo-thach-thuc-lon-post790382.html
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