Vietnamese animated film successfully hits theaters, marking an impressive turning point

Since the establishment of the Vietnam Doll Animation Studio (November 1959) and the first Vietnamese animated film “Deserves the Fox” (June 1960), the Vietnamese animation industry has produced thousands of films, winning many awards. And recently, another milestone was recorded when “Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island” became the first domestic animated film to be commercially released and distributed by the largest cinema system in the Vietnamese market today.

A scene from the animated film "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island".

Before “Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island”, there were many projects that were expected to change the landscape of the Vietnamese animation industry when they were released. Some projects include “I am Beto” (adapted from the short story of the same name by writer Nguyen Nhat Anh) or “Under the Tree: The Journey Back” (produced by Colory Animation Studio). However, for many reasons, these works have not been able to be released on the big screen. This is truly a gap, causing disappointment for the public who are looking forward to the development of Vietnamese animation.

Ending the monopoly of foreign animation

In fact, Vietnamese animated films produced by both state and private entities are still regularly released on digital platforms. At the same time, theatrical programs for children during the summer, holidays, Tet, etc. are also maintained, but only stop at short films or series of films shown online. Meanwhile, animated film revenue accounts for 12-15% of total theatrical film revenue (according to data from CGV Vietnam) and has always been the playground of the "giants" of the world's animation industry such as the US, Japan, etc.

The fact that the animated film “Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island” was produced for commercial release and officially released to audiences nationwide on October 13 is an important milestone, marking the transformation of Vietnamese animation from online and television products to the film industry. The film is a product of Sconnect Vietnam - a unit with many years of experience in producing animated films on online platforms such as the animated series Wolfoo, Clay Mixer, Luka... which have received billions of views on YouTube.

The little wolf Wolfoo and the characters in the film have become close "friends" of millions of children and are a familiar brand to many Vietnamese families. In 2022, Wolfoo animation was certified by the Institute for Applied Research and Development of Education - Vietnam Association of Educational Psychology for effective application of modern educational methods for children aged 3-8 years old.

The film was made by the crew over a process of nearly 3 years from idea to release.

From the idea to bringing the wolf cub Wolfoo from the small screen to the big screen was not easy, but the collective of screenwriters, artists, technicians, programmers, sound experts... of Sconnect Vietnam had a methodical strategy and determination to gradually turn the goal into reality, bringing animated films produced by Vietnamese people and in Vietnam to theaters.

Proud and concerned about "made in Vietnam" animation

In its first release, “Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island” served Vietnamese audiences at cinema systems nationwide such as CGV, Galaxy, Lotte… and the National Cinema Center. Although the figures have not been updated, it can be seen that the film received initial attention and positive feedback.

As soon as the screening schedule was announced, many parents with young children expressed their interest and planned to take their children to the cinema. At some cinema systems, on weekends, a large number of viewers were recorded, mainly families with young children. Most of the young audience were excited to "meet" the two wolf brothers Wolfoo and Lucy in a new, modern space like a cinema.

Movie introduction image on the official fanpage of the National Cinema Center (Hanoi). (Screenshot)

The film's content has a classic motif that all famous animation studios have been and are still applying: the main characters adventure into a magical world, are troubled by villainous forces and must work together to overcome challenges to receive valuable lessons about family love, about life...

What makes the film attractive and memorable are the humorous and touching details that are cleverly integrated, easy to understand for young children and appealing to older ages. The visuals and sound are also a big plus with modern filmmaking technology and techniques, approaching many famous global animation brands.

Ms. Ngo Thuy (Hoang Mai district, Hanoi), the parent of two children who love Wolfoo, shared: “When I learned that Wolfoo animation was a product created by Vietnamese people, I was quite surprised because at first I thought it was an American movie. Taking my children to see the movie, I also received interesting moments of entertainment, some scenes and dialogues were well-adapted by the crew to follow the trend but still suitable for children's thinking.”

Ms. Ngo Thuy's family was one of many families excited to "check-in" with Wolfoo at the cinema last week.

On social networks, the film is also the subject of comments from many celebrities, technology experts, film writers, educators... It is not difficult to see that "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island" despite its own creative efforts has not escaped the appearance of some other international animated "blockbusters".

Some transitions are not really smooth, the storytelling is still quite naive and difficult to "score points" with children over 10 years old... However, most opinions agree that the film is better than expected overall, worthy of pride and not a waste of time for parents who want their children to experience Vietnamese animation in theaters.

When asked about the journey to bring the "billion-view wolf" Wolfoo to the big screen, a representative of the production unit "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island" said: "When we received the information that the film had passed all the censorship stages to officially launch to the audience, the entire film crew was overwhelmed with emotion. We are very proud to be able to contribute to bringing Vietnamese animation closer to viewers."

To do that, besides trying to speed up the production progress, the staff of "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island" must continuously research and test new production technologies, improve the content, script... Watching a movie takes less than 2 hours, but to create and complete it is a process of preparation and conception for about 3 years, the representative of Sconnect Vietnam added.

However, along with the joy, the creators of Wolfoo also face new pressures to produce more theatrical animated films, constantly renewing themselves to compete with foreign animated films, while improving quality, humanity and identity...

The strong appeal of the Wolfoo brand and the right direction of the producer have not only created success for a commercial film but also contributed to changing the audience's view of domestic animation. Next, Sconnect Vietnam as well as all other Vietnamese animation production units have the basis and motivation to continue to nurture the desire to make their mark with quality products, first of all conquering domestic audiences and in the long term, making their name on the world animation map.

According to nhandan.vn

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202310/phim-hoat-hinh-viet-nam-thanh-cong-ra-rap-danh-dau-buoc-chuyen-minh-an-tuong-d172696/