Lunar New Year films on the small screen

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In the television drama sector, since the beginning of November 2024, several films have announced their commencement of filming, such as "Tet Market of Rural Love, " filmed at the Red Ceramic Festival ( Vinh Long ), and "White Coat of Pharmacy ," which started filming on December 8, 2024, and is expected to be broadcast during the Lunar New Year on Dong Thap Radio and Television Station. These two films have content with a "flavor" of the Mekong Delta, reflecting the life and Tet customs of the people in this region. Meanwhile, two prominent Tet film projects conveying stories of rural villages in the North and northern mountainous regions with humanistic messages, "Spring Promise" and "Village Stories ," have also been introduced. "Spring Promise" is expected to be broadcast on VTV1 from the 1st to the 5th day of the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake.

Scene from the Lunar New Year comedy film "A Páo Marries a Tay Woman to Celebrate Tet"

Speaking at the premiere of the film "Village Stories," producer and artist Hong Nguyen affirmed that this will be a film that brings laughter and joy, while also containing profound humanistic values. The film recreates many scenes of rural life, connecting the community and raising awareness about the daily occurrence of scams. "Village Stories" features a quality cast including artists Phu Thang, Quang Lam, Thuy Lien, Thu Huyen, and others.

As Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) approaches, Tet comedy films are usually the most popular genre, but according to producers and directors, this year has been rather quiet. Looking back, it's still the same old story with familiar names producing Tet comedies like "Dai Gia Chan Dat" and "Lang E Vo" by director Tran Binh Trong, or films in director Duong Ngoc Bao's series of Tet comedies such as "Mon No Dem Giao Thua," "Xe Om Tet," and "A Pao Cuoi Vo Tay Van Tet"... Only one new element has joined the 2025 Tet comedy scene: Nguyen Minh Chung, director of the TV series "Kinh Van Hoa ," with his film " Tu Hai Phat Tai."

According to director Tran Binh Trong, this year's films , "The Rich Man from the Countryside" and "The Village of Unmarried Women ," have undergone some changes in content. The scripts no longer address current events but instead focus on everyday, humorous, and real-life stories from a particular character. The cast also includes some new faces such as Meritorious Artist Chi Trung and Nguyen Hai, along with younger actors like Kien Tran, Thanh Huong, and Le Ngoc Trinh… “This year I invited some new faces to bring something new, and these are also close relationships. For example, Meritorious Artist Chi Trung has been my idol since childhood, and Nguyen Hai. In previous years, I often invited Cat Phuong to act, but this year I will be using the young actress Le Ngoc Trinh to add a fresh touch,” director Tran Binh Trong stated.

Behind the scenes of the movie "The Rich Man from the Countryside"

Meritorious Artist Chí Trung plays the lead role in The Rich Man from the Countryside.

Some are easygoing, others are difficult…

In the realm of Lunar New Year films on television, the majority of production units are television stations, so funding is not a major concern. Meanwhile, for Lunar New Year comedies shown on social media platforms, directors mostly fund the production themselves.

Generally, each Lunar New Year comedy series is only 1-2 episodes long, each episode lasting about 30-45 minutes, and is broadcast on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and a few other platforms. According to the directors, some local television stations have also expressed interest in purchasing the rights to broadcast them, but not many due to budget constraints.

Commenting on the production of Lunar New Year comedy films in 2025, director Tran Binh Trong said that previous years were more bustling, but this year some production units are no longer producing. “They don't have an audience, which means sponsors will withdraw. Filmmaking is a hobby. However, some places are still producing regularly. Every year we have to turn down a few sponsors because films with too much advertising lose their appeal, so I invest my own capital to make them. For example, this year, 'Village of Unmarried Women' only had two sponsors. In the past, social media platforms were almost exclusively dominated by YouTube…; but now there are many platforms, so audiences have many choices,” Mr. Tran Binh Trong added.

It's clear that, to retain viewers, many production companies have proactively reduced advertising in their films, even when facing financial difficulties. Director Duong Ngoc Bao shared: "Sponsorship is weak this year, probably due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficult economic situation, leading businesses to limit sponsorships. Some companies only contribute 10 million or 20 million VND. Gathering advertising from many different companies for one film would spoil the experience and bore the audience. Therefore, production companies have to fund the films themselves rather than relying on sponsorship."

To overcome financial pressure, directors and production companies prioritize choosing familiar faces to collaborate with. Director Duong Ngoc Bao said he will still invite actors who have worked with him for many years, such as Hiep Ga, Linh Mieu, Bao Bao, and some newly emerging hot girls… And to make the film's content more appealing, they also proactively incorporate advertisements cleverly, mostly at the end of the film or during shopping scenes. “Having worked in this profession, to maintain the Lunar New Year film season every year, we've already accepted that, like this year, just breaking even would be enough to make us happy,” director Duong Ngoc Bao expressed.