Brian Jeffrey
Notably, the recent films from Tran Thanh and Ly Hai, namely The 4 Rascals and Lat Mat 8: Vong Tay Nang (Face Off 8), are missing from the competitive segment for Vietnamese cinema at the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III), despite their significant box office success.
Nonetheless, the festival showcases a strong array of films, with seven out of fourteen entries each surpassing 100 billion VND (around USD 3.9 million), spanning various genres that have previously engaged local viewers.
The DANAFF III organizing committee has revealed the list of 14 films contending in the Vietnamese Feature Film category. In contrast to the previous two years, this time, Vietnam’s top box office artists, Tran Thanh and Ly Hai, did not enter any films.
Per Box Office Vietnam, The 4 Rascals has earned a remarkable 332 billion VND (approximately USD 13 million), while Lat Mat 8: Vong Tay Nang has exceeded 230 billion VND (nearly USD 9 million).
Even with the absence of these titles, this year’s DANAFF features an extraordinary lineup of financially successful films. Among them are Cam (around USD 3.9 million), The Soul Lantern (USD 4.1 million), The Real Sister (USD 4.4 million), Betting with Ghost (USD 5 million), Money Kisses (USD 8.3 million), The Ancestral Home (USD 9.5 million), and Detective Kien: The Headless Horror (USD 9.6 million).
Additionally, two animated features scheduled for release on June 20 are also part of the competition: Little Scholar Quynh: The Legend of the Golden Buffalo and the supernatural thriller Ut Lan: The Vengeful Spirit’s Treasure. Other films in the lineup include Once Upon a Love Story, Accidentally in Love with My Best Friend, and The Runaway Granny.
This year’s Da Nang Asian Film Festival is set to occur from June 29 to July 5, promising to be the most extensive and vibrant edition to date.
