A positive sign.
Early April, according to an announcement on producer My Tam’s personal page, the first film by director Mai Tai Phen surpassed 115 billion VND in revenue, currently ranking 3rd on the list of the most profitable Vietnamese films of 2026, after “Tho Oi!!” (directed by Tran Thanh) and “Quy Nhap Trang 2” (directed by Pom Nguyen).
In the past three years, the Vietnamese cinema market has seen several impressive directorial debuts: Truong Giang with “My Father’s House, a piece,” which brought in over 110 billion VND; Duong Minh Chien surprised with “In Search of Gray Amber,” reaching 207 billion VND; Thu Trang made a splash with “The Billion Dollar Kiss,” earning over 210 billion VND; Hoang Nam with “The Ghost Lamp,” reaching approximately 106 billion VND; and Trung Lun with “Making Money with Ghosts,” which brought in over 128 billion VND.
The wave of successful directors continues with recent projects such as: Do Quoc Trung (“The Child Speaks to His Father”), Mai Phuong (“Cricket: Adventure in the Muddy Village”), Quoc Cong (“The Broken Heart”), Nguyen Pham Thanh Dat (“Flying Milk Cow”), Tran Hung (“Uncle Hoa’s Manor”), Duc Nguyen (“Almost Perfect Murder”), Phan Ba Hy (“The Ghost”), Nguyen Viet Anh (“Reply”)…
For their first film as directors, many of them are ready to take on multiple roles. While directing “The Billion Dollar Kiss,” Thu Trang took on three roles alone: director, producer, and lead actress. Truong Giang even took on four roles: director, screenwriter, producer, and lead actor. Similarly, Mai Tai Phen, for his first film, also took on three roles: director, screenwriter, and actor.
“Since I decided to make my own film, I have been working on the script for five years, and I have written seven different versions before finalizing it. Assuming multiple roles simultaneously is not easy; it is very stressful. On set, I always have to focus all my energy, without allowing any distractions,” said actor and director Truong Giang.
The fierce competition
A director’s first film is always the most significant work of their career. That’s why most directors carefully consider and plan their projects to ensure optimal quality.
Although he started his film career later than his peers, Do Quoc Trung said he was not afraid of comparison. For him, the greatest fear was not having a convincing story to tell the audience. This is why he matured the idea of “My Son Tells Me,” a project he worked on for nearly five years, and only started when it was well-developed.
Many colleagues noted that Quoc Trung made things difficult for himself by adapting circus arts to cinema, which was a real challenge. In some scenes, the film crew had to compromise and adjust their approach.
Director Trinh Dinh Le Minh also praised the film for its bold circus scenes – an adventurous, colorful, and exciting world, as well as the artistically woven intentions throughout the film.
In addition to the inherent difficulties related to funding, experience, and managing a film crew, building trust and convincing both the team and the audience also presents many challenges.
Mai Tai Phan said: “The challenge is to ensure that everyone on the team has confidence in the project. To achieve this, we can only do our best; we can’t think of anything else.” For Vo Thach Thao, the pressure also comes from the skepticism surrounding the transition from television director to cinema. However, she believes the most important thing in a film is whether the viewer feels something while watching it.
The emergence of new directors is undoubtedly a positive sign for the market, not only increasing their numbers but also contributing to greater diversity of content and genres. However, a first film is just the beginning of a long journey in the highly competitive world of cinema.
The question is how many novice directors will be able to stay at the top, maintain their success and perseverance, and progress in their subsequent works. After earning hundreds of billions of dong, both Thu Trang and Hoang Nam experienced disappointing commercial failures with their second film. Cases like Tran Nhan Kien and Pom Nguyen can also be cited – after forgettable initial films, their perseverance allowed them to make an impressive comeback.
In this race, only those with inner strength, who know how to nurture their passion and constantly reinvent themselves, will go all the way and overcome the ruthless selection process of the market.
VAN TUAN
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dao-dien-moi-cua-dien-anh-viet-nhung-man-chao-san-an-tuong-post846366.html
