Foreign filmmakers explore opportunities in Vietnam at FILMART 2026

“International filmmakers are keen to better understand Vietnam’s current landscape, collaboration mechanisms, and the benefits of choosing the country as a filming location,” Tina Phan, Indochina director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), told Tuoi Tre News at FILMART in Hong Kong.

The 30th edition of FILMART, held in Hong Kong from March 17 to 20 this year, brought together global film and entertainment producers, featuring more than 790 exhibition booths from 38 countries and territories.

The Producers Connect program alone brought together more than 100 film producers from ten international film organizations, representing China, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, the UK, and Vietnam.

This year, five Vietnamese exhibitors participated in FILMART.

Among them, BHD unveiled first-look images following the wrap of its feature “Spirit Guardians - The Last Secret of the First Emperor,” with props and costumes from the film displayed at its booth.

Meanwhile, Mockingbird Pictures hosted a showcase for its horror project “Phi Phong – The Blood Demon.”

Vietnam a regional bright spot

On the first day of FILMART, a business matching session gathered Thailand, Germany, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Korea, with each country representative given 20 minutes to present an overview and ongoing activities in its domestic film industry.

According to film producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, representing the Vietnam Film Development Association at FILMART, Vietnam’s current cinematic landscape is well suited for introduction to international audiences, particularly when viewed in relation to other film industries in the region.

“Vietnam’s film industry has seen remarkable growth over the past five years,” Tran Thi Bich Ngoc told Tuoi Tre News at the event.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic, the country recovered quite quickly, at times even moving beyond recovery into a phase of development with impressive growth,” she added.

“This information helps international partners interested in Vietnam gain a more concrete and detailed understanding of our film market, especially in comparison with some other film industries in the region.”

She noted that South Korea is entering a phase of adjusting after a period of strong growth, adapting to a “new normal” in which audiences increasingly stay home to watch Netflix.

The Vietnamese producer also observed shifts in Thailand, where annual film output has declined from 250 to 48 titles, a trend seen as a concern in the local industry, while Vietnam is gradually working toward reaching that same figure.

“Vietnam and Indonesia are emerging as new bright spots in the region, drawing growing interest and curiosity from international partners,” said Ngoc.

Through platforms such as FILMART, Ngoc expressed hope that international partners will gain greater awareness of Vietnam’s developing film industry and increasingly look to the country for co-production opportunities.

'Make Vietnam your destination'

During another session under the Producers Connect program, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc shared more practical insights with international filmmakers on how to approach Vietnam as a filming destination, including procedures and requirements.

According to her, Vietnam holds significant advantages in filming locations thanks to its diverse and scenic natural landscapes, along with a young, dynamic workforce with English proficiency.

However, Vietnam has yet to sign national-level co-production treaties with other countries. Those agreements offers substantial benefits in both film production and distribution across partner markets.

For now, collaboration remains largely at the company-to-company level between producers.

In addition, Vietnam still faces challenges in competing with regional peers such as Thailand and the Philippines in terms of production support services and tax incentives for international film crews.

Promoting Vietnam’s film market at an event like Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) is therefore seen as timely, as more international distributors are showing interest in the country.

“The upcoming Da Nang Asian Film Festival 2026 in June will also feature an Industry Networking Day, with two days dedicated to connecting Vietnam’s film industry with international partners,” Ngoc said.

“The connection does not stop at film trading, but also involves jointly developing stories that can be produced in Vietnam and succeed in international markets, while gradually building a more complete ecosystem for the country’s film industry development,” she added.

“Many international filmmakers are still unfamiliar with how to access the Vietnamese market or engage in co-production with local partners,” film producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc pointed out.

“That is why Vietnam’s presence at events like FILMART, as well as upcoming activities in Da Nang, is particularly important,” said Ngoc, who often closed her talks at FILMART with a call to action: “Make Vietnam your destination.”