VietNamNet Bridge – To attract audiences, cinemas in HCM City are not only importing popular films but also launching promotions and offering freebies.

Classic cinema: A poster advertises Vietnamese Movies Days organised at BHD Star Cinema which offers discounted tickets and a chance to win prizes.

Tickets at the 60 odd theatres cost from VND35,000 to VND250,000, meaning a family of four has to shell out VND500,000 (US$25) including on food and drinks. Nevertheless, for many people films are a prime attraction in their free time.

Megastar, which reopened Megastar Cineplex Sai Gon Paragon early last month, announced promotions like a 30 per cent discount on tickets to mark the reopening and a lucky draw for Rio with the prize being an Acer smart phone.

It also held a photo contest during the release of the film Mars Needs Moms.

Megastar paid VND1 billion (US$48,160) for dubbing the 3D version of Rio in Vietnamese for the benefit of young children.

Small cinemas have also got into the race.

BHD, which has one cinema, has been organising Vietnamese and Japanese film weeks. Despite showing oldish films, they drew unexpectedly large audiences.

BHD held the (Vietnamese Movie Days programme featuring hit films from March 15 to 31 before extending it until May 2 due to popular demand.

The festival attracted 12,000 people, director of BHD Star Cinema, Pham Van Thanh, said.

Besides offering tickets at just VND40,000, the Vietnamese movie programme also gave audiences a chance to win prizes like digital cameras, iPod's, cosmetics, raincoats, free tickets, and membership cards.

BHD also offered 50 per cent discounts on food and beverages during the National Reunification Day-May Day holidays.

Thang Long Cinema had a promotion from April 1 to May 1 in which people buying two tickets got the chance to win gift vouchers, cosmetics, and gifts like Panasonic sound systems, Pioneer DVDs, Electrolux steam irons, VIP tickets.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News