Vietnamese filmmakers want to use Netflix as a way to market their films to international audiences but have faced many difficulties.

A scene from Gai Gia Lam Chieu mini-series

In the era of web drama and watching film on a phone, many producers are trying to push their films on Netflix as well as other over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Many experts said that Netflix hadn't made any breakthrough in Vietnam because of the lack of Vietnamese content. However, this is also an opportunity for filmmakers to promote their films to the world.

As of now, only three Vietnamese feature films have been added onto Netflix. The most recent film, Hai Phuong, is rumoured to have been sold for a record-breaking USD5m. Directors Bao Nhan and Nam Cito announced that they are planning to make a mini-series with 10 episodes titled Gai Gia Lam Chieu and they are aiming for Netflix.

"The cast will be experienced actors, post-production will be completed in Thailand and the music will be done by Christopher Wong. We will also add Chinese subtitles," Nhan said.

Producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc said, "We have the technology and human resources to make quality films that meet the standards of Netflix or other subscription sites. But the problem is will we be able to find interesting scripts?"

She went on to say that foreign investors would choose scripts that the audience from different countries would understand and find interesting. It's a difficult problem for both feature films and TV series filmmakers in Vietnam.

Most writers only work for TV series. For films, the directors and producers usually hire the writers to develop the concepts. Film universities lack courses for screenwriters. Many producers just remake famous foreign films or TV series. BHD Company recently invested a lot of money to remake Glee and Descendants of the Sun but wasn't very successful.

Many experts agreed that the film industry needs to be more professional and the producers, directors, writers and authorities must work more closely together.

Nguoi Lao Dong/Dtinews