“Vo ba” (The Third Wife), a Vietnamese film by director Nguyen Phuong Anh and producer Tran Bich Ngoc, won the post-production and “Hong Kong to Cannes” awards at the 15th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), which took place in Hong Kong (China) from March 13-15.

A scene from the movie

“Vo ba” together with other three films, including “Omotenashi” produced by Taiwan (China) and Japan, “Village Rockstars” by India and “Echoes” by Israel were chosen for the “Hong Kong to Cannes” programme, run by the HAF and “Marche du Film, Festival de Cannes” of the French Cannes Film Festival. They will be screened at the upcoming Cannes Festival.

The movie is about the struggle of a young girl who is married to a much older man in an arranged marriage in late 19th century rural Vietnam.

Last year, the movie bagged the Non-Hong Kong Project Award and White Light Post-Production Award.

Established in 2000 and supported by government agencies Create Hong Kong and the Film Development Fund, the HAF is the leading film project market in Asia where filmmakers can find finances for their films.  

It attracts more than 1,000 filmmakers and financiers from 35 countries and territories.

The HAF receives over 1,000 movie projects every year, with 25-30 projects selected to participate in the three-day event.

VNA