Since 2022, when cinemas around the world resumed operations, a series of Vietnamese films such as "Cô gái từ quá khứ" (The Girl from the Past), "Mười: Lời nguyền trở lại" (Muoi: The Curse Returns), "Chị chị em em 2" (Sister Sister 2), "578: Phát đạn của kẻ điên" (578: The Madman's Bullet), "Nhà bà Nữ" (Mrs. Nữ's House), "Lật mặt 6: Tấm vé định mệnh" (Face Off 6: The Fateful Ticket)... have been screened in many cinemas worldwide.
The requirements for these films to be shown in cinemas include meeting international standards for sound and image quality. Films that showcase Vietnamese culture are often favored by international distributors as they bring a unique touch to the list of films in movie theaters. The U.S. market, with its growing Vietnamese diaspora, provides opportunities for Vietnamese films, with around 50 cinemas in the U.S. welcoming films such as "Chìa khoá trăm tỷ" (The Hundred Billion Dollar Key) and "Lật mặt 6: Tấm vé định mệnh" (Face Off 6: The Fateful Ticket).
The movie Nhà bà Nữ (Mrs. Nữ's House)
According to some sources, Vietnamese films released abroad aim not only to promote the culture and filmmaking skills of local producers, but also to increase revenues to recoup the initial investment. For example, the film "578: Phát đạn của kẻ điên" (578: The Madman's Bullet) earned only VND3.5 billion domestically, so it was withdrawn from theaters. The movie, which had an announced investment of VND60 billion and featured expensive action scenes, hoped to make up for the losses in foreign markets. It was scheduled to premiere in 62 countries and territories, especially in difficult markets such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, India, Mexico, Brazil, Estonia...
The highest-grossing Vietnamese film domestically, "Nhà bà Nữ" (Mrs. Nữ's House), with revenues of VND475 billion, quickly attracted international attention. While the film is still running in local theaters, the film's distributor has promptly planned its international release. In addition to markets with a significant Vietnamese diaspora such as Singapore, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the film premiered in 66 theaters in the United States in states such as California, Texas, Utah, Florida and others, a wider release than the previous film Bố già (Godfather) produced by the same team, which was shown in only 47 theaters. The film earned 1 million US dollars, equivalent to 23 billion VND, just within two weeks of its release, counted separately only in the US.
The Lật mặt 6 (Faceoff 6) film crew attending the Australian premiere.
In early August 2023, the film Lật mặt 6: Tấm vé định mệnh (Face Off 6: The Fateful Ticket) continued its premiere in Australia after being screened in Vietnam and the United States. Previous installments of the Lật mặt (Face Off) series, such as Lật mặt 4: Nhà có khách (Face Off 4: House with Guests), Lật mặt 5: 48h (Face Off 5: 48 Hours), have also achieved remarkable success when released internationally. With the desire to convey the rich cultural stories of Vietnam, director and screenwriter Lý Hải, along with producer Minh Hà, consistently incorporated stunning footage from Đà Lạt, Đồng Tháp, An Giang, and other locations, including the Chăm ethnic village and Định Yên weaving village. Known for his role as a singer, Lý Hải started his filmmaking career almost from scratch, despite his formal training in the arts. After establishing a solid economic foundation, Lý Hải dared to pursue his dreams in the film industry. Committed to creating meticulous and serious works, he gradually made his mark with the Lật mặt (Face Off) film series. Earning over VND500 billion from six films in various genres such as comedy, action, horror, adventure and drama, Lý Hải has demonstrated progress in his craft and established a distinctive style with large-scale cinematic scenes. Over time, he gained international attention and expanded into foreign markets. After earning VND250 billion domestically, Lật mặt 6 (Face Off 6) made its way to 52 theaters in the United States, becoming the fastest-grossing Vietnamese film in the U.S. just four weeks after its domestic release. On its third screening in the U.S., Lý Hải and his team were very pleased and proud. To meet the demands of the world's largest film market, with strict requirements for a well-polished film and compliance with all relevant standards for sound, image, subtitles.
Director Lý Hải interacts with the audience in Australia
Each time a Lý Hải film is released, there is always a dedicated fan base that supports him, both in terms of emotional connection and as a testament to the quality of his work. Lý Hải hopes that his film Lật mặt 6 (Face Off 6) and the traditional film industry this time will not only target the Vietnamese audience abroad, but also reach out and bring images of the country, people, culture, cinema and music of Vietnam further, closer to a broader international audience, and hopes that each year will attract more audiences, both domestic and international, who love this soulful Vietnamese essence.
He shares, "I am still trying to take Lật mặt (Face Off) further. I hope the dream that one day not only my motion picture, but Vietnamese movies in general, will be shown simultaneously in many different countries will come true". Tickets sold out after going on sale in Australia and New Zealand, so Lý Hải and his wife, Minh Hà, flew to Australia to meet audiences in person on the first day of the film's release.
Lý Hải said that when international audiences spend money to buy tickets and see Lật mặt 6 (Face Off 6) in theaters, it brings him and the team great joy and happiness, because Vietnamese films have hardly found a place in the international market. So if the film is supported by international audiences, he hopes that the Vietnamese community abroad will introduce the film to local people and international friends so that they can experience Vietnamese cinema and culture.
"Those who were not born in Vietnam come to the movies to see and experience Vietnamese movies, what Vietnamese culture is like. If they find it interesting, they will have a connection, and in the following times, when there are more Vietnamese films, they will actively buy tickets to watch," he expressed.
The team also noted that because the Lật mặt (Face Off) brand has maintained its quality, it is known and trusted, making it relatively convenient to premiere the film abroad. They hope that in the near future, the movie will also reach a wider audience in the Southeast Asian region.
