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HCM CITY — Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry), a blockbuster by Trấn Thành Town of HCM City, will compete in the Best Foreign Language Film Category at the Oscar awards ceremony scheduled in March 2022. 

The film was chosen to enter the awards by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

Bố Già earned VNĐ22 billion (US$958,000) in one day after its official release on March 7.

The film broke ticket sale records for Vietnamese films after earning VNĐ400 billion ($18 million), according to the film’s producer. 

Bố Già is a new version of the most-viewed web drama in 2019. The five-episode series earned more than 90 million views, ranking No 1 on trending on YouTube in Việt Nam for the year.

The film is about the life of an older xe ôm (motorbike taxi) driver living in HCM City who faces challenges earning money for his wife and children. It is directed by Vũ Ngọc Đãng, who has 20 years of experience in the industry.

It stars People’s Artist and comic actress Ngọc Giàu, and young actors Tuấn Trần and Ngân Chi. 

“My film highlights a father and child,” said film producer TrấnThành, owner of Trấn Thành Town, who invested VNĐ23 billion ($1million) in the production.

“The culture and lifestyle of Saigonese are also featured."

Thành, who is a comic actor, plays the xe ôm driver in the film. 

Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) won four top prizes at the 22nd Việt Nam Film Festival organised by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in November.

It won the second prize titled Silver Lotus Award for Best Featured Film, Best Actor Award, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay.

In May, Bố Già was distributed in cinemas in the US and Australia after its premiere in Malaysia and Singapore.

The film was released in the US in California, Texas, Virginia, Georgia and New York states. 

In Australia, it was shown in cinemas in Brisbane and Sydney. 

The film’s distributor, Thiên Ngân (Galaxy) Studio, has announced it is working with its foreign partners to release Bố Già in Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. 

Last year, Mắt Biếc (Dreamy Eyes), a production of HCM City-based film agency Galaxy Studio, was sent to compete at the Oscar awards. 

The film is directed by Vietnamese-American Victor Vũ, a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in US.

It tells the love story of Ngạn, a rural boy from Quảng Nam Province, and his childhood friend, Hà Lan, during school time. Lan loves a rich man but is betrayed. Ngạn, however, continues to stand by Lan.

The film was listed among the industry’s top 10 blockbuster films with more than VNĐ127 billion ($5.5 million) at the box office last year. — VNS