HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's 578 Phát Đạn Của Kẻ Điên (578 Magnum) will compete in the Grand Prix for the Best Film Award at the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) in Estonia.

It is the first Vietnamese action film to compete at this international film festival, which is scheduled on November 11-27 in Tallinn.

The film, which will vie for a total grant of 20,000 euros (US$20,000), will also be screened within the framework of this film festival.

Directed by Lương Đình Hùng, the film tells the story of a father who is a container truck driver hunting down the underground criminals who kidnapped his daughter.

The cast is led by Alexandre Nguyen, along with Hoàng Phúc, model Jessica Minh Anh and former Miss Universe Vietnam H'Hen Niê.

The film has a different way of expressing content with its montage style that mixes the past and present of the story.

The film is a combination of commercial entertainment and artistic elements, introducing impressive images of Việt Nam with poetic scenery and beautiful people. It also highlights the martial arts of the country.

A representative from the film crew said they received a number of invitations to take part in film festivals. They decided to choose the established Tallinn Black Nights which garners the attention of many film industry people from hundreds of countries and hundreds of thousands of movie-goers every year.

This is also the goal of the producers, to expand the international distribution market. Being selected to the official competition round of the Tallinn event is considered an affirmation of the quality of the film, and the producers expect to receive global release deals soon.

Director Hùng said apart from Tallinn, his film would also take part in 11 other international film festivals through next May.

Among these events, 578 Magnum is selected to be the opening film at a festival of martial art films in South Korea in early 2023.

After its domestic release in May, the film performed poorly at local box offices and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.

The VNĐ60 billion ($2.54 million) movie caused controversy about its quality and content, and was suddenly withdrawn from the cinema system by the filmmaker from June 1, earning a mere VNĐ3.4 billion ($144,500).

Although it did not achieve the expected revenue back home, from the end of November, the film will be released in nine countries around the world and is expected to earn VNĐ20 billion ($847,000).

Mike Newell, director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, watched the film four times and give valuable comments and compliments.

Meanwhile, former director of the Venice Film Festival Marco Mulleralso praised the impressive action scenes.

Hung revealed that the script for part two of the movie has been completed but didn't specify the official shooting schedule.

Founded in 1997, POFF is one of the biggest film festivals in northern Europe. It is one of the top 14 A-class film festivals in the world since 2014 along with Cannes, Venice, and Berlin by the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF).

The festival screens around 250 features and more than 300 shorts and animations each year. VNS