A scene from the Vietnamese horror film 'Quỷ Cẩu' (Demon Dog) by young director Lưu Thành Luân. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese horror films Quỷ Cẩu (Demon Dog) and Linh Miêu (The Cat) by director Lưu Thành Luân have received high praise at international film festivals.

While Quỷ Cẩu garnered five minutes of applause at its world premiere at the recent Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival in France, Linh Miêu was selected to open the Jagran International Film Festival in India.

The Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival took place from late January until early February this year.

The Jagran International Film Festival is the largest movie event in India and also one of the largest in Asia, bringing together talented filmmakers from all over the world.

Director Lưu Thành Luân (centre) is surprised by the more than 5 minutes of congratulatory applause from the international audience for his film 'Quỷ Cẩu'. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

The two horror movies were produced based on Vietnamese folk legends and have been promoted at many film events, contributing to introducing Vietnamese folk culture to the world.

“To make Quỷ Cẩu and Linh Miêu, my crew and I hoped not only to introduce regional culture to audiences in Việt Nam, but also promote the beauty of the country to international friends, thereby spreading more interesting things about our unique, rich and long-standing culture,” director Luân said.

Played to a 500-seat auditorium, Quỷ Cẩu received high praise from international audiences during its screening in the 'Focus on Vietnamese' category.

Inspired by the supernatural folk story of Chó Đội Nón Mê (the Hat-Wearing Dog), Quỷ Cẩu tells of canines possessed by spirits who rise on their hind legs, summoning demons to disturb people in their homes, transforming their bodies into malicious spirits.

It earned over VNĐ108 billion (US$4.2 million) at the box office in Việt Nam, becoming a surprise hit for Vietnamese cinema in late 2023.

The film also claimed multiple international awards, including Best Feature Film at the Kanazawa Film Festival 2024 in Japan.

Additionally, it was honoured at the Sinister Horror Film Festival in Mexico and the Tuesday of Horror Film Festival in Germany.

Meanwhile, Linh Miêu was premiered in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. — VNS