Posters of Vietnamese horror films are displayed at Marché du Film in Cannes. — Photo courtesy of Skyline Media

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese horror is haunting the global spotlight once again as a new folk-horror project rooted in occult house rituals has been introduced to international buyers at Cannes 2026’s Marché du Film.

Trấn Yểm (The 10th House), written and directed by Trần Hữu Tấn, is among the Vietnamese film projects being presented by Skyline Media to global buyers at the Marché du Film, the world’s largest film market, taking place from May 12 to 20.

Skyline Media has acquired the international distribution rights to the Trấn Yểm project from ProductionQ.

Variety reports that, drawing on a little-explored strand of Vietnamese folk belief in which house builders are said to conceal hidden spells within building structures, the film follows a young man who begins recording unsettling incidents in his home after his father’s unexplained death, only to uncover a forbidden ritual linking the property to a widening chain of violent supernatural events.

"Being introduced at one of the world’s largest film markets is a milestone and a great hope for producer Hoàng Quân and me," Tấn told Việt Nam News.

"This is also the first feature film to boldly explore the subject, which is based on a true story."

Director and producer duo Tấn and Hoàng have made several Vietnamese horror films that have attracted attention in recent years, including Kẻ Ăn Hồn (The Soul Reaper), Tết Ở Làng Địa Ngục (Hellbound Village) and Chuyện Ma Gần Nhà (Vietnamese Horror Stories).

The film is scheduled for domestic release by Galaxy Studio and international release by Skyline Media in 2026.

The promotion of a Vietnamese project at the pre-production stage suggests distributors see considerable international commercial potential in the film.

In recent years, Asian folk horror has emerged as one of the strongest trends in the international film market. Films such as Taiwan’s Incantation, the Thailand-South Korea co-production The Medium and Korea’s Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum achieved international success by blending local spiritual beliefs with psychological horror and found-footage storytelling techniques.

Industry observers believe The 10th House has strong potential to tap into growing global fascination with Asian legends, occult rituals and supernatural folklore.

“It will be more than just a conventional horror film and instead demonstrate how the genre can achieve something far greater in terms of emotion, culture and cinematic value," said Tấn.

"In recent years, films such as Sinners, The Substance and Weapons have shown that horror is no longer merely a form of entertainment, but a space where filmmakers can tell deeply personal, haunting and artistically rich stories while also reflecting timely social issues.

"With this project, I hope to bring Việt Nam’s unique folklore, spiritual beliefs and fears deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture closer to international audiences, while opening up more opportunities for Vietnamese horror films to gain broader recognition in major global film markets."

Alongside The 10th House, Skyline Media’s latest Cannes line-up also features a range of standout Vietnamese projects, including The Scourge, US-Việt Nam co-production Chrysalis and Vietnamese box-office star Thái Hòa’s family drama Mr Hero.

This reflects the rapid rise of Vietnamese horror cinema in recent years.

In 2022, Vietnamese Horror Story became the country’s highest-grossing horror film of the year and was released in more than 45 countries and territories before screening at the Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival in France.

It was followed by The Soul Reaper, which broke previous domestic box-office records and later secured distribution through Netflix across Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, The Sisters was selected for the Limelight section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and secured distribution deals in more than 12 territories.

These developments suggest horror is emerging as one of the most exportable genres in Vietnamese cinema today. Compared with psychological dramas or romantic comedies, which often rely heavily on language and local cultural references, horror films are generally better positioned to cross international barriers because of their universal emotional appeal.

For decades, ghosts, talismans and urban legends have been deeply embedded in Vietnamese oral culture, yet they have rarely been explored on screen through a contemporary cinematic approach with a clear international strategy.

The presence of The 10th House at the Cannes Marché du Film reflects how Vietnamese cinema is increasingly viewing folk stories as a valuable cultural resource capable of being transformed into globally marketable productions.

This project could represent another step towards building a distinct Vietnamese horror brand in the international market, something Thailand, Indonesia and Korea have already achieved with considerable success over the past decade. — VNS