HCM CITY— Private film companies are releasing dramas, fantasies and comedies this summer as cinemas in HCM City continue to screen more locally made movies.

Teenagers are eagerly awaiting the film Sứ Mệnh Trái Tim (Mission of Heart), to be screened at State-owned and private cinemas such as Đống Đa, Tân Sơn Nhất and Cinebox.

Produced by Thiên Phúc Film Studio, it is about a group of bomb disposal experts led by a young woman, played by Angela Phương Trinh, who work in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) region.  

"I’ve come back” the 21 year old actress said in an interview with local media.

Last year, Trinh’s previous film, Taxi, Em Tên Gì? (Taxi Driver, What’s Your Name?), attracted more than cinemagoers 250,000 in its first week.

In the film Trinh played a taxi driver in what is usually considered a male-dominated field. The film marked the return of Trinh after three years away from the big screen. 

“I thought I had reached the peak of art. But I was wrong. Art is unlimited,” said Trinh, who found success in the industry when she was only 12 years old.

“With Sứ Mệnh Trái Tim, a VNĐ10 billion (US$450,000) production, I hope my fans can see how I have changed and how I’ve tried to work carefully, selecting my roles based on my talents, rather than on personal feelings,” she added.

 Movie star and pop singer/producer Ngô Thanh Vân’s Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể (Tấm and Cám-The Secret) will hit cinemas after failing to be released on Valentine’s Day. 

The 90-minute movie is based on the fairy tale Tấm Cám, best known as the Vietnamese version of Cinderella.  

The story is about an orphan girl named Tấm, played by Hạ Vi, who is beautiful and hard-working. She is known for her kindness towards everyone, including animals, around her.  

She lives with her stepmother and half-sister Cám, played by Lan Ngọc, who often finds ways to harm her. After facing challenges, Tấm finally gets married to the King and lives happily ever after.

Vân and her company, VAA, the film’s producer, invested VNĐ20 billion (nearly U$900,000) on the film to guarantee a high-quality production.

Both Sứ Mệnh Trái Tim and Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể will be released in early July.

Young director Trần Kha My and his crew hope to achieve financial success with their comedy Tik Tak Anh Yêu Em (Tik Tak I Love You), a love story involving an impoverished protagonist.  

The film features veteran actor Thành Lộc and young actress Tú Vi.

Post-production activities were completed last month, and the movie is scheduled for release in August.

Actress-producer and director Hồng Ánh began shooting on the first scenes of her debut film, Đảo Của Dân Ngụ Cư (Lonely Island), last week.

The film revolves around five young urban women and men, who face challenges and conflicts in life and love.  

The characters are played by young actors including Ngọc Thanh Tâm and Phạm Hồng Phước.

The film’s director Ánh spent nearly 10 years on the film’s screenplay, based on a short story written by Đỗ Phước Tiến.

“I didn’t want famous actors who are recognised as the ‘kings’ of the box office to attend the screening because I wanted to give a chance to young talent,” said Ánh, in a recent interview with Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper.

According to Vietnamese-American director Dustin Nguyễn, the industry has developed quickly with an average of 70 Vietnamese films being released each year.  

“Cinemas have extended their timetables for screening Vietnamese movies,” he said. — VNS