HCM City plans to build new film locations

The first-ever HCM City International Film Festival in April 2024. This year, the city is applying to become a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of cinema. (Photo: VNA/VNS)

HCM City – Ho Chi Minh City is working to build new film filming locations as part of its efforts to promote the local film industry, according to the city’s Department of Culture and Information deputy director Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy.

Thuy suggested new studios should be built in rural districts. They should be provided modern equipment and technologies for filming, and also become new tourism destinations in the city.

The city is considered to build a studio on 300 hectares of land located in the Ethnic Culture and History Park in Thu Duc city, she said.

The city's cinemas account for about 40% of the national cinema market, with 52 cinema complexes.

Its film industry is expected to grow at an average annual rate of about 12% from 2025, reaching over 11 trillion VND (500 million USD).

Many major films and TV shows have been shot in HCM City in recent years. However, the lack of suitable studios has meant the city is losing out in the target of become a “film city” by local authorities.

The city now has only a few studios but most of them are small and used for making TV series, music videos, commercial videos and game shows.

There is only Hoa Phu Studio in Cu Chi district of HCM City Television Station (HTV), with an area of 49.5 hectares, which can be used for both indoor and outdoor filming, and for all kinds of movie themes.

It is the region’s largest cinema centre where cultural activities, including music, film screenings, fashion shows, sports competitions, art performances, and contests, take place.

Another is Green Media, a private studio located in Binh Chanh district. The studio’s investor, Media Green Entertainment Agency, spent 15 billion VND (640,000 USD) in construction.

The 6,000sq.m location opened in 2019, and including sound stages, production areas and a backlot for outdoor scenes for filmmaking and television productions.

“Our studio also includes everything from houses, ships, and fields to small-town and modern-day house settings in HCM City and southern provinces,” said the studio’s executive director Lady Phuong Thuy.

According to deputy director Thanh Thuy, building new film studios is part of a project of HCM City’s cultural industry between 2020 and 2025 approved by the municipal authorities.

Under the project, a film production centre offering services in filming, pre-production and post-production will be built.

Building a cinema museum will be one of the city’s targets to promote Vietnamese history, culture and people to the world. It will display artefacts and equipment about the history and development of the film industry in Vietnam in general and HCM City in particular.

“New favourable policies will develop the city’s film industry,” said Thanh Thuy. “We have worked to support and encourage local entertainment agencies, film studios, producers, directors and actors to develop their business./.