But some big-name private film studios, like Phuoc Sang and Thien Ngan, haven’t yet decided whether to take part in the event to be held on November 21-24 in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

"We know that private studios are not eager to compete at the festival because it isn’t thought to be suitable for commercial movies," said Sinh.

He noted that Thien Ngan’s film Nhung Co Gai Chan Dai (Long-Legged Girls) was the last private studio production to receive an award at the festival, winning second prize at the 2004 festival held in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac.

This year, the film Dong Mau Anh Hung (The Rebel), produced by Chanh Phuong Studio, is among the few privately produced films slated to compete.

The festival is currently scheduled to show more than 100 films, including 18 features, 11 short films, 22 animated shorts and 54 documentaries, making it the largest festival in the past three years.

Movies from the State-owned studios do not generally perform well at the box office. Many, however, have won acclaim on the film festival circuit, including Song Trong So Hai (Living in Fear); Chuyen Cua Pao (Pao’s Story); Mua Len Trau (Buffalo Boy); Ha Noi, Ha Noi; Gio Thien Duong (Wind in Paradise) and Chop Mat Cung So Phan (Fated Moment).

Living in Fear and Pao’s Story have screened at festivals around the world but found few audiences on domestic screens. Buffalo Boy, directed by overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh, debuted at the 14th National Film Festival and went on to garner several prizes at international festivals.

Productions by private film studios that have screened at the National Film Festival over the past three years include De Muon (Hired Pregnant); Ao Lua Ha Dong (White Silk Dress); and Hai Trong Mot (Two in One).

This year, National Film Festival organisers have invited actors and directors from Russia, China, South Korea, Laos, Cambodia, and the US to attend the festival. Tadao Sato, chairman of Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan, has accepted an invitation to attend.

— VNS (18-09-2007)