The domestic film market has been experiencing remarkable growth. In 2024, box-office revenue reached nearly 4.7 trillion VND, the highest level ever recorded at that time. Just one year later, a new record was set at more than 6.14 trillion VND. Notably, the market share of domestic films increased from 44% in 2024 to 62% in 2025. Entering 2026, the market has continued its upward trajectory, generating 1.08 trillion VND in revenue during the first quarter, according to Box Office Viet Nam.
About a decade ago, a Vietnamese film surpassing the 100-billion-VND revenue mark was considered a rare phenomenon. Today, films earning several hundred billion VND have become increasingly common. This shift not only reflects significant improvements in production capabilities but also the growing maturity of the domestic market. More importantly, it highlights changing audience preferences, with increasing interest in locally produced films, particularly those exploring historical themes, traditional customs, and stories deeply rooted in Vietnamese cultural identity.
However, the market’s positive performance does not necessarily mean that cinema has already become a fully developed cultural industry. International experience shows that the strength of a film industry cannot be measured solely by box-office revenue. It must also be capable of creating a sustainable value chain, generating employment, stimulating related economic sectors, expanding cultural influence, and enhancing a country's international standing.
Dr Ngo Phuong Lan, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam Association for Promotion and Development of Cinema, pointed to a thought-provoking reality: Vietnamese cinema has yet to establish a sufficiently robust ecosystem to operate as a modern cultural industry. Long-standing bottlenecks remain unresolved, ranging from policy mechanisms and investment resources to production infrastructure and intellectual property exploitation.
The market still relies heavily on a limited number of producers, directors, and personal brands. While some films achieve extraordinary success, the proportion of projects that incur losses remains relatively high. The commercial life cycle of many productions often ends shortly after their theatrical release. Their value is rarely extended through international licensing agreements, merchandise, video games, cultural experience activities, or tourism products linked to filming locations.
Experiences from other countries demonstrate that cinema truly flourishes only when it is integrated into a comprehensive cultural industry development strategy. The success of a film extends far beyond ticket sales, creating positive spillover effects for tourism, fashion, music, cuisine, and national branding.
Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese culture identifies cinema as one of the key cultural industry sectors requiring focused and strategic development. The resolution aims to build an advanced film industry that embodies national identity, possesses regional competitiveness, and gradually expands its presence on the global stage. However, this sound orientation must be implemented through a systematic and integrated approach.
To realise the goal of developing cinema into a leading cultural industry, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive development ecosystem encompassing human resource development, infrastructure investment, investment incentives, and a favourable legal environment. Such conditions would encourage more enterprises to participate actively and deeply in the production value chain.
At the same time, stronger linkages should be promoted between cinema, tourism and other creative industries, alongside more effective coordination mechanisms among the cultural sector, tourism authorities, local governments, and the business community. At the macro level, cinema development should be viewed as an integral component of the national soft power strategy, serving as a driver of the creative economy, contributing to the preservation of national identity, and enhancing Viet Nam’s position on the global cultural map.
