Pham Thien An wrote the script and made his first-time feature in 2020 from his award-winning short movie Hay Thuc Tinh va San Sang (Stay Awake, Be Ready).
The movie is a journey of a young man tasked with delivering his sister-in-law's body to their countryside hometown after a tragic motorcycle accident.
Amidst the mystical landscapes of rural Vietnam, Thien begins a search for his older brother, who vanished years ago.
An's short movie won a prize at the Directors Fortnight in 2019.
“We found ourselves deeply engaged with the story, its characters, and the cinematography, which was truly beautiful," said Sébastien Chesneau, Cercamon CEO on variety.com.
"We are incredibly honoured to represent Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell. This film is a testament to the power of storytelling to transcend cultural boundaries and captivate audiences with its compelling narrative and stunning visuals.”
The film is produced by Vietnam’s JK Film and Singapore’s Protocol in co-production with France’s Deuxième Ligne Films and Spain’s Fasten Films.
It took four years to complete the movie, with three shootings in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
"Four years was a challenge and happiness," An said.
"I feel I'm very lucky. I am grateful to meet and work with talented and enthusiastic friends chosen to make the movie."
There are 18 movies competing in Directors Fortnight's categories of the Caméra d'Or Award and the Œil d'Or Award.
Vietnamese representative Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell will vie for the Camera d'Or Award.
An was born in Lam Dong province in 1989 and graduated in Information Technology from Lotus University in HCM City. He shifted to film because of personal interest and won a number of awards, including the 48 Hours Film Project in HCM City and top prize at the CJ Short Film Making Project, one of the top short film contests in Vietnam.
In 2015, he moved to the US and continued to work as a freelance filmmaker.
His latest short film, Cam Lang (The Mute), was screened as a World Premiere at the Palm Springs International Shortfest in the US in 2018.
It also competed at 15 international short film festivals, including Winterthur in Switzerland, Tampere in Finland, Encounters in the UK, and Aspen in the US.
