The poster of "When will October come".

VietNamNet – On April 28, Vietnam’s first online film website: www.phim24g.net, was inaugurated promising an effective means of promoting Vietnamese movies. 

www.phim24g.net is run by Gia Viet and Sai Gon Post -Telecommunications Joint Stock Company (SPT). It is the first online film website providing Vietnamese films. 

In the first three months, audiences can view films for free, with popular movies like Canh Dong Hoang (Wild Field); Mua Len Trau (Buffalo Boy); Ai Xuoi Van Ly (Who will go on long journey); Luoi Dao (The Knife); Thoi Xa Vang (A Distant Past); Tuong Ve Huu (Retired General); and Moi Tinh Dau (The first love); together with the classic international films from the 1960s and 1970s. 

Watching films online has become familiar to hardcore internet users, through websites like www.imdb.com, www.hkmdb.com, www.retrocrush.com, www.pixar.com and many others. These sites provide a wide variety of cinema products to movie lovers, but many Vietnamese cannot access them online, as credit cards are still uncommon. Many Vietnamese viewers tag onto free websites like www.tera-movie.com, www.ephim.net, www.phimtap.com, www.loadphim.com, www.megaupload.com. 

SPT and Gia Viet have purchased screening rights for selected foreign films, and will upload them to www.phim24g.net soon. Investment by these companies is seen as brave, given that piracy is the major market force in Vietnam.  

Nguyen Thi Kim Cuc, SPT Deputy Director said, “Many people want to watch older Vietnamese films, but no other website provides such products. We may experience some difficultly to begin with, but we believe we will find success in future”. 

The manager revealed that her company is planning to provide films on demand, after trialling the first three months. 

Together with SPT, other company, FPT, will also offer online movies, including Vietnamese and international films from June. 

So far, most Vietnamese films simply disappeared after just a few screenings. Among them, many were audience favourites like Canh Dong Hoang; Van Bai Lat Ngua (Open Game); Thoi Xa Vang; Chi Dau (Sister Dau); Moi Tinh Dau; or Nga Ba Dong Loc (Dong Loc Cross). 

Giai Phong Film Studio (GFS), a state-owned studio, has produced over 200 feature length films, 100 documentaries, and over 100 cartoons; but the products are only broadcast a few times at conferences or festivities only. 

The deal between SPT and the film studios is good news for producers. GFS Director Le Duc Tien mused, “We have already sold 40 films to SPT, and will sell many more soon. At last we’ve found a buyer who can promote locally produced films, especial by bringing classic products to younger viewers”. 

(Source: Tuoi Tre & VH)