Young actors in a scene in Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes), a production based on a famous novel by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh. The film is expected to be a hit this Christmas season. (Photo courtesy of the producer)

Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu’s film Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes) is expected to be a hit and a step forward for the season.

Its producer, Galaxy Studios, one of the country’s leading private film companies, hired Vu, a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US, and 1,400 professional and amateur artists for the cast.

A group of young actors were chosen to guarantee that the film would appeal to young audiences. The crew spent two years on pre-production before filming last year. The film’s soundtrack has attracted more than 30 million views on YouTube.

Mắt Biếc tells the love story of Ngan, a rural boy from Quảng Nam Province, and his childhood friend, Ha Lan, during their school years. When Lan turns to love a rich man but is betrayed, Ngan still stands beside Lan.

The film is based on a novel of the same name written by bestselling children’s author Nguyen Nhat Anh. The book was published in 1990 and became a bestseller. It has been reprinted several times by the Tre (Youth) Publishing House.

Vu’s first film in Vietnam was Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (Passport to Love), a romantic comedy distributed in Vietnam and the US in 2008.

He directed blockbusters such as Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter), Bí Mật Thảm Đỏ (Scandal), Quả Tim Máu (Vengeful Heart) and Người Bất Tử (The Immortal).

The horror film Quả Tim Máu earned more than VND24 billion (US$1.1 million) in just three days after its release in 2014.

Vu has won top prizes at film festivals at home and abroad, including the Golden Kite Prize for Best Director in Hanoi in 2013.

The other thriller is Chị Chị Em Em (Sister Sister), a production by Vietnamese-American director Kathy Uyên, starring supermodel Thanh Hang and pop icon Chi Pu. Young actor Lanh Thanh is also featured.

The film is about female homosexuality and includes scenes rated for viewers aged 18 and above.

“My film is not just about love and sex. It's about feminism,” said Kathy.

Both Mắt Biếc and Chị Chị Em Em will be in cinemas on December 20.

Producer Nhat Trung’s latest film, Nắng: Lời Hứa Gia Đình (Sunshine: Family Promise), is a sequel to Nắng (Sunshine) that was released in 2016.

The previous part of Nắng earned VND70 billion (US$3 million) in ticket sales last season.

This show is directed by Dong Dang Giang and stars famous comic actress Thu Trang and child actress Ngan Chi. It features motherhood.

Nắng 3: Lời Hứa Gia Đình will be released on Christmas Eve.— VNS

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