Vietnamese action flick ‘578 Magnum’ to compete at Oscars 2023

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has chosen the action flick to compete at Hollywood’s 95th Academy Awards.

The film’s production unit, Tu Van Media and Film Production, is coordinating with the Cinema Department to register the film for the preliminary round before Oct. 3.

The Oscars organizers will announce the top five nominees next January. The final results will be revealed in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2023.

Directed by Luong Dinh Dung, the film tells the story of a father who works as a container truck driver hunting down the underground criminals who kidnaped his daughter.

After its domestic release in May, the film performed poorly at local box offices and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.

It earned a mere VND3.4 billion (over $144,500) though it reportedly cost VND60 billion to make.

Vietnam entered films like “Hai Phuong” (Furie), “Bo Gia” (Dad, I’m Sorry), “Mat Biec” (Dreamy Eyes) in the Oscars race, but none made the shortlist.