Abstract: The article focuses on analyzing and evaluating the legal regulations governing film business activities in Vietnam, particularly after the Law on Cinema 2022came into effect. By surveying the current situation, the study identifies strengths, limitations, and existing legal conflicts, especially in matters related to attracting private investment and fostering public-private partnerships. It proposes solutions for perfecting the legal system, aiming to promote a sustainable, competitive, and internationally integrated Vietnamese film industry..
Keywords: Law on Cinema 2022, film business activities, international integration, cultural industry.
trong trái tim mỗi người Việt – Ảnh: laodong.vn “Red Rain” has not only achieved box-office success but has also sown seeds of national pride in the hearts of every Vietnamese – Photo: laodong.vn
In the 21st century, the cultural industry has become a decisive factor in the success or failure of each nation (according to the philosophy of Peter Drucker). This is clearly evidenced by the strong transformation of many major corporations, notably the case of the CGV Group, which evolved from a sugar manufacturing enterprise into one of the largest cinema chains in Asia. In Vietnam, cinema has been identified as one of the 12 key cultural industries, with great potential for competition and export. Film business activities not only generate economic profits but also contribute to promoting Vietnamese culture and people to the world, while simultaneously fostering the development of other cultural industries.
Recognizing this importance, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have issued numerous significant policies and legal documents to encourage and promote film business activities, such as the 2022 Law on Cinema, Decree No. 131, and Decision No. 2156/QĐ-TTg on the Strategy for the Development of Cinema up to 2030. In the socialist-oriented market economy, commercial, entertainment, and technological factors are increasingly emphasized, operating in parallel with artistic values.
Therefore, promoting socialization and attracting diverse resources—especially from the private sector—into the film industry is essential. Cinema is not only an art form but also a cultural industry that generates economic benefits for the nation. However, to ensure sustainable and well-oriented development, the legal system and related regulations governing film business play a pivotal role. Comprehensive research from theory to practice, particularly in the context of the ongoing refinement of the legal system in accordance with the spirit of the 2013 Constitution, is necessary to identify effective solutions. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Vietnam’s cinema industry develops in line with market principles, competition, international integration, and proactively embraces future development trends.
1. General theoretical framework on film business activities and the governing legal framework
Film business activities constitute a process of producing, distributing, and disseminating cinematographic products for the purpose of generating profit. This is a distinctive cultural industry that combines artistic, technological, and commercial elements. Accordingly, film business activities encompass the totality of organized, profit-oriented activities, including three main stages: film production, film distribution, and film exhibition. Film production is the process of creating a cinematographic work, from script development, pre-production, filming (production), to post-production stages (editing, sound, visual effects) to complete a film. Film distribution refers to the circulation of films in the market through forms such as sale, rental, export, or import. Film exhibition is the process of bringing films to the public through various channels, including: theatrical exhibition (cinema films); television broadcasting (television films); and dissemination via the internet and digital platforms (VOD/streaming services such as Netflix, FPT Play, Galaxy Play, etc.).
Film business activities possess distinctive characteristics due to their nature as a cultural industry. These include their integrative nature (combining art and industry). Cinematic works are, first and foremost, composite artistic creations (integrating moving images, sound, scriptwriting, acting, etc.), carrying ideological, educational, and aesthetic values. At the same time, cinema has an industrial nature: it operates according to industrial production methods, requiring professionalized processes, modern technologies (filming techniques, post-production), and substantial financial investment.
Film business activities involve a high level of risk. First, film products are non-homogeneous: each film is a unique product that cannot be mass-produced. Second, the success (revenue) of a film depends heavily on audience reception, timing, marketing, and public taste, making capital recovery and profitability difficult to predict prior to release.
Another characteristic of film business activities is their value-chain linkage. This is a closed and continuous value chain consisting of: creation (screenwriting) → production (filmmaking) → distribution (release) → consumption (exhibition in cinemas, on television, and digital platforms). In this chain, success at one stage (e.g., a film achieving high artistic quality) does not necessarily guarantee success at another stage (e.g., box office revenue).
Film distribution and exhibition are often conditional business sectors in many countries. In Vietnam, due to the nature of cinema as a cultural field with significant influence on ideology and society, these activities are subject to strict state management (through the Law on Cinema and related legal instruments), particularly in the stages of content censorship and licensing for film exhibition, in order to ensure compliance with cultural values and legal regulations.
The fundamental principles of Vietnamese law governing film business activities include:
Compliance with the guidelines of the Party and the State: developing cinema in accordance with socialist orientations while promoting socialization and international integration.
Respect for the freedom of business: creating favorable conditions for stakeholders to participate, while requiring compliance with regulations on censorship and classification.
Protection of national culture: controlling film content to ensure it does not violate fine customs, traditions, and cultural values.
Protection of intellectual property rights: safeguarding copyright for cinematographic works.
2. Overview of Cinematographic Business Law in Vietnam
Cinematographic business law comprises a system of regulations promulgated by the State to govern activities related to film production, distribution, dissemination, promotion, archiving, and related services. In Vietnam, cinematographic business activities are primarily regulated by the Law on Cinema and its implementing decrees. These regulations aim to manage the entire value chain of the cinema industry, from production to dissemination, within the context of international integration and the rapid development of digital technologies.
The principal legal basis is the Law on Cinema 2022, which is the highest-level legal instrument governing cinematographic activities and which replaced the Law on Cinema 2006 (as amended and supplemented in 2009). This law is further specified by Decree No. 131/2022/NĐ-CP, which details the implementation of several provisions of the Law on Cinema. In addition, related legal instruments apply, including the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Investment, the Law on Intellectual Property, and regulations on content management in cyberspace.
Vietnamese cinematographic law regulates all three principal stages of cinematographic activities, including: film production (the process of creating cinematographic works); film distribution (circulation of films through sale, rental, export, import, etc.); and film dissemination (bringing films to the public through cinema exhibition, television broadcasting, and online platforms).
Pursuant to the Law on Investment, film dissemination and film distribution are classified as conditional business sectors. Enterprises operating in these fields must satisfy specific statutory conditions (relating to facilities, technical capacity, and human resources) and strictly comply with applicable legal requirements.
3. Core Contents of Vietnamese Law on Cinematographic Business
Entities Engaged in Cinematographic Business Activities
Vietnamese cinematographic law provides regulations on organizations and individuals participating in the three principal stages of cinematographic activities production, distribution, and dissemination with a clear distinction between domestic and foreign entities.
Business Conditions in Cinematographic Activities
Current Vietnamese cinematographic legislation classifies activities based on the level of regulatory control required, resulting in different sets of business conditions for each activity.
Film Production
Conditions for establishment: Film production is no longer classified as a conditional business line under the Law on Investment 2020. Film production enterprises are only required to register their establishment in accordance with the Law on Enterprises.
International cooperation: In cases of cooperation with foreign partners, Vietnamese cinematographic establishments are required to obtain a film co-production license issued by the competent state authority. However, documentary requirements have been made more flexible (for example, only a synopsis is required for filming activities that use locations in Vietnam).
Film Distribution
General conditions: Enterprises must be established in accordance with applicable laws.
Specific conditions: For film importation activities, organizations and individuals must provide a written commitment affirming that the film content does not violate the prohibited provisions stipulated in the Law on Cinema.
Film Dissemination
Film dissemination is the most strictly regulated stage, with different conditions depending on the form of dissemination. For dissemination in movie theaters, the entity must be an enterprise or a public service unit and must operate cinemas that meet the prescribed technical standards. More importantly, all films screened in cinemas must obtain a film classification license issued by the competent state authority or a broadcasting decision. For dissemination in cyberspace, organizations and enterprises operating digital media platforms are permitted to self-classify films in accordance with the principles and criteria promulgated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), but they must notify the Ministry of the classification results prior to dissemination. For dissemination at public venues, the entity is only required to notify the competent state authority; however, the films disseminated must still possess a film classification license or a broadcasting decision.
Business conditions: regulations on licenses for film production and dissemination; requirements regarding facilities and human resources. Film production activities have currently been subject to more relaxed conditions compared to the past.
State management: mechanisms of ex ante control, film classification, and incentive and support policies.
The law maintains strict management over film content, particularly at the dissemination stage. Accordingly, the Law clearly specifies prohibited contents and acts in cinematographic activities (for example, violations of national sovereignty, distortion of history, incitement to violence, etc.).
Film classification (ex ante control): prior to dissemination in cinemas, on television, or in cyberspace, films must be classified according to audience age categories (P, K, T13, T16, T18, C – prohibited from dissemination). This classification is carried out either by competent state authorities or through self-classification (applicable to dissemination in cyberspace).
Suspension of dissemination mechanism (ex post control): competent state authorities have the right to require the suspension of film dissemination if violations are detected or for reasons related to national defense and security.
Regarding management in the digital environment (cyberspace), the Law on Cinema 2022 represents a significant advancement by officially introducing specific regulations governing films disseminated in cyberspace (such as Netflix, Disney+, etc.):
Self-classification: organizations and enterprises providing film dissemination services in cyberspace (with technical platforms located in Vietnam or operating cross-border) are permitted to carry out film classification themselves, but must comply with the principles and criteria stipulated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and notify the classification results to the competent authority.
Takedown responsibility: these enterprises are required to implement technical solutions and coordinate the removal and blocking of infringing films upon request by competent state authorities.
Regarding development and cooperation policies: the law sets out the objective of building Vietnam’s cinematographic industry, encouraging investment, and ensuring equality and fair competition.
Regarding international cooperation: regulations govern cooperation and joint ventures in film production with foreign organizations and individuals. For foreign film production activities conducted in Vietnam, it is only required to submit a synopsis (instead of the entire detailed script as previously required) and a detailed script for the content filmed in Vietnam, in order to facilitate procedures and attract investment.
Film Development Support Fund: provisions are in place regarding the establishment and operation of the Fund to support cinematographic activities.
4. 4. Current situation of the legal framework and film business activities in Vietnam
The legal system governing cinema in Vietnam has made many significant advances, especially with the promulgation of the Law on Cinema 2022. The advantages include:
A solid legal foundation: the Law on Cinema 2022 has replaced the previous law, updated regulations to align with the new context, and created a clearer legal framework for business activities.
Promotion of socialization: the new regulations create more favorable conditions for the private sector to participate in film production and dissemination.
Improved management efficiency: decentralization in film classification helps reduce administrative burdens and provides greater flexibility for filmmakers.
However, alongside these achievements, there remain certain limitations. Some provisions of the Law on Cinema are still not fully consistent with other laws such as the Law on Investment, the Law on Advertising, and the Penal Code. This creates difficulties for enterprises during implementation.
Public–private partnership (PPP) remains an area with many bottlenecks. Regulations on PPP cooperation in the field of cinema are not yet specific and lack clear mechanisms to attract private capital into large-scale film projects or infrastructure development. In particular, there is still a lack of effective protection policies. Although there is a general policy orientation toward protecting domestic cinema, specific measures are not yet strong enough. For example, there are no clear regulations on screening quotas for domestic films, nor is there an effective and transparent film production support fund comparable to those in many other countries.
5. Practical application of the law and existing challenges
The practical application of legal regulations reveals many issues that need to be addressed:
Business activities: although many private enterprises participate, Vietnam’s film market still relies heavily on foreign films, especially Hollywood blockbusters.
Public–private cooperation: projects involving cooperation between the State and the private sector in the field of cinema remain limited, mainly due to the lack of clear financial and legal mechanisms.
Advertising and dissemination on digital platforms: the development of the internet and online streaming services (OTT) poses new challenges for state management. Current regulations have not kept pace with the rapid development of technology, leading to difficulties in content control and tax collection.
6. Proposed groups of specific solutions
The improvement of legislation on film business needs to be based on the following requirements:
Consistency: ensuring uniformity and avoiding conflicts between the Law on Cinema and other related legal documents.
Practicality: regulations must stem from the actual practice of the industry and address existing obstacles and bottlenecks.
Integration: creating conditions for Vietnamese cinema to integrate internationally, attract foreign investment, while still protecting national cultural identity.
Group of solutions to improve the legal framework
Amending and supplementing conflicting provisions: reviewing and adjusting the provisions of the 2022 Law on Cinema to ensure consistency with the Law on Investment, the Law on Enterprises, and the Law on Advertising, especially issues related to business conditions and public–private partnership activities.
Improving public–private partnership (PPP) policies: developing detailed guiding documents on PPP mechanisms in the field of cinema, including incentives related to taxation, land use, and other forms of financial support. This aims to create strong incentives for the private sector to invest in film production and infrastructure development.
Building effective policies to protect domestic cinema
Screen quota: considering the application of a screen quota policy similar to that of South Korea, stipulating a minimum proportion of screening time for Vietnamese films in cinemas.
Tax incentives: applying corporate income tax exemptions or reductions for Vietnamese film production companies.
Group of solutions to enhance implementation effectiveness
Innovating state management methods: promoting the application of technology in management, allowing online submission of dossiers and applications for licenses.
Enhancing appraisal capacity: building a professional film appraisal team with in-depth knowledge of cinema, law, and culture, ensuring objectivity and transparency.
Strengthening control over digital platforms: establishing effective coordination mechanisms among management agencies to control film content on the internet, ensuring compliance with Vietnamese law.
Group of solutions for the public–private cooperation process
Enhancing the role of the State: the State needs to play a leading role, creating attractive, transparent, and highly feasible projects to attract private investors.
Establishing risk- and benefit-sharing mechanisms: setting up clear PPP contracts that fairly define rights and obligations, risks, and benefits between the State and the private sector.
Through these studies, the current state of legislation on film business in Vietnam has been clarified, contributing to identifying strengths, limitations, and remaining challenges. Although important progress has been made with the 2022 Law on Cinema, there are still bottlenecks, especially in attracting private investment and implementing protection policies. Improving the legal system is an urgent requirement for Vietnam’s film industry to develop strongly, sustainably, and competitively in the international market.
On the basis of systematizing theory and further clarifying the theoretical foundations of film business activities from the perspective of economic law, this paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the current situation, analyzes the practical application of the law, identifies strengths, limitations, and causes—particularly regarding public–private cooperation. From there, it proposes feasible solutions: putting forward specific measures to improve the legal system, remove bottlenecks, and create favorable conditions for the development of Vietnam’s film industry in the coming period.
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References
1. Law on Cinema No. 52/2022/QH15 promulgated by the National Assembly on June 15, 2022.
2. Government Decree No. 131/2022/NĐ-CP, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Cinema.
3. Decision No. 2156/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister, issued on November 11, 2013, approving the “Strategy for the Development of Cinema up to 2020, with a Vision to 2030.”
4. Decision No. 1755/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister, issued on September 8, 2016, approving the “Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s Cultural Industries up to 2020, with a Vision to 2030.”
5. Law on Investment No. 61/2020/QH14 promulgated by the National Assembly on June 17, 2020.
6. Law on Advertising No. 16/2012/QH13 promulgated by the National Assembly on June 21, 2012. Consolidated document No. 25/VBHN-VPQH, issued on September 16, 2024.
7. Ngô Phương Lan, Reviewing 10 Years of the Cinema Sector Implementing the Cultural Development Strategy, Journal of Culture and Arts, No. 420, June 2019.
8. Bảo Ngân, Vietnamese Cinema: Overcoming Challenges in Integration, baovanhoa.vn, December 8, 2021.
9. Việt Đức, There Is a Need for Breakthrough and Specific Mechanisms to Develop the Film Industry, vietnamplus.vn, October 28, 2021.
10. Vũ Minh Đạo, Vũ Ngọc Thanh, The Current State of Vietnamese Cinema Law and Solutions for Improvement, Journal of Culture and Arts, No. 491, March 2022.
Date of manuscript receipt: September 10, 2025; Date of peer review, evaluation, and revision: September 20, 2025; Date of approval: September 30, 2025.
M.A. ĐẶNG TRẦN CƯỜNG
Source: Journal of Culture and Arts No. 621, October 2025
Article source: Law on Film Business in Vietnam: Current Situation and Solutions for Improvement in the Context of International Integration