Female film-makers have long been a pillar of Vietnam’s cinematic history, using their powerful voices to shape historical epics, award-winning documentaries and commercial hits alike. Here are some of the brightest stars making waves in the industry, and where you can watch their work on the App Store.

Đặng Thái Huyền originally wanted to become a lawyer, then studied tourism in university before finally applying to film school and discovering a serious knack for filmmaking. At the age of 29, Huyền won the Lotus Prize for best director at the Vietnam Film Festival. And in 2025, Huyền reached a historic milestone by becoming the first female Vietnamese film-maker at the helm of a war film.

Mưa Đỏ (Red Rain) retells the harrowing 81-day Siege of Quảng Trị in 1972, one of the fiercest battles in Vietnamese history. The film follows soldiers through relentless combat amidst the struggle for the Quảng Trị Citadel, evoking both the horrors of war and the resolve of those who fought.

Upon its release, Mưa Đỏ immediately won both critical acclaim and audience reception, and ended up setting a record as Vietnam’s highest-grossing domestic film of all time.

Veteran actress Hồng Ánh has more than 30 years of film experience, and in 2013, she began moving into production. In 2017, she made her directorial debut with Đảo Của Dân Ngụ Cư (The Way Station), having spent more than 10 years preparing for the project.

Adapted from a short story, the film features eclectic characters whose lives collide in a small coastal restaurant called Đêm Trắng (White Night). Each of them carries their own emotional baggage and hopes for connection in a shifting social landscape. Meanwhile, the restaurant owner has a secret he desperately tries to keep hidden.

Sparse in dialogue, the film’s narrative centres on inner turmoil and the search for companionship in a world that often feels stifling. Ánh’s depiction went on to win multiple awards, including best supporting actor and best cinematography at Vietnam Film Festival, then Best Film at the ASEAN International Film Festival.

Hanoi native Dương Diệu Linh’s film-making journey began with a series of short films, mostly focusing on the hidden lives of middle-aged Vietnamese women. Released in 2019, her first feature-length film Mưa Trên Cánh Bướm (Don’t Cry, Butterfly) is a culmination of those prior experiences.

A unique blend of drama, comedy and magical realism, it follows Mrs Tâm, a Hanoi–based wedding planner whose life unravels after she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Meanwhile, her daughter wants to escape from the family and study abroad in Europe. In a surreal turn, Tâm consults a shaman on livestream to win back her husband’s love, inadvertently awakening mysterious forces that blur the lines between family trauma and mystical intervention.

The film ended up winning two major awards at the Venice International Film Critics’ Week in 2024, earning praise for its distinctive portrayal of women and the emotional ties that bind them.

Hà Lệ Diễm started out as a journalist before pivoting to a career as a documentarian. Her magnum opus, Những Đứa Trẻ Trong Sương (Children of the Mist), offers an intimate coming-of-age portrayal of Di, a 12-year-old H’Mong girl living in a fog-shrouded village in Vietnam’s Northern Highlands.

Over three years, Diễm documented Di’s life as she navigated community traditions, education and youthful desires against the backdrop of unique cultural practices, probing how ancient customs and modern aspirations collide in a rapidly changing society. The project became the first local documentary to be shortlisted for best documentary feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.

US-born Kathy Uyên moved to Vietnam to further her career in film, first as an actress for Vietnamese-American directors such as Victor Vũ and Charlie Nguyễn, then making her directorial debut in 2019 with psychological drama Chị Chị Em Em (Sister Sister).

The story follows two women, married radio host Thiên Kim and runaway country girl Bảo Nhi, whose unlikely friendship eventually transformed into a budding romance, unbeknownst to Kim’s husband. Things take a darker turn as it’s revealed that Nhi is actually going after Kim’s fortune.

Featuring a cast starring Thanh Hằng and Chi Pu, the film was screened internationally at both the Osaka Asian Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.