Mockingbird Pictures brings Vietnamese and Southeast Asian titles to Busan's ACFM
Mockingbird Pictures is presenting new Vietnamese and regional genre titles to buyers at the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan, including horror films and a prison-set comedy drama.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1Mockingbird Pictures is launching three new titles at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in Busan, according to Deadline, on a slate of horror, supernatural mystery, comedy and family drama. DeadlineN “Mockingbird Pictures is launching three new titles at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM)” Read at Deadline ↗ Centre · 1Deadline names the new titles as Indonesia's The Doll Ghawiah, Vietnam's horror The River Demon (Út Lan 2) and Bluebells Studios' prison-set comedy drama The Happiest Cell, which is due for release in Vietnam on November 20. DeadlineN “two new titles – Indonesia’s The Doll Ghawiah and Vietnam’s The River Demon (Út Lan 2)”“Scheduled for release in Vietnam on November 20” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1Variety separately reports that the Vietnamese supernatural horror "Bloodline: The Curse Within" (local title "Huyết Thống") will be introduced to international buyers by Mockingbird at ACFM, the market of the Busan International Film Festival. VarietyLC “will be introduced to international buyers by Mockingbird Pictures at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the market of the Busan International Film Festival” Read at Variety ↗
Left · 1Mockingbird holds worldwide distribution rights to "Bloodline", which opens in Vietnamese theatres on Dec. 25; it is directed by Đinh Đức Thiện, produced by K8 Studio and Hoàng Gia, and follows a pediatric heart surgeon whose daughter falls prey to a vengeful ghost. VarietyLC “The company holds worldwide distribution rights to the film, which will open in theaters across Vietnam on Dec. 25.”“The story follows a celebrated pediatric heart surgeon whose daughter falls prey to a vengeful ghost.” Read at Variety ↗ Centre · 1The Doll Ghawiah, directed by Guntur Soeharjanto, is the latest instalment in Hitmaker Studios' The Doll franchise, which Deadline says has drawn around 5 million admissions in Indonesia; The River Demon is directed by Tran Trong Dan, and The Happiest Cell by Nguyen Nhat Trung. DeadlineN “a franchise that has drawn around 5 million admissions in Indonesia”“Directed by Nguyen Nhat Trung, The Happiest Cell features a star-studded cast” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1Bloodline's cast is led by Quách Ngọc Ngoan, with Quang Tuấn and Lan Phương, and Variety notes Phong Duong, Mockingbird's business director, is also a co-executive producer on the project. VarietyLC “Award-winning actor Quách Ngọc Ngoan leads the cast.”“Phong Duong, the company’s business director, also serves as a co-executive producer on the project.” Read at Variety ↗
Centre · 1Deadline adds that Mockingbird's earlier title Zero Meets Hero closed its domestic run with nearly $8M (VND207.7BN), the third-highest-grossing Vietnamese film of 2026, and that Luck For Sale is set for a U.S. theatrical release on October 9 across AMC, Regal and Cinemark theatres. DeadlineN “recently closed its domestic run with nearly $8M (VND207.7BN), making it the third-highest-grossing Vietnamese film of 2026”“set for U.S. theatrical release on October 9 across AMC, Regal and Cinemark theaters” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Phong Duong said the company is not seeking a single formula for Southeast Asian cinema and sees its role as helping each film find the international audience where it can connect most strongly; on Bloodline, Duong said audiences expect more from horror than a strong concept. DeadlineN ““We are not looking for one single formula for Southeast Asian cinema,” said Phong Duong” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC ““Audiences today expect more from horror than a strong concept – they expect quality in every aspect of the filmmaking,” Duong said.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Both outlets describe Mockingbird as handling around 60 theatrical releases and more than 100 post-theatrical titles a year; Deadline adds that it distributes local and international films in Vietnam as well as selling internationally. DeadlineN “handling around 60 theatrical releases and more than 100 post-theatrical titles annually” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Each year it handles upwards of 60 theatrical releases and more than 100 titles for post-theatrical windows” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Variety's exclusive focuses on a single title, the supernatural horror Bloodline: The Curse Within, as part of Mockingbird's newest Vietnamese lineup.
- Emphasis
- Plot, cast pedigree and filmmaker quotes on mixing medicine and the supernatural.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the other new titles on the slate or Mockingbird's box-office results.
- Charged language
- “vengeful ghost”“Award-winning actor”
- For example
-
“Mockingbird will present the title to buyers and distributors in Busan as part of its newest lineup of Vietnamese films.” — Variety
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline presents an exclusive overview of Mockingbird's market slate, framed as evidence that Vietnamese and Southeast Asian genre cinema is diversifying beyond horror.
- Emphasis
- Several titles, box-office results of older films and the U.S. release of Luck For Sale.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Bloodline: The Curse Within.
- Charged language
- “bedrock of Southeast Asian genre cinema”“star-studded cast”
- For example
-
“as the range of genre films emerging from Vietnam and Southeast Asia continues to expand” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Mockingbird Pictures is presenting new Vietnamese titles to buyers at Busan's ACFM.
- Mockingbird handles around 60 theatrical releases and over 100 post-theatrical titles a year.
- Phong Duong is Mockingbird's business director.
- Horror features prominently in the lineup.
Mockingbird Pictures organisation
Mockingbird presents itself as a seller and distributor seeking varied Southeast Asian commercial cinema and bringing Vietnamese films to international buyers.
“our role is to help each film find the international audience and market where it can connect most strongly” — Deadline
“that is the kind of Vietnamese cinema we want to bring to the world” — Variety
Busan International Film Festival event
The festival's market, ACFM, is the venue where Mockingbird presents its titles to buyers.
“the market of the Busan International Film Festival” — Variety
Left1 article
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Neutral Trade-press exclusive promoting one Vietnamese horror title, built around plot, cast and company quotes.
Centre1 article
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Vietnam’s Mockingbird Launches Horror Duo & Comedy Drama ‘The Happiest Cell’ At Busan’s ACFM
Neutral Trade-press slate overview treating Mockingbird's lineup as a sign of growing genre range in the region.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Oct 00:00 First DeadlineN Vietnam’s Mockingbird Launches Horror Duo & Comedy Drama ‘The Happiest Cell’ At Busan’s ACFM
- 10 Oct 06:59 +31h VarietyLC Vietnamese Supernatural Horror ‘Bloodline: The Curse Within’ Heads to Busan Market With Mockingbird Pictures (EXCLUSIVE)
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.