Director and actress Ngo Thanh Van's first feature film Tam Cam: The Untold Story has been selected to compete at the 21st Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia’s most popular film festivals.

A scene in Tam Cam: The Untold Story directed by Ngo Thanh Van

Tam Cam: The Untold Story, is a Vietnamese fairy tale in similar vein to Cinderella.

Van added even more fantasy elements and monsters to the story. In the film, Tam falls in love with the prince who was struggling against an evil presence in the royal court and helps him win back the country.

Three weeks after the premiere, Tam Cam took in over VND40bn (USD1.79m) at local theatres. Recently, Tam Cam has been chosen to compete in category A Window on Asia Cinema for new and representative films by talented Asian filmmakers.

The City of Mirrors by young director Truong Minh Quy has also been selected to compete in the same category.

The festival's director Kim Ji-seok said Tam Cam could be an important step for Vietnam to reach out to the international market.

Korean entertainment company Kidari Ent. reached a deal with Tam Cam's distributor to buy the film's distribution rights in South Korea.

The 21st Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 6 to 15. Several Vietnamese films have been selected to the festival including Bi, Don't Be Afraid by Phan Dang Di, Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere by Nguyen Hoang Diep and Quyen by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh.