Vietnamese film Dong mau anh hung (The Rebel) was selected one of the 12 finalists out of over 150 submitted films at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2007, its producer informed Friday.

Director of Ho Chi Minh City-based Chanh Phuong Films Productions, Nguyen Chanh Tin, called Thanh Nien yesterday evening to announce that out of four Vietnamese films nominated for awards – including Bolinao 52, Saigon Eclipse, and The Stories of Spirits – his feature ‘The Rebel’ was the only one selected to enter the final round with 11 features from other countries.

Directed by Charlie Nguyen, the US$1.5 million martial arts movie – a cooperative project between Chanh Phuong Films and the US-based Overseas Vietnamese Cinema Pictures – began shooting in early 2006.

Set in the early 20th century, The Rebel features Cuong, a young man who returns to Vietnam following his studies in France and is hired by the French colonialist army to carry out a secret mission.

During the process, he meets the beautiful girl Thuy, a secret agent for the Vietnamese resistance army. Although they have different backgrounds, Cuong and Thuy fall in love.

The film, staring Johnny Tri Nguyen (as Cuong), Ngo Thanh Van (as Thuy) and Dustin Nguyen, made its world debut last month at the Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) in Los Angeles, California.

It earned more than VND1 billion ($62,000) in ticket sales in its first three days of release in cinemas in Vietnam.