Vietnamese cinema is taking a major step onto the international stage with Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor (Hộ linh tráng sĩ: Bí ẩn mộ vua Đinh), a 10th-century historical martial arts fantasy directed by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh. With a reported production budget of $3.8 million, the film is described as the most expensive Vietnamese production to date. Its selection for the Gala Presentations section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), followed by its selection as Vietnam’s submission for the 99th Academy Awards, has brought the country’s international ambitions into focus.
Spirit Guardians secured a place in TIFF’s Gala Presentations programme, which is associated with established filmmakers and large-scale films that combine artistic ambition with broad audience appeal. The selection placed a Vietnamese historical epic among an international lineup designed to attract industry attention and moviegoers.
In keeping with TIFF’s Gala tradition, the film screened at Roy Thomson Hall in downtown Toronto, a landmark venue with seating for around 2,000 people. For a production rooted in Vietnamese history and legend, the screening provided an opportunity to introduce its world to an international audience beyond its home market.
Directed by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh, the film draws on a legend surrounding the tomb of Dinh Tien Hoang, Vietnam’s first emperor. Set in the 10th century, the story follows seven warriors who receive a secret mission after the emperor’s death: to protect the mystery of his burial place. Their task involves deploying decoy coffins to conceal the location of the real tomb, transforming a historical legend into a martial arts adventure centred on loyalty, sacrifice and duty.
Rather than treating the past as a distant backdrop, Spirit Guardians brings a turbulent period of Vietnamese history into an action-driven narrative featuring warriors, palace intrigue and a mission whose success depends on secrecy. The combination of historical detail and fantasy also offers international viewers an entry point into a story shaped by Vietnam’s cultural memory.
The reported $3.8 million production budget raises the stakes. Recreating an earlier era requires extensive design, costumes, locations and coordinated action, making the film’s ambitions visible in the world it seeks to build.
However, a substantial budget alone does not guarantee international reach. TIFF’s selection gives the film a valuable platform, placing it before festival audiences, critics and industry professionals who may not regularly encounter Vietnamese commercial cinema. The Gala slot is particularly significant because it combines festival prestige with a programme designed to appeal beyond specialist film circles.
The next step is the Academy Awards. Vietnam has officially selected Spirit Guardians as its submission in the International Feature Film category at the 99th Oscars, following its appearance in Toronto. The selection marks an entry into the awards process rather than a nomination; the film must still progress through the Academy’s stages to reach the final shortlist or the nominees.
That distinction matters, but so does the opportunity. An Oscar campaign can extend a film’s visibility beyond its festival run, introducing its director, performers and national cinema to audiences, distributors and decision-makers around the world. For Vietnam, the submission also places a historical production in a conversation that often gives greater attention to films from more established international industries.
The film’s journey from a local legend to TIFF’s Gala Presentations programme and then Vietnam’s Oscar submission reflects a broader ambition: to tell stories grounded in the country’s history while competing for attention in the global film market. Its eventual awards outcome remains uncertain, but the milestones already mark a notable moment for Vietnamese cinema.
With Spirit Guardians, Vietnam is presenting a costly, culturally specific epic to the world, inviting international audiences to discover the story behind the country’s first emperor.
