A scene in the film "Taste". Photo by Berlinale
The Ho Chi Minh City-based Le Bien Pictures Company was fined VND35 million (USD1,522) for sending the film to the 71st Berlin International Film Festival without having the licence to release the film by local authorities.
"The company has violated Government Decree 158/2013/NĐ-CP on culture, sports, and tourism," the ministry said.
The film, which was directed by Vietnamese director Le Bao and co-produced by some foreign producers from Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany, and Taiwan, recently won the Special Jury Award in the 71st Berlin International Film Festival’s Encounters section.
The 97-minute film depicts a slum in Ho Chi Minh City, where a Nigerian footballer moves in with four middle-aged Vietnamese women after his club is dissolved.
The 71st Berlinale took place online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The prize for Le Bao's film was announced on its website and fan page on March 6.