According to The Paper, the short film market is developing rapidly, with many stars like Ma Thu Nguyen increasingly returning to the film scene by participating in various short film projects and quickly achieving success.
Research institute DataEye estimates that the scale of China’s short film market will reach 50.4 billion yuan in 2024, projected to exceed 63.48 billion yuan in 2025 and surpass 85.65 billion yuan by 2027. This indicates a burgeoning market with numerous opportunities for actors.
Ma Thu Nguyen is one of the leading stars in the short film segment. Born in 1999, she studied finance but only has experience in making advertisements and minor acting roles due to her striking appearance. After being encouraged to participate in short films, she decided to pursue acting seriously, not just as a means to satisfy her desire for acting.
At the end of 2021, Ma Thu Nguyen participated in a math competition but was eliminated. Following that, she was encouraged by friends to explore acting further. By early 2022, she began acting, and within just two years, she transformed into a “queen of short films,” according to The Paper. Currently, she is the top star in this genre.
Sources indicate that in 2024 alone, about 34,600 short films are expected to be produced, and Ma Thu Nguyen has already been involved in seven works that rank among the top 20 hottest films on social media. In the two years since her debut, she has taken part in 30 projects. Her released works have consistently topped the charts, with several becoming highly popular titles such as Em Chỉ Là Người Thay Thế, Yêu Em Vẫn Nằm, Không Biết, Tình Yêu Dành Cho Em, Tìm Lại Tình Yêu, Cảm Nang Hắc Liên Hoa Thương Vĩ, Giảo Thanh Lệ…
Currently, the total views of Ma Thu Nguyen’s works have surpassed 10 billion. Moreover, her individual performance has achieved over 1 billion views. In 2024, she is expected to receive the Best Actress award for short films at the Hainan International Film Festival.
According to The Paper, popular short films can generate significant revenue, exceeding 100 million yuan for production companies. However, the filming duration for such projects often lasts only 7-15 days, meaning the actors do not have much downtime. Ma Thu Nguyen often works 14-16 hours each day, which has helped her maintain a strong standing in the industry.
Regarding her income, Ma Thu Nguyen currently earns approximately 20,000-30,000 yuan per day. She has also become a cover girl for various magazines. Additionally, she receives numerous endorsements.
According to 163, Ma Thu Nguyen is dubbed the “Liu Yifei of the short film industry” not just because of her stunning looks, but also because she is considered the most attractive among her peers. Many stars in the short film industry have also entered beauty contests, but Ma Thu Nguyen has been recognized for her natural beauty. However, when viewed through the lens of the audience, her real-life appearance does not differ much from her on-screen persona.
In contrast, Ma Thu Nguyen stands at a height of 1.61 m, with a slender figure and a bright complexion. Thus, her real-life appearance is not much different from what is seen on screen. Besides her striking looks, Ma Thu Nguyen has also shown versatility in taking on various film roles.
