THE government last week urged the Ministry of Culture to do more to promote the Kingdom as a destination for international film crews as the ministry hopes to welcome growing numbers of foreign film productions.

Culture Minister Him Chhem said the focus of ministry efforts was to make Cambodia a better choice for international film productions looking for new location options.

"We are currently looking into the legal aspects of these issues," Him Chhem said  Thursday at the closing of a seminar during National Culture Week.

He said the ministry has set 2009 as a target year for promoting cultural diffusion throughout the Kingdom and more cultural events to highlight the nation's cultural identity.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said that attracting more foreign film productions would require seeking greater investment in the sector.

"If [foreign crews] want to film in Cambodia, they must know how to proceed. So, the Ministry of Culture should submit a letter to [Prime Minister] Hun Sen to outline what services we will provide to them when they film in our country," Sok An said.

"Cambodia must make it easy for film companies to shoot their films [here]," he said, adding that the country currently falls well behind regional neighbours in the sector's ability to meet international standards.

Sok An said the potential benefits of drawing large productions could be seen in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, portions of which were filmed on location at Angkor Wat.

Bringing large international crews to the country could produce millions of dollars in revenue, he said.