Entries have opened for the third Chaktomuk Short Film Festival to be held in Phnom Penh from November 6 to 8.

The festival – which is being organised by Cambodian film collective Kon Khmer Koun Khmer in collaboration with production company 802AD – will have both competition and showcase elements.

Last year’s event had 60 entries from Cambodia and the rest of the world.

Short films have become an important component of Cambodia’s nascent film industry, with many local filmmakers cutting their teeth with the form and seeing success at international competitions such as Tropfest Southeast Asia.

“We want to promote new talent in the local film industry and provide a showcase for people to see what they can do,” festival director Sok Visal said at a press conference launching the festival yesterday at Aeon Mall’s Major Cineplex, the festival’s venue.

Visal said that the festival would be an opportunity to network with industry players who would be invited to watch the short films.

Details of the prizes had yet to be decided yesterday, but they would include cash and film equipment, he added.

A series of film industry capacity-building events will be held in the lead-up to the festival.

They include a FilmCamp Marathon in September during which participants will receive training and work together to make several short films and a FilmCamp Trip in October to the Areng Valley where participants will shoot three more short films.

Entry to the festival competition is open only to films with a Cambodian director or producer and must be in Khmer with English subtitles.

There will be a jury award along with an award voted by audiences.

The winner of last year’s short film competition was Beauty and Water by Lim Rathanak Prasith.

The international showcase is open to all nationalities, but the shorts must be subtitled in English.

All films for both competition and showcase must have a run time of under 30 minutes and be submitted by September 1.

For more information go to chaktomukshortfest.com.