Session Times for the first Cambodian International Film Festival

Thursday, October 21.

Friday, October 22.

Saturday, October 23.

Venues:

View Cambodia International Film Festival Venues in a larger map

The world premiere of Cambodian filmmaker Chhay Bora’s Lost Loves will take centre stage at Chenla Theatre on Saturday as part of the first annual Cambodian International Film Festival, which will showcase global cinema to audiences in the Kingdom from October 21 to 23.

Cedric Eloy of the Cambodian Film Commission said that it was also important to show Cambodian films from the 1990s “as they demonstrate the will of Cambodians to make their own, to produce their own films”, despite a lack of resources.

He lamented a lack of interest amongst contemporary Cambodian producers, “who do not see the direct benefit of participating in a film festival, as a film festival doesn’t bring back money directly”.

But, he contended, festivals can open up access to an international audience.

He and other organisers said they hoped that the festival would demonstrate the benefits to local filmmakers and encourage them to participate in future years.

By showcasing Chhay Bora’s Lost Loves, organisers hope to do just that – and pave a way for local filmmakers to show their work beyond Cambodia.

Festival films were selected with the conscious intention of leading a revival of Cambodian cinema by engaging with different perspectives from international film.

“The idea of this program is to present feature films from around the world in a narrative way that is different from Cambodia,” Eloy said.

There will indeed be a rich array of films on display, including features, documentaries, a selection of films that have won the top prize at Africa’s largest international film festival, anime, shorts, French classics, and several 1990s Cambodian films.

The festival will provide a good taste of the contemporary – 31 of the selections were produced this year or last.

Festival screenings will be held at Chenla Theatre, French Cultural Centre, Lux Cinema and Bophana Audiovisual Centre, as well as outdoor screenings at Golden Sorya and Diamond Island. Three-day passes cost $5, or $1 for each film.

Treeless Mountain

Session times for Thursday, October 21

10:00am

Chenla Theatre: Ali Zaoua (private)

CCF: Bardsongs

Lux Cinema: Air Wave

12.30pm

Chenla Theatre: My Tehran for Sale

CCF: The Watcher

2:00pm

Bophana Center: Rehje

CCF: Recaptured by DMC

Lux Cinema: Agrarian Utopia

3:30pm

Chenla Theatre: The First Sight

4:00pm

Bophana Center: My Neighbour, My Killer

CCF: The most Secret Place on Earth

4:30

Lux Cinema: Tilai

6:00pm

Bophana Center: Baara

CCF: World Short Films

7:30

Chenla Theatre: Vanished

8:00pm

CCF: Manila

Lux: Cinema: Drum

Session times for Friday, October 23

10:00am

Bophana Center: Cartoons 1

CCF: Meekong Delta Blues

Lux Cinema: Chibi Maruko Chan

Chenla Theatre: Lost Loves

12:30pm

CCF: Bal Poussiere

Lux Cinema: Music Mission

1:00pm

Chenla Theatre: Ali Zaoua

2:00pm

Bophana Center: The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela

3:00pm

CCF: Shorts from the factory

Lux Cinema: Stolen Dreams

Chenla Theatre: The First Sight

4:00pm

Bophana Center: Spotlight on Kyrgystan + Old Mountain

CCF: Cartoon 2

5:30pm

Lux Cinema: Woman on Fire Looks for Water

Chenla Theatre: Treeless Mountain

6:00pm

Bophana Center: The Wanderers

CCF: BUNONG GUU OH + The Tibetan Offspring

6:30pm

Golden Sorya Market: Playtime

Diamond Island: Nostalgia

7:30pm

Chenla Theatre: Mindfulness and Murder

8:00pm

CCF: Gei Oni

Lux Cinema: Three Narrow Gates

10:00pm

Chenla Theatre: Manila

Session times for Saturday, October 23

10:00am

Bophana Center: Tisch NY Film School

CCF: Lost Loves (private)

Lux Cinema: Cartoons 1

Chenla Theatre: Who’s Afraid of the Wolf

12:30pm

Lux Cinema: Scales of Justice

1:30pm

CCF: Doc CFC Film Lab – Rithy Pan workshop

2:00pm

Bophana Center: Tisch NY Film School

Chenla Theatre: Bardsongs

2:30pm

Lux Cinema: 5 Centimeters Per Second

4:00pm

Bophana Center: Passuer déveil

CCF: The Last Word

Lux Cinema: Flower in the Pocket

Chenla Theatre: Technotise Edit and I

5:00pm

Bophana Center: Trailer – Year Zero UNTAC Mission

6:00pm

Bophana Center: Kontinusasom

Lux Cinema: 15 Malaysia

6:30pm

Golden Sorya Market: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts

Diamond Island: The Rice People

7:30pm

Bophana Center: Treeless Mountain

8:30pm

Lux Cinema: An Evening After the War