PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts organizes the 3rd Cambodia National Short Film Festival 2022 with the slogan: Short Films as a Stepping Stone to Feature Films. At the press conference on 12 December 2022, at Legend Premium Olympia, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts as well as sponsors talked about the festival and their hope for the future of filmmaking in Cambodia.

Pok Borak, Director of Cinema Department of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said that it has been a productive four months to organize this festival and received 35 entries for the competition. The two main themes explored in these films are society challenges and relationship challenges. 

Borak continued to add that it’s important to foster the young generation of filmmakers, and that is the focus of the festival and the reasoning behind the slogan. Therefore, the CNSFF will host two important siminars. Seminar 1 will be held on the 17 December 2022 at Chaktomuk Conference Hall with senior filmmakers led by the honored filmmaker Rithy Panh on the topic of “How to take Cambodian films to the international market.” Seminar 2 will be held on the 18 December 2022 at Chaktomuk Conference Hall with leading young filmmakers who have won both national and international awards on the topic of “How to make the short film industry thrive in Cambodia.”

Moreover, the CNSFF will also host a Pitching Session on the 19 December 2022 at CineHub for budding filmmakers to present their film concept in hope of finding funding, productions support, and more. Borak has added that the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is planning to host this Pitching Session every three months.

Chy Sila, CEO of Sabay Digital Corporations as well as a representative of Major Cineplex by Smart, has said that his companies has a vision for the film industry in Cambodia that will kickstart in 2023. They have budgeted to invest in local films but they will be strict on good screenplays as that will make or break the audience passion for the industry. Recently as well, he and other people in the industry in Cambodia have created Cambodia Film Alliance to help train the younger generations from acting to writing to the technical aspects. They hope to shape the future of the film industry in Cambodia.

Echoed this sentiment, Bo Sokunthea, a producer from Ream Production said that the company has invested in the latest equipment. She understood that as much as the filmmakers learn in theory, if they do not practice, they will not be able to improve their film quality. She furthers encouraged the young filmmakers to keep practicing as filmmakers are crucial in contribution to better the society. When filmmakers make films, they create a place for tourism. She concluded that Ream Production welcomes all with good ideas to make million-dollar projects together. She also praised the young filmmakers for overcoming their fear to join the festival this year.

There will be Gold (12 million riels sponsored by Major Cineplex by Smart), Silver (8 million riels sponsored by Hanuman Beverages), Broze (4 million riels sponsored by Westec Media), Audience Choice (a DSLR camera sponsored by Ream Production), and Special Jury (3 million riels sponsored by Legend Cinema). There are bonus awards in Best Screenplay (2 million riels sponsored by Trumulia Hotel), Rising Director (2 million riels sponsored by MediaLoad), and Technical Excellence (2 million riels sponsored by Ream Production) as well. Borak has said that these bonus awards are to be determined by the judges if there is any film that would meet the requirements to win. It is possible that no film meets the requirement to win them. 

The short films will be judged in two stages. There Pre-Selection Jury are seven judges to review and decide the winners of the bonus awards and select the top 5 contenders. The Final Jury of seven judges will pick the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners.

In addition to the screening of all 35 entries, 33 documentaries will also be screened during the festival at Major Cineplex by Smart, Legend Cinema, Prime Cineplex, Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center, and Institut Français du Cambodge from the 16-20 December 2022de from the main sponsors, other sponsors of the 3rd Cambodia National Short Film Festival include Sabay MVP, Wonder Film, LD Picture, Sastra Films, M Pictures, Angkor DC, Black Spider, Ek Phnom Cinema, and Bayon Bakery. Official partners include Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia for Culture and Fine Arts, DMC, PSE, Bophana Audiovisiual Resource Center, Cambodia Film Commission, CineHub, Rosewood Phnom Penh, Kongchak Pictures, Sabay Entertainment, and EAC News.

For more information on the festival’s schedule and application to join the Pitching session, please visit cnsff.cambodiafilm.info or www.facebook.com/cnsff.