PHNOM PENH: The 12th annual Chaktomuk Short Film Festival (CSFF) is welcoming submissions of short films shot in Cambodia until July 15, 2023. As the largest grassroots short film platform in Cambodia, the organization aims to promote innovative filmmaking and quality productions made by both domestic and international filmmakers in the Kingdom.

This year, the CSFF will expand its accolades to include Jury Special Mentions for debut Cambodian and International filmmakers in addition to audience awards and “Best Film” honors. CSFF welcomes both documentary and fiction films for submission; they must be under 30 minutes to qualify.

Last year’s “Best Cambodian Short Film” award went to “Sound of the Night” by Mr. Sok Chanrado and Vann Kongkea. The story is about the challenges and pressures of daily Phnom Penh life seen through the eyes of a noodle vendor who roams the night streets to make his daily living.

Manager of this year’s festival, Ruth Sansitny, says,“We hope to uplift, provoke, and challenge both our audiences and filmmakers this year. And make it a little bit stronger and more evident, the spirit of what it means to be an artist in this country,” In an effort to better reach youth that are interested in film, CSFF is planning outreach campaigns including its first Chaktomuk Film Insight this May, with details being confirmed on their Facebook page.

Filmmakers looking to network and connect their story to a large audience can submit their short films online at https://filmfreeway.com/CSFF or http://csff.co/submission/ before July 15.