Cambodia celebrates films at 5th CIFF
12 Nov – Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF), first held in 2010 by the Cambodia Film Commission (CFC) and the Bophana Center, is now an annual prestigious film event that is held in Phnom Penh early December each year.
This year, the festival brings in 70 movies in diverse formats including short and long fiction, documentaries and animation. The movies will be screened at Phnom Penh's cinemas which include Sorya Mall Cineplex, Legend Cinema, French Institute and Bophana Center. It will also be shown at outdoor venues such as Koh Pich.
"The Last Reel" by Kulikar Sotho, which received the Spirit of Asia Award at Tokyo International Film Festival recently, has been chosen as the opening film to be played at the Opening Ceremony on 5 December 2014.
This year's festival will focus on contemporary Korean cinema, featuring Korean films of several genres such as sci-fi ("The Host"), epic ("Masquerade" – closing film) and comedy ("Boomerang Family"). There will also be a screening of "The Gate", the first official co-production between France and Cambodia directed by Oscar-winning director Regis Wargnier.
Another highlight of the festival will be a tribute concert which will be held after the screening of "Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll", a documentary on Cambodian rock from the '50-60's Golden Era.
According to its official website, the film program will be revealed gradually and the full schedule will be released by the end of November. Here is a list of the movies revealed so far:
Spotlight on Korean Cinema Today
- "Masquerade, The King of Façade" (Choo Chang-min), "Boomerang Family" (Song Hae-sung), "Set Me Free" (Kim Tae-yong), "A Werewolf Boy" (Jo Sung-hee) and "The Host" (Bong Joon-ho)
Special Screenings
- "The Last Reel" (Kulikar Sotho), "The Gate" (Regis Wargnier) and "Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll" (John Pirozzi)
French Action Cinema
- "Colt 45" (Fabrice Du Welz) and "Mea Culpa" (Fred Cavayé)
International Features
- "Nuoc 2030" (Nghiem-Minh Nguyen Vo)
Documentaries
- "O Samba" (Georges Gachot) and "Bonne Nuit Papa" (Marina Kem)
CIFF for Kids
- "Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants" (Hélène Giraud, Thomas Szabo)
The 5th CIFF will be held from 5 to 10 December 2014.
