Cambodia Film Commission hits 10 and has a new website

 Davy Chou's Diamond Island

Initiated by Oscar nominated director Rithy Panh, the Cambodian Film Commission (CFC) was established in 2009 under the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia with the Support of the French Agency for Development (AFD). CFC's mission on the international level is to promote Cambodia as a film destination and facilitate filming in Cambodia by providing administrative, artistic and technical support to foreign productions. Today, this commission has hit its 10-year mark.

 Angeline Jolie's First They Killed My Father

Since 2009, foreign film productions have spent a total of USD37 million in the Cambodian economy, generating nearly three hundreds of thousands of working days. In 10 years, Cambodia hosted more than 620 film shoot including First They Killed My Father by Angelina Jolie (USA), Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon by Michael Bay (USA), Act of Valor by Scott Vaugh (USA), Almayer's Folly by Chantal Akerman (France-Belgium), The Gate by Regis Wargnier (France-Cambodia), Diamond Island by Davy Chou (France-Cambodia), and recently Onoda by Arthur Harari (France-Japan) or Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen (released in Cambodia from October). 

In conjunction with it 10th anniversary, CFC has just launched a new website at www.cambodia-cfc.org. This updated website offers information for foreign producers such as film location galleries, production guide, information about Cambodia. CFC website is also a home for industry news such as events, opportunities, Awards and policies dedicated to the entire industry. CFC is also developing  the Cambodia Film Database (CAMBODAB), a compilation of films shot in Cambodia in a single database. 

Guest of Honour of the launch and celebration event, Under Secretary of State of Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, H.E. Kong Khantara said,"I would like to congratulate the Cambodia Film Commission’s 10th Anniversary and appreciate all the activities and remarkable achievements of forming over 400 trainees a, welcoming approximately 600 projects and generating almost 40 million USD in Cambodian economics."

CFC has provided numerous free professional trainings, workshops and master classes to local crews and filmmakers as to develop the human resources and boost the local film industry. Young filmmakers have received extensive training and support such as Lida Chan (Red Wedding - documentary Best Film Award in the prestigious documentary festival IDFA), Neang Kavich (Where I go, Last Night I saw you smiling), Guillaume Suon (About My Father - Selected and Awarded in Biarritz). 

Lida Chan's Red Wedding

Kavich Neang's Last Night I saw You Smiling

Guillaume Suon's About My Father

CFC has also been organizing with the Bophana Center nine editions of the Cambodia International Film Festival, the main film event in Cambodia, gathering over 20.000 patrons yearly in March in the best modern theaters of Phnom Penh. CIFF has played a role of industry catalyst and provides many educational, cultural and networking opportunities for the Cambodian youth and film industry.

 Cambodia International Film Festival