Cambodia & Culture : CIFF 360 in Kep, Cinema Between Heritage and the Future

From 13 to 17 May 2026, the Cambodia International Film Festival sets up in Kampot and Kep for an exceptional edition, blending Khmer heritage, emerging voices, and a dialogue about the future of Cambodian cinema.

Under the sign of royalty

It all begins in Kampot on Wednesday, 13 May, with an outdoor screening of rare power: Meeting with Pol Pot by Rithy Panh (2024), shown facing the sea near the Old Bridge. The tone is set — this is a festival that does not aim to entertain at any cost, but to make people think.

The next day, the festival moves to Kep for its official opening night, on 14 May, the birthday of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni. The program immediately carries this symbolism: the afternoon opens with The Time to Cry (1971), a work by filmmaker Uong Kan Thouk, a pioneering figure of the golden age of Khmer cinema in the 1970s.

In the evening, a film by the late King Norodom Sihanouk himself, La Joie de Vivre, opens the large outdoor screen at The Deck at The Wave in Kep West — a vibrant tribute to a time when the Cambodian monarchy was also creatively active.

Kep, a natural setting

The choice of Kep is no accident. This small coastal town, once a seaside resort for the French colonial elite and later for the Khmer elite, now exudes a melancholic softness that is ideal for major nighttime screenings.

The Deck at The Wave, by the sea, and the Kep Wellness Center — a former Sailing Club turned screening venue — form the beating heart of the festival. Between them lies a town slowly waking up, energized by a growing cultural scene around the Art for Kep project and the Knai Bang Chatt resort.

Cinema and nature

On Friday, 15 May, the program takes on one of the major questions of our time. The afternoon opens with Cambodia Southeast Asia Safeguarding Life, a short-film program devoted to mangroves, coral spawning, and marine biodiversity in Southeast Asia. Marine Conservation Cambodia then joins the audience for a discussion.

The evening belongs to Golden Slumbers by Davy Chou (2011), the cult documentary about lost Cambodian cinema, shown outdoors with the short film Maybe in the Snow by Canadian filmmaker of Cambodian origin Laurence Ly as a prelude.

Saturday for all audiences

Saturday, 16 May, is probably the festival’s busiest day. Starting at 10 a.m., children take over the Kep Wellness Center for Cartoons of the World, an animation program featuring films from eleven countries, from Luxembourg to Japan, from the Philippines to Peru. It is a fine way to introduce younger audiences to cultural diversity through images.

The afternoon features a succession of short films on Cambodian and Southeast Asian indigenous cultures, before the evening highlight: the premiere of Far Away Close to You by Mony Darung (2026), presented as one of the emblematic works of a new generation of Cambodian filmmakers, preceded by the short film Rest in Pieces by Sophea Kim. The sunset will be accompanied by live music at The Deck, with a screening of The Roots Remain by FONKi as a gift from Art for Kep.

In parallel, and by invitation only, the Cambodia Film Forum is held in the gardens of Knai Bang Chatt: a full day of collective reflection on the future of the national film industry, under the banner Cambodia Film Forward: Imagine, Connect, Create. Working groups, priority voting, drafting a roadmap — the festival here becomes a rare space for sector-building in the region.

Closing in style

The final day, 17 May, offers one last animation program for children before a morning devoted to Kep’s architectural heritage: a guided tour of French colonial and modernist architecture, a photography exhibition by Walter Koditek, and a preview of what is to come — Kep Expo 2026 and the Kep International Art Festival scheduled for December.

After a networking lunch at The Strand at Knai Bang Chatt, a final selection of Cambodian short films closes the program. The informal and warm closing ceremony offers a glimpse of the next CIFF 360 edition — like a promise.

A festival, a vision

What stands out in CIFF 360 in Kep is the rare balance between cultural ambition and local rootedness. The festival does not try to compete with the world’s biggest events. Instead, it chooses to deepen its own path: to show Cambodian cinema in all its historical and contemporary depth, to open dialogue with Southeast Asia and the Francophonie, to involve local communities, and to build, step by step, a lasting infrastructure for national cinema.

In Kep, between sea and hills, cinema breathes again. And it is beautiful.

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CIFF 360 IN KEP — 13 to 17 May 2026

Kampot & Kep Province, Cambodia

Wednesday, 13 May — Kampot

16:00 — Setup18:30 — Meeting with Pol Pot by Rithy Panh (2024, 112 min) — outdoor screening near the Old Bridge, Khmer original with English subtitles

Thursday, 14 May — Kep — Opening Night ★ King’s Birthday

14:30 — The Time to Cry by Uong Kan Thouk (1971, 96 min) — Kep Wellness Center, Khmer original with English subtitles

18:00 — Opening ceremony & La Joie de Vivre by H.M. Norodom Sihanouk (105 min) — The Deck @ The Wave, open air19:35 — Opening reception & live music — The Deck

Friday, 15 May — Kep

14:00 — Cambodia SE Asia: Safeguarding Life — short films on marine biodiversity, followed by a talk by Marine Conservation Cambodia — Kep Wellness Center

16:00 — Cambodia in Shorts 1 — selection of Cambodian short films, with the filmmakers present, Q&A — Kep Wellness Center19:00 — Maybe in the Snow by Laurence Ly (2025, 4 min) + Golden Slumbers by Davy Chou (2011, 96 min) — The Deck @ The Wave, open air, Q&A

Saturday, 16 May — Kep

10:00 — Cartoons of the World (96 min) — international animation program, children — Kep Wellness Center10:00–17:00 — Cambodia Film Forum (by invitation) — Cambodia Film Forward: Imagine, Connect, Create — Knai Bang Chatt Garden

14:00 — Cambodia & SE Asia: Indigenous Life — short films, followed by a talk by Bophana Audiovisual Center — Kep Wellness Center

17:30 — Sunset Band Session & Beneath the Surface by Vinay Bharadwaj (~35 min, documentary on Kep) — The Deck, Q&A18:30 — Rest in Pieces by Sophea Kim (2026, 20 min) + Far Away Close to You by Mony Darung (2026, 95 min) — The Deck @ The Wave, open air, Q&A

Sunday, 17 May — Kep — Closing

10:00 — Cartoons of the World (106 min) — animation program, all audiences — Kep Wellness Center10:30 — Guided tour of Kep’s architectural heritage & Walter Koditek photo exhibition12:00 — Lunch & networking — The Strand, Knai Bang Chatt

14:00 — Cambodia in Shorts 2 — Cambodian short films, Q&A — Kep Wellness Center15:30 — Closing ceremony & farewell drinks — The Deck

Program subject to change. All events are free to attend.