Cambodia & Portrait : Iem Tithseiha, storyteller and trailblazer for Cambodian cinema

In the subdued light of Phnom Penh's darkened cinemas, he is one of those whose name we know from the credits, but whose face we rarely see. Iem Tithseiha belongs to this family of creators who sculpt stories with patience and instinct, leaving their mark well beyond the frame.

With a degree in film direction from Dongseo University in South Korea, he chose to return to Cambodia to put his skills and keen sense of storytelling to good use

His career has not been a linear one, but has been woven from a multitude of experiences, like so many narrative threads enriching his artistic palette. On television, he has written scripts and plots for successful productions. The programmes The Rapper and MasterChef Cambodia bear the mark of his lively, structured writing, crafted in the service of images and emotions. Alternating between lead story producer and post-story producer, he has given these projects a genuine local flavour and a narrative coherence that captivates Cambodian audiences.

Away from the often hectic stage, Tithseiha has an intimate passion for children's literature. A prolific author, he has already published a dozen works, offering children worlds where the imagination reigns supreme: stories written with tenderness, where learning mingles with escapism. He applies the same care to composition as he does to his screenplays, but in a language that is accessible and full of warmth.

Since 2023, a new chapter has opened in his career. By joining the Chaktomuk Short Film Festival as Local Programmer, he has committed himself to supporting the country's young talent. His mission: to select, support and highlight works that tell the Cambodian story with sincerity and boldness. His eye, honed by years of practical experience and film analysis, acts as a creative filter, with each film selected bearing the mark of his exacting standards and sensitivity.

You'll often come across him, notebook in hand, jotting down an idea, a feeling, an image that could become the starting point for a story. Always inquisitive, Tithseiha continues to learn: scholarly readings, specialist workshops, master classes, immersion in works from the silver screen.

For him, learning is a driving force, and each new skill he acquires becomes an additional tool to serve the story.

More than a scriptwriter, programmer or writer, Iem Tithseiha is a craftsman of the present: one who listens to emerging stories, shapes them, and gives them the setting they deserve, so that the voice of Cambodian cinema can resonate in all its diversity.