Cambodia Shines Again on the World Stage of Auteur Cinema

On the international stage of auteur cinema, Cambodia is shining once more. Two short films carried by a new generation of Khmer filmmakers have just been selected for two of the world’s most prestigious festivals: Shadows by Prum Sreileak, which will have its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR 2026), and Incident on the Mountain, soon to compete at the Berlinale 2026.

Though distinct in tone and universe, these two works embody the same aspiration: to tell Cambodian stories with authenticity, boldness, and a resolutely feminine vision.

“Shadows”: the chiaroscuro of a Cambodian soul

Directed by young filmmaker Prum Sreileak, the film asserts itself from its very first images as a deeply personal and poetic work. Carried by the sensitive performances of Ty Sokun Theary and Mao Sreychhnas, the film explores memory, introspection, and the shadow each individual carries within. Its elliptical narrative and subtle mise-en-scène convey a rare elegance within emerging Cambodian cinema.

The project came to life thanks to LinDa Saphan, a researcher, artist, and the initiator of a support program for Cambodian women filmmakers. Surrounded by a collective of Cambodian-American producers — Annong and Anname Phann, Beni Chhun, Nina You, and Thavary Krouch — she built a transnational creative ecosystem linking the diaspora with the local scene.

Executive production by Danech San, already noted at Cannes with A Million Years, and the delicate cinematography of Parinee Buthrasri give the film a sensory, almost tactile texture. This is a cinema of silences, breaths, and restrained emotions — a singular voice of contemporary Cambodia, carried by women who refuse the repetition of conventional narratives.

“Incident on the Mountain”: a summit of collaboration and mastery

A few thousand kilometers from Rotterdam, Berlin is preparing to discover Incident on the Mountain, another source of pride for Cambodian cinema. Developed through the Chakto Script Lab — a writing program launched by Anti-Archive and the French Institute of Cambodia — the film bears witness to the rising strength of a local auteur cinema nourished by international mentorship.

The production, blending Cambodian technicians with regional partners from Thailand and Myanmar, illustrates the creative dynamism of Southeast Asia. With the support of Wim Vanacker, a respected figure of the Sélection Script residency in Europe, and an artistic team led by Danech San, Vincent Villa (sound designer), and Songsit Kasiroek (director of photography), the film stands as a collective act of cinema.

Alongside the artistic team, well-known figures from Cambodia’s independent scene — Chou Davy, Daniel Mattes, Pich Reach, and Kong Vollak — contributed to bringing to life a project that is as demanding as it is moving.

A generation on the rise

These two selections, in Rotterdam and Berlin, confirm the artistic maturity of contemporary Cambodian cinema, shaped with passion by production houses such as Anti-Archive, Kongchak Pictures, and Apsara Films.

They also signal the emergence of a strong female voice, re-engaging with themes of memory, violence, and identity reconstruction through sensitive and universal narratives.

For a country whose cinema is only just re-emerging after decades of silence, these achievements represent more than artistic success: they symbolize a reclamation, a reconquest of the imagination.