Phnom Penh: Regards d’Asie du Sud-Est 2025, an immersion in the vibrant cinema of the region
- Editorial team
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
From November 27 to 30, 2025, Phnom Penh will host an unprecedented cultural event with the first edition of the mini-festival Regards d’Asie du Sud-Est. Organized at the French Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh Factory, and Fable Cinema, this festival will highlight the richness, diversity, and creativity of the cinematographies from Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The Cambodian director Davy Chou, a central figure of this initiative, announces:
"For the opening film, we will have the pleasure of welcoming the prolific filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone with Sunshine." This sports drama, an intimate portrait of a young Filipino gymnast facing an unexpected pregnancy while preparing for the Olympic Games, will embody both the determination of youth and the cultural challenges of the region. Its production will involve local talents, such as Kongchak Studio, which will handle sound design and mixing, illustrating transnational collaboration.
Davy Chou emphasizes:
"The fact that Sunshine, This City Is a Battlefield and Tenement are, totally or partly, made in Cambodia—with the Kongchak Studio teams—will be a real source of pride."
Screening and Meeting Schedule
The festival will open on Thursday, November 27 at 6:30 pm at the French Institute of Cambodia with the screening of Sunshine, followed by a discussion with its director. This meeting will offer the public an exclusive insight into the behind-the-scenes and issues of the film.
On Friday, November 28, same time and place, spectators will discover Stranger Eyes, a Singaporean thriller exploring themes of intimacy and surveillance.
Saturday, November 29 will be a busy day of events: at 1 pm, the screening of Ma - Cry of Silence will reveal the social struggles in post-coup Yangon.
At 3 pm, the French Institute of Cambodia will host a round table entitled Soundscapes of Southeast Asia, where Davy Chou, Antoinette Jadaone, Kiy Simon Luang (director of Goodbye Mister Wong) and sound designer Vincent Villa will discuss the crucial role of sound in the region’s cinema.
In the evening, Goodbye Mister Wong will close the day at 5 pm, with a Q&A session with its director.
For Sunday, November 30, the day will open at 10:30 am with Abang Adik, a poignant Malaysian drama. This will be followed at 1 pm by the Cambodian horror film Tenement, then at 3 pm the bold mixture of magical realism and Vietnamese body horror with Don’t Cry Butterfly.
The festival will end on a high note at 5 pm with the Indonesian historical thriller This City Is a Battlefield.
A Committed and Plural Programming
These films will offer a panorama of contemporary issues in Southeast Asia, mixing social struggles, shifting identities, and personal quests. The eclectic genres—from drama to thriller, comedy to fantasy—testify to a flourishing creativity and a renewed aesthetic scope.
Practical Information
Locations: French Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh Factory, Fable Cinema
Dates: November 27 to 30, 2025
Price: 3 USD per screening
Reservations: On the French Institute of Cambodia website for screenings at the institute, and via Telegram for Fable Cinema
Regards d’Asie du Sud-Est 2025 promises to be an immersive and rich experience. It is aimed as much at cinema enthusiasts as at curious people eager to grasp the voices of a Southeast Asia in the midst of cultural effervescence.
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