Cambofest set near Angkor Wat

December film fest to screen 50 films under the stars

By Joel Gershon

Nov 6, 2008,

Angkor Wat (Getty Images photo)

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BANGKOK -- The second annual Cambofest, Cambodia's first internationally recognized film festival, will open under the stars on Dec. 26 in outdoor venues near the famed ancient Khmer temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

The three-day festival will show 50 films from around the world including independent features, documentaries, shorts, animation and films dealing with social issues, organizers said Thursday.

Festival director Jason Rosette said the event would be "extremely grass-roots and lo-fi" because of limited funding. He did not specify the size of the budget, some of which was provided by the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Phnom Penh.

Rosette said that because there are no movie theaters in Siem Reap, venues would include outdoor open spaces.

The Golden Buffalo awards will be given out at the end of the festival on Dec. 28.