Cambofest Cambodia film festival, known fully as CamboFest: Film and Video Festival of Cambodia, is the first internationally recognized film festival to take place in Cambodia since the end of the Khmer Rouge era. Established in 2007/2550, CamboFest’s pioneering efforts encouraged the startup of a number of other film festivals in Cambodia, and the ASEAN (SE Asia) region.
“His Majesty the King-Father asked me to thank you on His behalf. He read with great interest your report about your activities in reviving the cinema industry in Cambodia” (via 2011 Email from His Staff)
Unlike other cinema events in Cambodia which are funded by international government or NGO organizations, CamboFest is a truly independent festival undertaking. The festival is intended to be a primarily entertaining independent platform for showcasing international and local film and video makers.
CamboFest has evolved beyond traditional theatrical screenings toward device-first, on-demand experiences, reflecting how audiences actually consume media now. As of 2026, licensing and screening fees remain difficult to recover in the current independent Cambodian market, with no reliable way to generate revenue from live events.
Many film festival events in the region are still funded by foreign government stakeholders, and independent art house venues are largely grey area or openly resistant to IP licensing, making legitimate undertakings an unprofitable type of outlier. Digital distribution offers a progressive, cost-free path forward instead. Select live events may still happen, but the future is primarily device-oriented digital delivery.
CamboFest is a private sector, independent, grass roots undertaking. The festival receives no funding from the Cambodian government or foreign government stakeholders; it welcomes contact from individuals and institutions interested in the festival’s history or future activities. Contact CamboFest with inquiries
Yvon Hem was a pioneering figure of the Golden Age of Cambodian cinema, directing some of the most beloved films of 1960s and early 1970s Khmer cinema. He served as Project Advisor to CamboFest and later as Project Advisor on the Cambodian film, Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky, before receiving the festival’s Grabay Meas (Golden Waterbuffalo) lifetime achievement award. Yvon passed away in August 2012.
CamboFest is proud to highlight Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky, the first and only dramatic film set during the 1970 Cambodian Incursion. Blending historical facts of the US-ARVN ground campaign with supernatural local folklore, this unique indie film offers a rare Asian perspective on the Vietnam War era. The film was advised by Yvon Hem and directed by Jason Rosette, credited as Jack RO.
Visit the official movie site for ‘Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky’
