Apr 17, 2025

2025 Chinese Film Week in Cambodia Kicks Off

Against the backdrop of President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia, the opening ceremony of 2025 Cambodia “China Film Week” was held at Chaktomuk Theatre in Phnom Penh on the afternoon of April 17. Shen Haixiong, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and President of China Media Group (CMG), attended the event and officially declared the film week open.

Distinguished attendees included H.E. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia; H.E. Hab Touch, Permanent Secretary of State of the same ministry; Liang Jianzeng, Director of CMG General Editorial Office; An Xiaoyu, Director of CMG Africa-Asia Center; Cao Yi, Chief of CMG Asia-Pacific Bureau; Hua Kai, Deputy Director of CMG International Exchange Bureau; Zhang Xuxia, Deputy Director of China Film Archive; Zhang Miao, Producer of I Am What I Am 2; and Sun Haipeng, Director of the film.

(From left to right: Zhang Miao, Producer of I Am What I Am 2; Hong Li, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of Cambodia Asian Film Festival; H.E. Hab Touch, Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Shen Haixiong, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and President of CMG; H.E. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Liang Jianzeng, Director of CMG General Editorial Office; Cao Yi, Chief of CMG Asia-Pacific Bureau; Zhang Xuxia, Deputy Director of China Film Archive.)

Staged nine years into President Xi Jinping’s second state visit to Cambodia, China Film Week serves as a vital platform to deepen people-to-people exchanges and consolidate the public foundation of bilateral friendship. Co-hosted by the National Film Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the event is co-organized by China Film Archive and the Organizing Committee of Cambodia Asian Film Festival (CAFF).

In her address, Minister Phoeurng Sackona emphasized the profound and unbreakable friendship between Cambodia and China, noting extensive cultural cooperation spanning film and other creative sectors. A wide array of joint projects has continuously elevated bilateral collaboration within the film industry. She expressed hope that China Film Week Cambodia will evolve into a shared platform for creative exchange, friendship enhancement and solidarity, enabling the two nations to jointly advance the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

Zhang Xuxia delivered a speech noting that cultural exchanges between China and Cambodia have flourished in recent years. On March 25 this year, the Chinese New Year animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 (Nezha: The Devil Boy Churns the Sea) hit Cambodian cinemas and sparked a nationwide viewing boom. Released in both original Mandarin and Khmer-dubbed versions, the film has become a highlight of bilateral cultural dialogue. The Chinese side looks forward to advancing in-depth collaboration with Cambodian filmmakers across all links of film art and industry, consolidating the ironclad friendship shared by the two peoples.

The opening ceremony featured a vibrant lion dance performance by local Cambodian artists. Organizers distributed a diverse range of official film merchandise to onsite audiences, offering them immersive access to Chinese cinema.

Following the opening ceremony, I Am What I Am 2 was screened. The film's creative team held a lively post-screening dialogue with local viewers. As the official sponsor of the event, China UnionPay rolled out its offline campaign Boundless Cinema · UnionPay Smooth Travel concurrently at Chaktomuk Theatre.

Running from April 17 to April 21, this year's film week will screen six outstanding Chinese productions: I Am What I Am 2, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Forces Demon, Detective Chinatown 1900, A Tapestry of a Legendary Land and Big World.

Ms. Hong Li, Chairperson of CAFF and representative of the co-organizer, attended the opening ceremony and joined other honored guests to press the launch pillar, marking the official kickoff of the 2025 Cambodia “China Film Week”.

During the film week, the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the National Film Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia on Film Cooperation. Under the terms of this MOU, China and Cambodia will further deepen exchanges and cooperation in the film sector, expanding pragmatic collaboration covering reciprocal film screenings, co-production, talent exchange and participation in film festivals and markets. The accord will inject fresh momentum into people-to-people cooperation and high-quality development of bilateral relations between the two countries.