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Chakto Cinema with Anti-Archive
The Chakto Cinema project aims to strengthen screenwriting skills among young Cambodians who want to make their first short
films, or who want to develop their screenwriting skills. A five-day training, supervised by internationally renowned mentors, was held
from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29, 2024 to help them refine and build their short film project.
Anti-Archive was chosen to lead this project from July 2024 to October 2025.
The mentors
Anna Ciennik
Of Polish origin and trained in France, Anna Ciennik graduated from the La Fémis film school in 2010 in the production department. Initially a producer and post-production supervisor, she developed her work as a script consultant for several development laboratories.
Geoffroy Grison
Screenwriter, story consultant and European translator, Geoffroy Grison has written and produced a dozen feature films in the Middle East, the United States, Eastern Europe and France. Consultant for various laboratories and development platforms.
Wim Vanacker
Member of the Selection Committee of the Official Short Film Competition of the Cannes Film Festival. Screenplay consultant, creative advisor, tutor and guest speaker for numerous workshops, film festivals and projects in development.
The selected projects
Of the fifteen projects submitted by the nineteen participants who followed the November 2024 training, five short film projects were selected by an international jury composed of leaders in the film and cultural industry in Southeast Asia:
- Cattleya Paosrijeroen, producer and co-founder of 185 Films, an independent film company based in Bangkok;
- Sothea Chum, Cambodian filmmaker;
- Linh Duong, Vietnamese filmmaker;
- Makbul Mubarak, Indonesian filmmaker and screenwriter;
- Fanny Pagès, Deputy Director and Cultural Attaché at the French Institute of Cambodia.
Participants whose projects are selected by the jury will receive grants of between $5,000 and $10,000 each, to enable them to move into the
production phase. In addition to this grant, they will receive coaching and follow-up from the Anti-Archive team, in exchange for their
commitment to transforming their scripts into short films by July 2025.
The Ba Phnum Incident | ឧបទ្ទវហេតុបាភ្នំ
WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Seng Savunthara | សេង សាវុន្ថារា
Up on a hill, a journalist probing a decade-old helicopter crash and a missing police chief is drawn into a shadowy world of mysticism and
militancy, where history, folklore, and present-day power collide.
How to Cut a Watermelon | ឳឡឹកទុំ
WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Soksan Roza | សុខសាន្ត រ៉ូហ្សា
Mimi, who lives with her girlfriend, reconnects with a high school friend while working at a rollerblading rink. She quickly develops feelings for him, and out of her impulsiveness, she asks to sleep with him on their first date. One night of awkwardness, nothing goes according to plan.
Rented Room | បន្ទប់ជួល
WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Phorn Sophanith | ភ័ណ សុផានិត
After the closure of garment factory, three young women living in a rented room must confront their financial struggles and their differing life choices, which tear apart their friendship.
I Wish I Could Float on Water | ស្រាល
WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Thong Senghorng (Mio) | ថុង សេងហ័ង (មីអូ)
A young woman's bittersweet homecoming confronts the complexities of family, traumas, and loss as she navigates the delicate balance between past and present, learning to forgive and let go
Flower Bloom in the Sky | ផ្ការីកលើមេឃ
WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Sou Monysak | ស៊ូ មុនីស័ក
A father and a daughter, both haunted by their pasts, struggle to connect and share their regrets as they navigate the challenges of their relationship.
