Cambodia is looking beyond its temples and beaches to promote another increasingly important attraction: its creative scene. A new partnership between the Cambodia Tourism Board (CTB) and the Chaktomuk Short Film Festival (CSFF) aims to bring Cambodian cinema, culture, and tourism to wider regional and international audiences.
The two organizations signed a Matching Grant Agreement in Phnom Penh on August 21, 2026, as part of the Overseas Promotion of Local Events initiative. The agreement will support international media outreach and public relations for CSFF, helping position the festival as a platform for creative exchange while promoting Cambodia as a destination for cultural and film tourism.
Film tourism has become a strategic priority for the Cambodia Tourism Board, which sees cinema as a powerful way to inspire travel and introduce destinations to international audiences. CTB has already supported film training and mentoring programs, international production projects through its Film Location Scouting Programme, and Cambodian participation in major film markets. The partnership with CSFF adds an annual cultural event to this broader effort.
The 15th Chaktomuk Short Film Festival will take place in Phnom Penh from October 30 to November 2, 2026. Screenings will be held at several venues across the capital, with awards presented for categories including Best Local Short Film, Best International Short Film, and Best Local Student Short Film. The festival will then extend beyond Phnom Penh, with provincial events in Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kep from November to December.
This provincial expansion gives the festival a distinctly tourism-oriented dimension. Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kep each offer a different cultural and travel experience, allowing visitors to discover Cambodia beyond the capital while encountering its emerging generation of filmmakers.
For CSFF, the partnership represents a step from a locally recognized film festival toward an internationally connected cultural platform. For Cambodia, it highlights a different side of the country: young filmmakers, creative communities, contemporary culture, and a capital city increasingly associated with artistic and cultural activity.
With international promotion beginning in August, the 15th edition of CSFF is set to connect cinema and tourism in a way that could help Cambodia tell its story through a new lens.
