Cambodia film fest 2009 to be held in Kampot

CAMBODIA's film and video festival is to be held this year at Kampot, a small  attractive town about four hours drive south of the capital Phnom Penh.

Cambofest, the country's first internationally recognized independent movie festival, will commence its third season on 04 December, running

through 06 December, though the organisers say there may be a " sneak preview” on 03 December.

Film categories at the festival include: Fiction Features & Shorts * Doc Features and Shorts * Animation * Social Issues * "Universal Language" * Very Short Movies (under 10 minutes) * Cambodian Filmmakers Showcase*

The main venue in Kampot will be the Cinema Royale, one of the few vintage movie theatres remaining in Cambodia. An announcement about other venues is expected soon.

Once a stronghold of the infamous Khmer Rouge, Kampot is situated on the Kampong Bay River at the foot of the Elephant Mountains, and is the capital of Kampot province.

Quiet lanes, classic French colonial and Chinese architecture and very few tourists all serve to lend Kampot a quaint, welcoming, small town ambiance - very different to nearby Sihanoukville.

Visitors come to Kampot for a taste of provincial Cambodia, relaxed atmosphere, and to use the town as a base to visit nearby attractions such as Bokor Hill Station, the beaches and islands of Kep and the rest of southeastern Cambodia.

For more information about Kampot, there is a useful website at Canby Publications.