Kim Sophea wins historic Cambodian honour at Chaktomuk film festival
The 15th edition named 10 winning films, while organisers plan further screenings in provinces including Battambang and Siem Reap.
“Voices of Flowers in the Desert” has earned director Kim Sophea the Best Cambodian Short Film award at the 2026 Chaktomuk Short Film Festival, making her the first woman to win its top Cambodian honour. The festival ended on November 2, having opened on October 30.
Sunflower Film Organisation organised the 15th edition, which drew approximately 1,000 people to screenings. Its programme comprised 90 shorts representing 33 countries, with Cambodian productions accounting for 40. Judges named 10 winners across four international and six Cambodian award categories.
Among the Cambodian recipients, Jack Wachtel took the runner-up honour with “Ghost Guard”, and the jury commendation went to Seng Savonthara for “Incident in the Mountain”. Seang Vouchlin and Kheang Thinasanim earned the student-film award for “Letters from the Past”. The Best International Short Film prize went to the Philippine production “AGAPITO”, whose directors are Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romeo.
Festival director Sum Sithen, who also founded Sunflower, said Sophea’s win could encourage younger filmmakers, especially women, to develop their creativity and reach more viewers. Organisers also plan provincial screenings of selected titles, naming Battambang and Siem Reap among the locations. They said the screenings would make the films more accessible to students, filmmakers and other members of the public.
