On Saturday, 17th January 2004, Pannasastra University of Cambodia will be hosting a day long conference entitled “Cinema Cambodia: Remembering the Past and Moving Toward the Future”. The Conference will cap a week long celebration of Cambodian cinema on the PUC campus.

Organized and sponsored by the University’s newly opened Faculty of Communications and Media Arts in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and UNESCO, the Conference will bring together Cambodian and foreign film directors, producers, theater owners, movie theater exhibitors, distributors, representatives from cultural organizations, TV station managers, and Cambodian government officials to discuss the various artistic, cultural, economic, financial, and technical issues involved in reinvigorating the art of cinema in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

"Cambodia had a thriving movie industry in the 1960's, and Phnom Penh alone had between 30 and 50 movie theaters,” said Raymond Leos, Dean and Professor of the University Faculty of Communications & Media Arts. “The Cambodian Government, then led by Prince (now King) Norodom Sihanouk (a filmmaker in his own right) also played a major role in supporting and promoting filmmaking in the country.”

Mr. Leos went on to say that the film industry in Cambodia was showing signs of revival, “As recently as two or three years ago, there was not a single commercial movie theater operating in Phnom Penh. Now, just two years later there are close to a dozen theaters in the city, (including a modern two screen "multiplex" in Phnom Penh's new indoor shopping mall) and more are being planned in the future''.

The Conference, the first of its kind held in the Kingdom will feature panel discussion on Cambodia’s Film Legacy, Creative and Technical Challenges for Cambodian Filmmakers, Financing, Distribution, and Marketing, Intellectual Property Rights/Enforcement of Copyright Laws and Foreign Film Productions--Bringing "Hollywood" to Cambodia.

A partial list of scheduled panel speakers includes:

Julio Jeldres: Official Biographer of King Norodom Sihanouk and noted author;
Eliza Romey: Film Scholar and Writer, Author "King, Artist, Filmmaker: The Films of Norodom Sihanouk;
Scott Rosenberg: noted expert on the Asian film business, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief for ‘Film Journal International’ and managing director AMW International which bridges Hollywood and the Asian film communities;
Nick Ray: Location Manager for "Tomb Raider” and director of Hanuman Films a film location service company that coordinates major feature films in Cambodia:
Rithy Panh: acclaimed Cambodian Film Maker, director of the documentary "S-21 The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine" which screened last year at Cannes;
Ly Bun Yim: popular Cambodian filmmaker of the 1960's and president of the Movie Association of Cambodia, one of the few filmmakers to survive the Pol Pot era and presently constructing a film studio outside Phnom Penh.