On the occasion of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Cambodia, the 2025 China Film Week in Cambodia opened on the afternoon of April 17 at the Chaktomuk Theater in Phnom Penh. The event was presided over by Mr. Shen Haixiong, President of China Media Group (CMG). Distinguished attendees included Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, Permanent Secretary of State Hab Touch, and, on the Chinese side, Director General of the General Office of CMG Liang Jianzeng, Director of the Asia-Africa Center An Xiaoyu, Head of the Asia-Pacific Bureau Cao Yi, Deputy Director of the International Communication Bureau Hua Kai, and Deputy Director of the China Film Archive Zhang Xuxia. Also present were Zhang Miao, the producer of I Am What I Am 2, and the film’s director Sun Haipeng.
As President Xi Jinping returns to Cambodia after nine years, the hosting of "China Film Week" is poised to play a significant role in deepening cultural exchange and strengthening people-to-people ties between China and Cambodia. The event is co-hosted by the China Film Administration and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and jointly organized by the China Film Archive and the Organizing Committee of the Cambodia Asia Film Festival, among others.
In her speech, Phoeurng Sackona highlighted the deep and enduring friendship between Cambodia and China, emphasizing the close cooperation between the two countries across various cultural sectors, including film. She noted that collaboration in the film industry has continued to flourish through a range of joint initiatives. Expressing her aspirations for the event, she voiced hope that the “China Film Week in Cambodia” would serve as a vibrant platform for creative exchange, strengthened friendship, and greater unity—contributing to the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.
In her remarks, Zhang Xuxia noted the growing vitality of cultural exchanges between China and Cambodia in recent years. She noted that on March 25 of this year, the Chinese animated film Ne Zha was released in Cambodian cinemas, igniting a wave of enthusiasm among local audiences. With both the original Chinese and a Khmer-dubbed version available, the film became a standout example of cultural exchange between the two nations. Zhang expressed China’s eagerness to further deepen cooperation with Cambodian partners across all facets of film art and industry, in a shared effort to strengthen the enduring friendship between the Chinese and Cambodian people.
The opening ceremony featured a vibrant lion dance performance by Cambodian artists. Attendees also received a variety of creative cultural products related to the film week, offering the local audience a deeper and more engaging introduction to Chinese cinema.
Following the opening ceremony, the film I Am What I Am 2 was screened, followed by a lively discussion between the filmmakers and the audience. As a sponsor of the event, China UnionPay simultaneously launched its offline campaign, Cinema Without Borders · Travel Freely with UnionPay, at the Chaktomuk Theater in Phnom Penh.
This year’s film week runs from April 17 to April 21 and feature six outstanding Chinese films, including I Am What I Am 2, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Forces Demon, Detective Chinatown 1900, A Tapestry of a Legendary Land, and Big World.
During the film week, China and Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Film Cooperation between the China Film Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Under the agreement, both sides committed to deepening exchanges and collaboration in the film sector, with a focus on practical cooperation in areas such as mutual film screenings, co-productions, talent exchanges, and joint participation in film festivals and exhibitions. This initiative is expected to inject fresh momentum into cultural cooperation and further elevate bilateral relations to a new level.
(Translated by Luo Desai)