Phnom Penh: On October 9th, 2023, the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), successfully organized the "Asian International Children's Film Festival 12th Preliminary In-Country Contest in Cambodia". The contest featured 3-minute short films produced by Cambodian high school students under the theme of "What I want" and took place in Angkor-Kizuna Hall of Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC).

The three group winners are number one from Pich Chenda High School in Battambang, whose title of the film is "What I Want", number 2 is from Net Yang High School in Battambang whose title is "What I Want is not just for myself.", and number 3 is from Sovannaphumi School in Takeo whose title is "What I truly wanted". These three groups will be joining the "Asian International Children's Film Festival 2023", which will be held on December 16th, 2023, in Minami Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Ms. MIYOSHI Asagi, Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia, delivered an opening remark to all the candidates. She said "This year is the 70th anniversary of the Cambodia-Japan friendship. I hope that this Asian International Children's Film Festival 12th Preliminary In-Country Contest in Cambodia will be an opportunity to build a bridge of friendship between both countries and also strengthen mutual relationship".

During this occasion, Mr. Sen Sony, Deputy Director of the ASEAN Information and Affairs Department also gave a closing remark. He expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for organizing the “Asian International Children’s Film Festival”. This program provides young Cambodian students with a chance to work in a team and learn about their self-responsibility to reach their achievement for their future goals. He added that this program not only gives these chances to those students, but it also provides them with the chance to go to Japan (for the winners) and meet other young students from other 10 countries. They will learn and exchange experiences, culture, tradition, society, economics, history, and diplomacy relationships by this program.