Phnom Penh
Legend Cinemas
Phnom Penh
Date: 18 December – 21 December 2025
Location: Phnom Penh
Guest: Renci Yeung, Jonathan Li, Chou Man Yu
Screening: Behind the Shadows, Dust to Dust, My First of May, Four Trails, Another World and Good Game
Partner: Legend Cinemas, Eden Garden
“Being able to screen two of my works in Phnom Penh at the same time feels like an important milestone in my creative journey,” said Chou Man Yu, describing his feelings at the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation — Phnom Penh. He also shared that he looks forward to one day sitting among the audience, watching and appreciating the works of younger filmmakers.
As one of the final highlights of Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2025, the Phnom Penh edition was held from 18 to 21 December 2025 at Legend Cinemas, Eden Garden. The opening film Behind the Shadows brought together directors Jonathan Li and Chou Man Yu with actress Renci Yeung, lively exchanging ideas with Cambodian audiences.
In the post-screening Q&A for Behind the Shadows, directors Jonathan Li and Chou Man Yu shared their original intentions to create the story, emphasising that the film was not conceived primarily as a suspense thriller, but rather as an exploration of marriage and infidelity. Chou revealed that the script was inspired by a real-life story of a friend who suffered from an emotional devastation after being betrayed in a relationship. This led him to realize how emotional hurts, even without physical injury, can have a profound and lasting impact on a person’s life, and he hops audiences can reflect upon.
When asked whether taking part in a film co-directed by two directors was challenging, actress Renci Yeung responded humorously, “Are you trying to set me up?” She then added that the process was completely smooth, expressing deep gratitude for the directors’ guidance and describing Behind the Shadows as “one of the most rewarding films” in her acting career.
Director Jonathan Li and screenwriter Chou Man Yu also attended the post-screening discussion for Dust to Dust. Speaking about adapting the film from real-life case, Jonathan Li shared that the team had initially considered three cases. They ultimately chose this one because they were curious about the real-life figure portrayed by Da Peng, particularly how he lived in hiding for more than twenty years after committing the crime. Rather than focusing on the action scenes of the heist, Jonathan Li said he focused more on diving deeper into the character’s inner journey.
Screenwriter Chou Man Yu added that before they started filming, the team visited the city where the fugitive had lived, even going to the shop he once ran and dining at nearby restaurants, in an effort to immerse themselves in his life. This hands-on experience, he said, made the creative process more meaningful.
Under the theme “Together We Dare to Team Up”, the two directors exchanged witty remarks when talking about their long-standing collaboration. Jonathan Li and Chou Man Yu jokingly said that over the past few years, they had spent more time seeing each other than their partners or families, laughing that after so many years of working together, it had become “a bit boring,” and that they now looked forward to new challenges ahead.
The three filmmakers also visited PSE Film School to engage with film students and share their creative journeys. Having watched Behind the Shadows the night before, students expressed their enjoyment of the film and responded with a warm round of applause. During the discussion, the two directors placed special emphasis on technical aspects, encouraging students to explore different disciplines during their studies. Even those majoring in directing or screenwriting should gain hands-on understanding in multiple parts such as sound and lighting, as directors on a real film set often need to oversee multiple aspects simultaneously.
The exchange ended on a high note, with students remaining highly engaged. The group photo session lasted nearly ten minutes, and some students even continued in-depth conversations with Chou Man Yu for fifteen minutes, reluctant to leave.
The Phnom Penh edition marked a successful conclusion to the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2025, and also symbolised the Asian Film Awards Academy’s continued commitment in 2026 to bringing Hong Kong cinema across Asia, carrying forward the spirit of Together We Dare.
Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation
Screening Schedule:
18/12/2025 (Thu) 19:00 Behind the Shadows
19/12/2025 (Fri) 18:30 Dust to Dust
19/12/2025 (Fri) 21:15 Good Game
20/12/2025 (Sat) 15:00 Four Trails
20/12/2025 (Sat) 17:00 My First of May
21/12/2025 (Sun) 15:00 Another World
21/12/2025 (Sun) 17:10 Spooky Encounters
Asian Film Awards Academy
The Asian Film Awards Academy, a non-profit organization, was founded by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals with the shared goal of celebrating excellence in Asian cinema. Aiming to promote and recognise Asian films and its talents, AFAA highlights, strengthens and develops Asian film industry through the annual Asian Film Awards and several year-round initiatives.
Our year-round events and programmes are held with the objectives to promote Asian films to a wider audience, expand the film market within Asia, and build and sustain connections among Hong Kong and international film professional. Masterclass Series – in conversation with filmmakers, Journey to the fest – Student Visit to International Film Festivals, Asian Cinerama – Film Roadshow, and Young Film Professionals Programme – overseas training and work-placement, are examples of our year-round programmes. These programmes could not have held successfully without the financial support of Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly known as Create Hong Kong, and Film Development Fund (FDF) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. AFAA has worked to promote, educate, inform and develop knowledge, skills and interest in Asian cinema among the industry, students and audiences in Asia and beyond with the support of film festivals and cultural organizations.
Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency
CCIDA, formerly known as Create Hong Kong is established in June 2024and is a dedicated office set up by the HKSAR Government under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. It provides one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conductive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, cultural and creative sectors as industries.
Film Development Fund
The FDF was first set up by the Government in 1999 to support projects conducive to the long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong. Since 2005, the HKSAR Government has injected a total of $1.54 billion into FDF to support Hong Kong’s film industry along four strategic directions, namely nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audience. In the past, FDF has supported a number of film productions and other film-related projects through various film production funding schemes and other film-related project schemes.
Please contact us if any questions,
Email: info@afa-academy.com
Tel: +852 3195 0608
Website: www.afa-academy.com
