Profile
Polen Ly is self-taught filmmaker based in Cambodia. Polen’s artistic practice is rooted in social issues and nature, while his storytelling style is often expressed through different means of visualization and metaphors. Some of his films have gained recognition at international film festivals, including Tropfest SEA in Malaysia, where his short film "Colourful Knots" won the first prize. The following year, Polen was selected as a Director Fellow at the Asian Film Academy in Busan, Korea. In 2021, his short documentary "Side By Side" won the "Youth Jury Prize" at Locarno International Film Festival Open Door. His latest short fiction, "Further And Further Away", premiered at Berlinale International Film Festival in 2022 and won "Best Live-Action Short over 15 minutes" at Palm Springs International Film Festival Shortfest.
Polen is currently working on his first featured fiction film, "Becoming Human", which received a grant from Biennale College Cinema organised by Venice Film Festival. Meanwhile, he also has a feature docu-fiction project, "Sick River, Sick Lake", that is in its development stage.
