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A book of dreams, teenagers searching for buried treasure and a quest to digitally manufacture spiritual enlightenment constitute the intriguing ingredients of “Karmalink,” a fresh and highly entertaining sci-fi mystery-adventure set in a near-future Phnom Penh. Driven by Buddhist concepts of karma and rebirth, and underscored by commentary on Cambodia’s past, present and potential future, this striking feature debut by U.S. filmmaker Jake Wachtel takes viewers on a fascinating and frequently wondrous expedition to a place where science and metaphysics intersect.

“Karmalink” should enjoy a strong festival run and broad VOD distribution following its world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week. It has theatrical potential, especially in regional markets with substantial Buddhist populations. U.S. and Cambodian release details are yet to be announced.

Phnom Penh might not seem like the obvious setting for science-fiction, but it proves to be an ideal backdrop for a tale that anchors its...

Reincarnation, artificial consciousness and augmented reality intersect in U.S. director Jake Wachtel’s Cambodia-set “Karmalink,” for which Variety can reveal the first trailer.

The sci-fi mystery will have its world premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week on Sept. 1.

Set in a near-future Phnom Penh, “Karmalink” is about a 13-year-old boy and his street-smart female friend who team up to search for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while traveling across town and also back in time.

But what begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries in the digital realm that could be either enlightening or obliterating.

Wachtel, who grew up in Palo Alto, started developing the film in 2015, while teaching filmmaking in Phnom Penh. He cast two former students as his leads and shot the film on location after living in their community for several years.

Kulikar Sotho ventures herself into her first time director adventure on this emotional journey over the search of a missing film. Starring Rous Mony, Ma Rynet, Dy Saveth, Hun Sophy and Sok Sothun among others, “The Last Reel” tells a story about love, loss and redemption.

In the city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Sophoun, the rebellious daughter of a colonel, lives her life to the limit, being part of a local street gang. But when one day her father returns home with another proposal of marriage, Sophoun flees from her home, which is collapsing for her, and seeks refuge in an abandoned cinema. There, to his surprise, she will meet the owner with whom she will strike up a curious friendship, but she will also find an unfinished film from the 70s, a melodrama starring her own mother, who is now ill, showing a young and glamorous woman. A story of the past.

Jake Wachtel’s debut feature deals with artificial consciousness and reincarnation.

Cambodia-us sci-fi Karmalink, the debut feature of director Jake Wachtel, will be the opening night film for the autonomous Critics’ Week section at Venice International Film Festival (September 1-11).

The film is written by Wachtel and Christopher Seán Larsen; it is produced by US first-time feature producer Valerie Steinberg for Valerie Steinberg Productions, whose previous credits include Sundance shorts Hair Wolf and Blocks, and Tribeca short Coffee Shop Names.

LevelK is handling world sales on the film, with XYZ Films handling North America.

Set in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in the near-future,...

Jake Wachtel makes feature directorial debut on “Buddhist sci-fi mystery”.

XYZ Films and LevelK are joining forces for the first time to work on Cambodian sci-fi feature Karmalink. LevelK will handle international sales while XYZ represents North American rights.

Jake Wachtel makes his feature directorial debut on the film, described as a “Buddhist sci-fi mystery”. The story follows a 13-year-old boy and his detective friend searching for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while navigating a high-tech, near-future Cambodia.

Los Angeles-based Valerie Steinberg produces for Valerie Steinberg Productions. Co-producers are Cambodian director-producer Sok Visal of 802 Films, as...

“The Prey” takes the classic “The Most Dangerous Game” scenario for a spin in the Cambodian jungle. Centered on a wrongly jailed cop being stalked by cashed-up creeps who get their kicks by hunting humans, this survival thriller doesn’t bring anything significantly new to the table but the frequency and quality of its gunplay and martial arts combat should keep most action fans happy. Directed, edited and co-written by Italian expat Jimmy Henderson, whose 2017 prison smackdown “Jailbreak” marked him as a talent to watch and was snapped up by Netflix, “The Prey” debuted at the Busan Film Fetival in 2018 and will open in select North American virtual cinemas on Aug. 21. VOD streaming commences on August 25.

Trumpeted as Cambodia’s first million-dollar action movie, “The Prey” can’t match “Jailbreak” for sheer excitement but does suggest that with more original and ambitious material Henderson could become a real force in Asian genre cinema.

"Now I am the tiger, and you are the prey." Dark Star Pictures has released the official US trailer for an action thriller titled The Prey, set in Cambodia, made by an Italian filmmaker (who has lived and worked in both London and Cambodia for nearly a decade). This originally premiered in 2018 at the Busan Film Festival, and also played at the London Film Festival, and at Fantasia last year. After years of tracking down international criminals, a trip to a remote jungle prison will force undercover Chinese cop Xin to become human prey to fight for his freedom - and to save his own life. Starring newcomer Gu Shangwei as Xin, along with Vithaya Pansringarm, Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand Boonyai, and Rous Mony. This looks badass! Yes, it's the same action thriller formula we've seen before – the hunted becomes the hunter of the bad guys – but it still looks pretty cool.

When the hardware was handed out at the Venice International Film Festival just the other week the jury members behind the Orizzonti Special Jury Prize, headed by Paul Schrader (writer of such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Mosquito Coast), saw fit to award the film Ruin and its filmmakers Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson. And now we have a trailer to share with you. It features some tremendous imagery and a dreamlike quality to it. Take a look below!Ruin is an impressionistic fable- the story of Phirun (Rous Mony) and Sovanna (Melang) - two lovers inexplicably drawn together who escape a brutal and exploitative world of crime and violence in modern day Cambodia. Fleeing Phnom Penh after a murder, they travel deeper...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

★★★★☆ Showing in the Orizzonti sidebar at the 70th Venice Film Festival, Ruin (2013) is by turns a gritty and dazzling lovers-on-the-run tale set in modern day Cambodia. Directed by Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson, the film tells the story of two of society's worst-off down-and-outs. Sang Malen plays Sovanna, a young prostitute who is beaten and mistreated by her pimp when she feigns illness to escape work. She manages to escape, but Phnom Penh - and Cambodia, for that mater - is no place for a young girl on her own. Fortunately she meets Phirun (Rous Mony), an aggressive young local factory worker.

A vague spark of affection is ignited and Phirun promises to shelter the girl, but following a murder they are forced to flee the city and look to survive on the road. The obvious model here is Terrence Malick's 1973 classic Badlands, with moments of down-to-earth social realism...

Matteo Lovadina’s Reel Suspects has picked up international rights on Venice Orizzonti special jury prize winner Ruin.

Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Michael Cody direct.

The Australian-made Ruin is set in modern-day Cambodia. It’s an impressionistic love story about young lovers on the run, trying to escape a life of crime and violence. The cast is led by Rous Mony and Sang Malen. It was made through Flood Projects Production and Hanuman Films.

Madman will release the film in Australia. North American rights are handled by La based Xyz Films and United Talent Agency (UTA). Germany and Italy are reportedly in negotiations for the title.

Reel Suspects has also confirmed two more deals on another of its titles, Brendan Muldowney’s Love Eternal. The film, produced by Fastnet Films, Red Lion, Rinkel Film and T.O. Entertainment, has now gone to Sweden (Njuta Films) and Benelux (Just Film Distribution).

The film is a darkly comic melodrama about an...

John Curran.s Tracks. and Ruin, a Cambodian-set romantic drama from Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Michael Cody, will. compete at the 70th Venice Film Festival.

Based on the true story of Robyn Davidson's 2,700km trek across the Australian desert with four camels and her dog, Tracks is among the 19 films in official competition.

Producers/writers/directors Courtin-Wilson and Cody.s Ruin will screen in Orizzonti, a competition section dedicated to new distinctive films from international rising talents. This will be the team's second time in Venice as Hail screened in Orizzonti in 2011.

Screening out of competition are Greg Mclean.s Wolf Creek 2 and Ukraine is Not a Brothel, a feature documentary by Melbourne filmmaker Kitty Green, which profiles the Ukrainian feminist group Femen. The Wolf Creek sequel sees John Jarratt reprise his role as crazed serial killer Mick Taylor, alongside Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn and Phillipe Klaus.

The four titles...