Cambodian teen nominated for international video award: UNICEF

Chhun Sopheaktra, 13, a lower secondary school Grade 8 student from eastern Prey Veng province, has traveled to Amsterdam, the Netherlands this week as a nominee for an international video award, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Saturday.

UNICEF and the OneMinutesJr Foundation announced that Sopheaktra was selected as one of fifteen finalists from over 315 entries eligible for competition to identify the best one minute video made by a young filmmaker under the age of 20 in the past year. The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Amsterdam on November 30.

According to the statement, Sopheaktra's film, 'Liquid Changes Life' entered in the category: One Minute of Freedom. Other nominees for the award in this category are from Vietnam, Libya, Ukraine and Armenia. The winner will receive an HD Flip Camera.

Sopheaktra's nomination comes following his participation in November last year in a five-day workshop in Prey Veng province for underprivileged Cambodian teenagers, it said, adding that the workshop, hosted by UNICEF and Save the Children, and conducted by the OneMinutesJr Foundation taught the teens how to develop a story, and direct, shoot and edit a 60-second video about their lives, interests and opinions.

Videos produced entered into the global OneMinutesJr competition.

Asked about his award nomination Sopheaktra, who traveled overseas for the first time, said: "I am very excited... My mother is helping me to pack my luggage and prepare my clothes and shoes for the trip."

While in the Netherlands, Sopheaktra will present the video he produced in Cambodia to other nominees from around the world and participate in a OneMinutesJr video master class, which is being held in association with the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

Sopheaktra's father Chhun Hay, who accompanied him to the awards said: "I am proud of my son because he was selected for the award. I am very happy because he is not only representing children in Prey Veng province, but also all Cambodian children."

The OneMinutesJr is an international arts-based initiative started in 2002 by UNICEF, the One Minutes Foundation and The European Cultural Foundation to give young people the opportunity to work in a team and share their ideas and viewpoints.

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