Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung Accept The 'Rising Star' Award on Behalf of Sreymoch Sareum From "First They Killed My Father" at The 3rd Annual Asian World Film Festival

The Asian World Film Festival Runs Through Nov 2

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Nov 02, 2017, 15:42 ET

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First They Killed My Father director, producer and co-screenwriter Angelina Jolie and co-screenwriter and executive producer Loung Ung, whose memoir the film is based upon, accepted the 3^rd ANNUAL ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (AWFF) 'Rising Star' Award on behalf of actress Sreymoch Sareum, who plays "Loung,"during a special screening of the film on October 30 at the Arclight Culver City. The film screened to a sold-out enthusiastic audience, and was followed by a Q&A with Jolie and Ung, moderated by Georges N. Chamchoum, AWFF Executive & Program Director.

Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung Accept the AWFF Rising Star Award

Sareum stars as the principle character, Loung Ung, in First They Killed My Father, which is Cambodia's Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. The Netflix film is the adaptation of Cambodian author and human rights activist Ung's gripping memoir of surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1978. The story is told through her eyes, from the age of five, when the Khmer Rouge came to power, to nine years old. The film is produced by Angelina Jolie and acclaimed Cambodian director and producer Rithy Panh, director of the Oscar-nominated The Missing Picture.

Also in attendance were filmmakers and actors whose movies are showing in the festival including Director Sam Kadi (Syria), Anjeewa Pushpakumara (Sri Lanka), Pierre Sarraf (Lebanon), Deepak Rauniyar (Nepal), Bayram Najafov (Azerbaidjan), Philippe Aractingi (Lebanon), Aktan Arym Kubat (Kyrgystan), Murat Aliyev (Kyrgystan), Najia Khaan (Afganistan), Ha Phuong (Vietnam), Jarantai Altantseteg (Mongolia), Ganjuur Tsogtgerel (Mongolia), Xiao Dong Xie (China), Rekesh Salim Ismail (Iraq), Farhan Alam (Pakistan), Kurmashev Ernar (Kazakshstan), Gaukhar Gia Noortas (Kazakhstan), Karinne Behr (France), among others.

Joining the filmmakers were AWFF officials including Sadyk Sher Nyaz, festival Founder & Chairman; Georges N. Chamchoum, Executive & Program Director; Lani Netter, Director of Development & Philanthropy; Asel Sherniyazova, Co-Founder & Managing Director; and Brett Syson, Director of Operations.

ABOUT THE ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL:
All films selected by their countries as Oscar or Golden Globe contenders are automatically invited to participate at the Film Festival. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizes selected showings as the required official screenings for their members who vote on the Golden Globes. At last year's event, some 30 films from 27 countries participated.

Sponsors include Presenting Partner Ha Phuong Foundation, as well as the city of Culver City, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Variety, East West Bank, RK Media (Radio & TV Korea), the Arclight Theatres and Emporium Thai Restaurant (Los Angeles) and AWFF host venue the historic Culver Hotel.

AWFF recently partnered with The Snow Leopard Trust to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and its ecosystem in the high mountains of Asia. The Film Festival's main cinematic award is named after the snow leopard. Snow Leopard Trust

The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, our festival champions films from over 50 countries across Asia spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India and the Middle East. All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, and showcased for the Motion Picture Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration. AWFF is a non-profit organization under Aitysh USA. www.AsianWorldFilmFest.org

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Contact:
Cheri Warner
818-760-8995
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SOURCE Asian World Film Festival