"..This fine first feature is a disarming personal docu that turns into a very moving consideration of historical genocide and individual heroism. Winner of a well-deserved jury prize at the San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival, it merits further exposure..."

Dennis Harvey, Variety

"New Year Baby (is) a deeply tender and poignant film about a Cambodian-American's journey with her family to uncover the secrets of a tragic past at the hands of the Khmer Rouge... It was a tour de force for anyone, and particularly for a young, first-time filmmaker...

We also agreed unanimously to award New Year Baby with the Movies that Matter prize. We are confident that the universal appeal of the film will give an international audience emotional access into the impact of the genocide, and may help pave the way for the potentially forthcoming tribunal in Cambodia..."

-IDFA Movies That Matter Jury

"New Year Baby by Socheata Poeuv has been awarded Best Documentary for its gripping portrayal of a family's struggle to overcome the traumatic legacies of the Khmer Rouge. The film unfolds with remarkable candor, humor, and a heartbreaking intensity that captures a daughter's quest to understand her family's history and a father's willingness to lay open his vulnerabilities by confronting his past. We congratulate Socheata for a courageous debut feature."

-San Francisco Int. Asian American Film Festival Documentary Jury