20 Short Films Listed As Finalists In Raintown Film Festival 2026

TAIPING, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- A total of 20 short films have been selected as finalists to compete in eight award categories at the Raintown Film Festival (RFF) 2026 which will be held from Sept 4 to 6 at the Paragon Cinema, Taiping Mall here.

RFF founder Jacky Yeap Swee Leong said the 20 finalists were from a record 152 film entries for the third edition of RFF, an increase of almost 48 per cent compared to 103 entries last year, showing positive developments for the festival which was first organised in 2024.

"Behind each number is a filmmaker who believes in a story, an audience who is willing to spend time watching it, volunteers who donate their energy and time, as well as friends who believe this festival deserves a chance," he told Bernama after the opening ceremony of the festival here, last night.

He said the third edition of RFF also introduced a pilot project in the form of a 'creative sandbox' involving film students from IACT College as an effort to provide exposure to this group in festival organising and the creative industry.

He said that if successful, he hoped that the pilot project could be developed into a specific platform for youth or university filmmakers that could attract participation from higher learning institutions from all over Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Perak Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Teh Kok Lim said the development of RFF had the potential to benefit the tourism sector and local economy through an increase in the number of visitors to Taiping.

He said that organising such a festival could provide economic spillover to hotels, restaurants, business premises and tourist locations in the town.

“A successful film festival not only benefits filmmakers, but also brings visitors, supports local businesses and opens up new opportunities for Taiping,” he said.

Meanwhile, West Coast Expressway (WCE) chief executive officer Lyndon Alfred Felix said that with the WCE alignment starting from Banting, Selangor and crossing the west coast to its northern entrance in Taiping, the town has a special position in the WCE’s relationship with the communities along its alignment.

“Highways may be our business, but communities are at the heart of what we do. Roads connect places, stories connect people,” he said.

RFF is a community-based film festival held in Taiping, celebrating regional heritage, authentic Malaysian storytelling and new creative talent.

RFF 2026 is organised by WuBen Film Magazine and Studio 1914 with strategic support from WCE, while the festival also has the support of the Perak State Government, Port Ipoh, Taiping Member of Parliament and various industry partners.

-- BERNAMA