THE 2nd Raintown Film Festival, which will be held in mid-September 2025, has called for submissions for its Raintown Short Film Competition, with the deadline set for June 15.
The Raintown Short Film Competition encourages Malaysian filmmakers – including film students, emerging talents and experienced professionals – to showcase their creativity and ideas through short films.
As the town with the highest annual rainfall in Malaysia, Taiping is often referred to as “Raintown”, therefore, “rain” is the theme of this year’s competition.
The top 10 shortlisted films will be publicly screened during the festival, and the Best Short Film will receive a cash prize of RM8,000, along with sound equipment sponsored by CK Music.
In addition to screening multiple films shot in Taiping and hosting film-related events, the festival will introduce a special programme “Taiping Cultural Heritage Tour”, offering participants a deeper exploration of the town’s rich history.
In 2024, Taiping celebrated its 150th anniversary, marking the launch of the Raintown Film Festival. Over three days, the festival screened four films shot in Taiping, hosted film talks, workshops and an outdoor film screening at Taiping Lake Gardens, attracting more than 800 attendees. Besides Taiping residents, film enthusiasts from Penang, Johor, Kelantan, as well as audiences from Singapore and Hong Kong also participated in the event.
As a platform for promoting local culture, the Raintown Film Festival not only highlights Taiping, but also fosters exchanges with seasoned filmmakers to inspire young and emerging Malaysian filmmakers. The festival aims to enhance the quality of future works, expand collaboration opportunities and cultivate audiences’ appreciation of cinema and cultural literacy.
