In 2024, Taiping Perak, celebrated its 150th anniversary, marking the successful launch of the Raintown Film Festival. Over 3 days, the festival screened 4 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 an important platform for promoting local culture, the Raintown Film Festival not only highlights Taiping Perak, 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.
Following the success of its 1st edition and the overwhelming response from audiences, the organizers have decided to host the 2nd Raintown Film Festival in mid-September 2025. In addition to screening multiple films shot in Taiping and hosting film-related events, the festival will introduce a special program “Taiping Cultural Heritage Tour”, offering participants a deeper exploration of the town’s rich history.
Furthermore, the festival is launching the Raintown Short Film Competition, encouraging 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 Raintown Short Film Competition is now open for submissions, with the deadline set for June 15. 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. More exciting prizes will be announced soon.
For more details, follow the Raintown Film Festival on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/raintownfilmfestival or email us at [email protected]
Submission Criteria:
Theme: Rain
Genre: Any (Fiction / Documentary / Animation / Others)
Duration: 10 Mins or less
Language: Any (Please include English Subtitles)
Format & Resolution: H.264 MP4/MOV, 1920×1080 or above
Nationality: Malaysian only (or those residing in Malaysia)
Deadline: 15th June 2025
Submission: https://bit.ly/RSFCsubmissionform
