Are you a fan of short films? Then look out for the SEAShorts Film Festival 2025, happening this October!
SEAShorts was founded in 2017 by award-winning filmmaker Tan Chui Mui as an event to screen Southeast Asian short films. The festival has since grown into notability, holding 8 editions so far, with the 9th edition scheduled for this year.
A total of 703 film submissions from 11 countries in Southeast Asia were evaluated by a panel of judges, with 70 chosen short films screening at the four-day festival—22 of which are competing at the SEAShorts competition. The jury is composed of theater legend Jo Kukathas, impact producer Sofia Setyorini, film programmer Vess Chua, and music video director Yustinus Kristiano—four individuals who have significant experience and contributions to Southeast Asian arts. Meanwhile, 15 titles are competing in the three categories of the Malaysian Open, with director Ananth Subramaniam, documentary filmmaker Daniel Rudi Haryanto, and Golden Screen Cinema’s Kim Ooi as the judges.
Aside from that, there will be eight special programs, including Beyond Indian Shores, JAFF Picks, Shorts+, Heatseeker 1, Heatseeker 2, Heatseeker: Japan, MAFF x SEAShorts, and Nusantra Focus—which aim to showcase films that are a collaboration between filmmakers and renowned film festivals in the region to give visitors a diverse film experience.
Grab your cinephile friends and visit GSC Lalaport BBCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this October 16 to 19 and experience the unique storytelling that the region has to offer. Learn more at SEAShort’s Instagram page and get your tickets here.