Recently held Malaysia Digital Content Festival 2023 (MYDCF) organised by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) was one of its kinds with animation screenings, exhibitions, digital comics displays, workshops, immersive technology demonstrations and so on.
The event was attended by all technology enthusiasts and various other stakeholders seeking business opportunities. AnimationXpress got in touch with digital media company YoBoHo founder and CEO Hitendra Merchant, Gamitronics CEO Rajat Ojha and Tau Films international production head cum executive producer Mandeep Singh who were invited as a speaker/jury member at MYDCF. All three experts in the digital domain appreciated the Malaysian government’s efforts to create a platform for fruitful exchange.
According to Singh, the recent MYDCF event was unique because Kre8tif (animation), LevelUpKL (games), and Metaverse KL all took place simultaneously for the first time. “Malaysia and its creative talent have tremendously grown over the period of time because of the various initiatives from the Malaysian Government. The event’s key points were the knowledge sharing by experts in their respective fields and B2B meetings that will help brew more creative ventures in South East Asia.”
All three participants praised the technically sound management streamlining the entire event.
“The experience at MDEC was superbly good as the event was very professionally organised with some highly experienced speakers who were not just from Malaysia. Almost everybody present there was well aware of the entire ecosystem,” Ojha said. He had an insightful experience receiving knowledgeable questions from the attendees after his presentation.
Ojha felt that the event comprised of every ingredient required to make it a success with the right kind of metaverse and gaming startups and immaculate management. He also praised the “Elevator Pitch” which was a part of Kre8tif!.
Kre8tif! is a platform to connect Southeast Asian animation companies with buyers from across the world as well as a gathering place for those involved in the industry towards the path of opportunities, learning, production and distribution.
Merchant and Ojha who were a part of the jury for the “Elevator Pitch” witnessed some original projects. Merchant pointed out that “it’s not just the IPs but one can witness the potential of different studios and the kind of support they get from the government.”
“Some of the projects were really very unique. It was good to see that participants were not just from Malaysia. They were from eight other countries like the speakers and it shows the global vision of the organisers and the start-ups present there,” Ojha pointed out.
The pitching session highlighted that the “stories were very local, it felt like they were telling their folktales.” Merchant felt that most of the participating ASEAN countries try to appeal to their regional audience, while the government’s support gives them ample opportunity “to scale up the IPs that look promising.”
“It is a place to go and look at the various talents. Even our talents (Indian creators) should go and pitch. This platform provides a better exposure,” Merchant signed off.
In short, MYDCF opened the doors for the content creators in these countries allowing them to showcase their brilliance at the global platform. The event was held from 27 September to 1 October 2023 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.