MIFFest Founder Joanne Goh Pushes Kuala Lumpur’s Ambitions as Southeast Asia’s Film Hub
MIFFest founder Joanne Goh wants the Malaysia International Film Festival to help establish Kuala Lumpur as a leading Southeast Asian film hub, particularly through regional collaboration rather than competing primarily for global premieres. The ambition matters because she sees stronger ASEAN partnerships as a way to address persistent financing and distribution barriers for the region’s filmmakers.
Approaching its tenth anniversary in 2027, MIFFest’s ASEAN On Screen programme has received recognition from ASEAN Records, which Goh regards as an early milestone. The festival received about 700 submissions for its ninth edition, compared with roughly 100 at its 2017 launch; Goh also produced this year’s premiere of “BlueFish” and says festivals should support sales, marketing and future co-productions as well as screenings.
In short
- MIFFest aims to make Kuala Lumpur a Southeast Asian film hub.
- Goh prioritises ASEAN co-productions and industry collaboration.
- Submissions rose from about 100 to 700.
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The case for
Focusing on regional collaboration addresses genuine financing and distribution barriers that Southeast Asian filmmakers face, and building a self-sustaining ecosystem of ASEAN co-productions and partnerships creates lasting institutional support tailored to the region's needs. Rather than fragmenting resources in pursuit of global prestige, this approach offers practical career support alongside cultural recognition, which the steadily growing submission numbers suggest resonates with creators seeking sustainable opportunities.
The case against
A festival's true influence and ability to serve its filmmakers depends on international prestige and reach, which attract distributors, investors and audiences that create genuine economic opportunities. Positioning Kuala Lumpur as a world-class global hub rather than a regional specialist would elevate Southeast Asian cinema by demonstrating it belongs at the highest level of international cinema, whilst regional specialisation risks creating a secondary market insulated from the broader resources and platforms that ultimately serve filmmakers' careers.
Explained simply
Malaysia's International Film Festival, known as MIFFest, is working to position Kuala Lumpur as a major centre for film in Southeast Asia. The festival's founder, Joanne Goh, believes this can be achieved through stronger partnerships between filmmakers and film industries across the region rather than competing primarily with established international festivals for world premieres.
Southeast Asian filmmakers face significant barriers to securing financing and distributing their films to audiences. By fostering regional collaboration through festivals and related activities, Goh sees a way to build a stronger film industry ecosystem in the region that could help address these challenges.
Since its 2017 launch with approximately 100 submissions, MIFFest has grown substantially. Its most recent edition attracted about 700 film submissions, and the festival's ASEAN On Screen programme, which focuses on Southeast Asian films, has earned institutional recognition as MIFFest approaches its tenth anniversary in 2027.