The Singapore Media Festival (SMF) returns for its 12th edition from 26 November to 7 December 2025, bringing together more than 55,000 media professionals, creators, and fans for 12 days of creativity, connection, and collaboration.
Hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), this year’s festival continues to celebrate stories that empower, inspire, and connect across Asia.
The festival comprises four key events, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), Singapore Comic Con (SGCC), and Nas Summit, positioning Singapore as a leading hub for Asian media innovation.
“Asia’s media landscape and creative economy are entering a new chapter,” shared Yvonne Tang, Assistant Chief Executive of IMDA’s Media Industry Group. “The Singapore Media Festival brings together storytellers, innovators, and creators to turn creative ideas into opportunity and shape how stories are made, shared, and experienced.”
The 36th SGIFF will open with Girl, a coming-of-age drama directed by Shu Qi in her feature debut.
The acclaimed Taiwanese actress will attend the opening gala at Sands Theatre alongside returning festival ambassador Rebecca Lim. The festival will showcase over 120 films from more than 45 countries, including local premieres such as Sandbox, At Home with Work, and Cendol. More than 30 Made-in-Singapore productions will take the spotlight, including Amoeba by Tan Siyou and A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, a Singapore-Thailand co-production and 2025 Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prix winner.
Meanwhile, Singapore Comic Con will host its biggest edition yet from 5 to 7 December.
Fans can look forward to the largest-ever tabletop gaming showcase, featuring tournaments like the Bandai Card Game Fest and the MONOPOLY Singapore Championship. The event will also feature exclusive collectibles and appearances from pop culture icons such as Power Rangers actors Erin Cahill and Jason Faunt, illustrator Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, comic legend Simon Bisley, Transformers artist Warrick Wong, and local creators including Jeanette Aw.
For gamers, the Singapore Games Association (SGGA) will debut an SG60 Games Exhibition, spotlighting 60 homegrown titles, including 20 playable on-site. A curated collection will also launch on Steam, offering global audiences a taste of Singapore-made games.
The Asia TV Forum & Market, running from 2 to 5 December, will focus on the rising trend of micro-dramas, with sessions featuring regional studios like Thailand’s GDH 559 and Korea’s Bamboo Network. Industry heavyweights including DreamWorks, Dentsu, Astro, and TikTok Korea will share insights on monetisation, financing, and content innovation. IMDA will also facilitate co-production pitches for scripted and unscripted series with global partners such as CANAL+.
Nas Summit will return from 1 to 2 December in a hybrid format, featuring more than 40 sessions by international and regional creators.
Highlights include appearances by magician and creator Julius Dein and local actress Jeanette Aw, who will join Nuseir Yassin, better known as Nas Daily, in a fireside chat. A new SME-focused track will also guide creators on harnessing AI for content creation and business growth, led by Base 44 CEO Maor Shlomo.
This year’s festival also introduces Industry Day Zero, a collaboration between SGCC, IMDA, and SGGA to connect creators and studios across comics, animation, games, and film. SGIFF will launch a new APN+ECG Pitching Forum in partnership with Eye Catcher Global, helping regional filmmakers link up with distributors and financiers during the SGIFF Industry Days conference.
Running under the theme “The Heart of the World’s Stories,” the 12th Singapore Media Festival cements Singapore’s role as a launchpad for Asian creativity, where stories, talent, and technology come together to shape the future of global media.
For more information, visit the official website.
