Borneo Animation & Games Festival 2026 officially launched

BT
2 hours ago
2 min read

KUCHING, 21 August 2026: The Borneo Animation & Games Festival (BAGFest) 2026 is currently happening at The Hills and Pullman Hotel Kuching from August 19 to 23, 2026, bringing together over 50 exhibitors, industry buyers, publishers, studios, investors and creative professionals as well as over 30 international and Malaysian speakers for the first international animation and games festival in Borneo.

An initiative of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, BAGFest is organised in close partnership with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation and the Sarawak Government, supporting the state’s vision of becoming a leading digital and creative-economy hub by nurturing local talent, attracting industry players and connecting Borneo’s creators with global opportunities.

The opening ceremony for BAGF was held earlier today at Pullman Kuching, which was graced by Minister of Digital Malaysia, Gobind Singh Deo and Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who represented the Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Abang Haji Openg.

“BAGFest 2026 is not simply a celebration of animation and games. It is about creating opportunities for our talent, helping our companies build new partnerships, and enabling Malaysian ideas and intellectual properties (IPs) to reach larger markets. And I am particularly pleased that we are doing this here, in Sarawak,” said Gobind in his welcoming remarks.

Also in attendance, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah & Sarawak Affairs), Datuk Ts. Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus bin Sakmud, Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication 1, Datuk Liwan Lagang, Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital, Datuk Fabian Bigar, Chairman of the Board of SDEC, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani, Chairman of MDEC, Ganesh Kumar Bangah and CEO of SDEC, Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto.

“Sarawak has an important role to play in this next phase of growth. It has its own creative community, distinctive stories and cultures, and a growing digital ecosystem. We are already seeing Sarawakian talents contributing across animation, film, music, games and digital content. The opportunity now is to build on these strengths. We want to see more ideas developed here, more IPs created and owned here, more companies growing here, and more high-value jobs created here,” he added.

“Animation, games, films, immersive media and digitalcontent are no longer just entertainment products. They create jobs. They attract investment. They generate intellectual property. They promote culture. They open doors for young people to participate in the global digital economy,” said the Premier of Sarawak in his speech, which was read by Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. “This is why BAGFest matters. It supports Sarawak’s vision of becoming the next digital creative hub, not only for Malaysia but for the wider region.”

“May BAGFest become a signature platform for Borneo, a place where talent meets opportunity, where community meets technology, and where Sarawak’s creative future takes shape,” he concluded.