KUCHING: The inaugural Borneo Animation & Games Festival (BAGFEST) 2026 will bring international studios, publishers, investors and creative industry players to the city from Aug 19 to 23.
The five-day event will connect creators from Sarawak and across Malaysia with international industry players and markets.
More than 30 international and Malaysian speakers and over 50 exhibitors are expected to take part, alongside industry buyers, investors, publishers, studios and creative professionals.
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) chief executive officer and BAGFEST 2026 co-chair Anuar Fariz Fadzil said Kuching was selected to host the inaugural edition for its talent, untapped potential and opportunities in the creative industry.
“It’s the first time that we are holding the event, and we selected Kuching for a very important reason — a lot of talent, a lot of untapped potential and a lot of opportunities for us.
“We’re bringing big studios from PlayStation, Bandai Entertainment, and we are bringing opportunities for training, workshops and business-to-business (B2B) sessions.
“We look forward to how the event will be beneficial for Sarawak and Malaysia as well,” he said to the media after the BAGFest Fireside Chat with Media at Pullman Hotel here today (Aug 11).
The festival will be officially launched by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on Aug 21, with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo also expected to attend.
Co-organised by MDEC and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), BAGFEST 2026 will begin with a three-day business programme from Aug 19 to 21.
It will feature an industry conference, curated business matching, workshops, networking sessions, portfolio reviews and elevator pitches aimed at connecting creators with potential partners and international markets.
With delegates from more than 20 countries expected, the festival is targeting RM100 million in potential export opportunities.
The festival will then open to the public through BAGFEST Con at The Hills from Aug 21 to 23, featuring animation, comics and games exhibitions, gaming experiences, stage performances, cosplay and creative competitions as well as a Beyblade tournament.
Meanwhile, SDEC chief executive officer Datuk Sudarnoto Osman said the festival could develop into a recurring industry platform for Sarawak rather than remain a one-off event.
He said the aim was to bring production and industry players to Kuching, providing opportunities for them to see what local creators and producers had to offer.
“This is an opportunity that we are trying to create. If we can do it well in Sarawak, this can be built into a hub, a festival that happens from time to time, rather than being a one-off event.
“Hopefully, it can become a centre not only for Malaysia, but for the whole Asian region. This is something that we are looking at,” he said.
Among the international speakers are Hasbro Entertainment vice-president of production Rob Doherty, Wētā FX lead animation supervisor Sidney Kombo, Pixar Animation Studios technical director for simulation Lyon Liew, The Pinkfong Company executive director and co-founder Ryan Lee, and Throne Inc chief executive officer and producer Takafumi Yuki.
Malaysian industry figures include Enfiniti Group of Companies group chief executive officer and president Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, Les’ Copaque Production founder and managing director Datuk Burhanuddin Md Radzi, WAU Animation founder and chief executive officer Usamah Zaid Yasin, Visional Pop supervising producer Juhaidah Joemin and Metronomik’s Wan Hazmer.
