KUCHING: Sarawak should be known for the right reasons, and homegrown talent behind Malaysia’s first AI-animated short film could help draw youth interest and put the state on the map.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the state should build an image of moving forward, rather than being defined by negative narratives such as haze.
“That’s why Sarawak needs to be famous for something, not the kind of information that gets picked up by national papers talking about haze and other issues,” he said, adding that giving local creators a platform was the responsibility of the city council and relevant authorities.
He announced a free public screening of the film “Michiru” at GSC The Spring, Hall 5, from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday (Sept 12), jointly organised by MBKS and Torabera ACG Fest as part of the three-day Torabera 4.0 festival at The Spring Mall from Sept 11 to 13.
A total of 550 free tickets will be given away across two screening sets, at 2pm and 3pm, with collectible tickets available at each.
Isekai Zero chief community officer Jimsley Lee said the 30-minute film, set entirely in Kuching and featuring its old streets, markets, riverfront and public library, took about six months to produce from scripting to completion.
Lee said the team combined AI tools with real photographs of Kuching taken by their own crew.
“It’s not like you type a sentence and everything appears. You need artists to build the storyline, take the photos, then keep re-prompting until it becomes a realistic movie.”
The screening marks the film’s world premiere, ahead of its global YouTube release on Sept 16.
