Singapore Media Festival Returns for its 13th Edition with Refreshed Industry Focus and New Creator Summit
- Written by: Telegraph Magazine
Hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), SMF 2026 will introduce the Asia Creator Summit (ACS), a new flagship event for Asia's creator ecosystem to discover how they can build sustainable businesses, develop intellectual property, and scale effectively across markets.
Alongside the new ACS, Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) returns as a longstanding highlight of SMF and a leading co-production and entertainment content market and conference in Asia. The dual pillars of ACS and ATF demonstrate SMF's focus on supporting Singapore's media industry by creating new jobs through commercial opportunities, building industry skills and capabilities, and championing hyperlocal stories by connecting Singapore's media enterprises and talent to the world.
Ms Yvonne Tang, Assistant Chief Executive of IMDA's Media Industry Group, said: "New technologies and audience behaviours are constantly reshaping how we consume, distribute, and monetise content today. Our latest SMF 2026 programme is designed to help Singapore's media professionals and companies adapt in this evolving media landscape, by strengthening their creative and commercial capabilities through wide ranging partnerships and business opportunities."
Ms Tang added: "We also seek to reinforce Singapore's role as the heart of the world's stories by connecting local talent and stories with global expertise. We encourage our media professionals to take full advantage of the Festival and participate in its programmes, exchange ideas with industry peers and experts, and explore new avenues for collaboration and growth."
Discovering the Future of Asia's Creator Economy
ACS will take place from 4 to 5 December 2026 at Marina Bay Sands under the theme "Create. Monetise. Scale". Bringing together creators, creative entrepreneurs, brands, platforms, technology providers, and industry leaders, the two-day summit will comprise over 20 keynotes, panel discussions, master classes and hands-on sessions, focused on commercial opportunities and capability development to drive global visibility for Singapore's digital media industry.
Curated by Generation Experience (GenXP) together with Monica Khan, Founder and CEO of Creator Revolution, and developed in consultation with industry professionals, ACS will feature leading local and international creators and industry leaders sharing their journeys and the lessons behind their success. These include:
- KIMPRO, one of South Korea's leading digital creators with over 130 million subscribers and 154 billion lifetime views;
- ISSEI, one of Japan's leading digital creators with over 75 million YouTube subscribers, known for his engaging, non-verbal comedy content that has attracted audiences worldwide;
- AJ Eckstein, Founder and CEO of US-based Creator Match that has helped brands such as Anthropic, Fiverr, Notion, Lovable and Zapier build and scale their creator programmes; and
- Local personalities such as Johnathan Chua (CEO and Co-Founder, GRVTY Media), Kelvin Tan (CEO, DU Media Holdings), Althea Lim (Group CEO and Co-Founder, Gushcloud International).
Ms Michelle Lim, Founder and CEO of GenXP, said: "Creators are playing an increasingly influential role in how audiences discover, engage and connect with content, brands and ideas. We are excited to launch Asia Creator Summit as part of the Singapore Media Festival, creating a platform for creators and the wider industry to learn from one another, share experiences and shape what comes next."
More information on ACS, including ticketing details and how to participate in the "Creator Lab", is available at www.asiacreatorsummit.com.
Building Asia's Stories Together
ATF, organised by RX Global, returns for its 27th edition at Marina Bay Sands from 1 to 4 December 2026 and is expected to bring together over 5,000 Asian and international content players from 60 countries and regions. Under the theme "The Attention Economy", the ATF Leaders' Dialogue on 1 December 2026 will see senior industry representatives from East West Bank, Omdia, TikTok, Unilever, WEBTOON Productions, and YouTube discuss how evolving audience behaviour and fandom are reshaping content distribution, financing, and branded entertainment, and how businesses can turn audience engagement into commercial value.
ATF will introduce "The AI Era | Entertainment Reimagined", a dedicated programme and zone examining implications for content creation, intellectual property rights and regulation, including the protection of creative works. The programme will feature perspectives from Huace Group, Moonmax and Studio Meta K, alongside the Motion Picture Association, Television Academy and World Intellectual Property Organization. ATF will also host the Grand Finals of the AI Hackathon 2026, presented by Yoywow Space and Visify, featuring a live creative challenge and screenings of selected works.
On the market front, two new pavilions from Canada and Indonesia will expand ATF's international representation, offering buyers and potential partners access to a wider range of content and creative talent. Microdramas will receive growing attention at this year's market. ATF will continue to showcase exhibitors' latest drama titles through its drama showcases, alongside accelerator and pitching programmes that spotlight emerging intellectual property and connect content producers with potential development partners.
Ms Yeow Hui Leng, Managing Director, Singapore of RX Global, said: "ATF has evolved beyond a marketplace to become a premier industry platform for strategic commercial announcements, content launches, and thought leadership from some of the entertainment industry's most influential voices. Emerging technology, including AI, will be a key part of this conversation, alongside critical issues such as regulation, financing, distribution, monetisation, and content innovation. This will give participants the insights needed to navigate an increasingly complex and dynamic global industry."
More information on ATF, including registration details, is available at www.asiatvforum.com.
Hashtag: #SingaporeMediaFestival #IMDA #AsiaTVForum #AsiaCreatorSummit
https://www.imda.gov.sg/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Singapore Media Festival
The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), proudly returns for its 13th edition as one of Asia’s premier international media industry platforms. From 1 to 5 December 2026, Singapore will be the focal point for Asia’s media community, showcasing diverse media innovations, forging industry deals, and presenting Singapore’s world-class content. This year’s festival, themed “The Heart of the World’s Stories", aims to inspire the region's media talent to create, connect, and realise their visions. The event will bring together media professionals, industry leaders, creators, and consumers through the Asia Creator Summit and the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF).
For more information, please visit: www.imda.gov.sg/smf.
Infocomm Media Development Authority
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA”) leads Singapore’s digital transformation by developing a vibrant digital economy and an inclusive digital society. As Architects of Singapore’s Digital Future, we foster growth in Infocomm Technology and Media sectors in concert with progressive regulations, harnessing frontier technologies, and developing local talent and digital infrastructure ecosystems to establish Singapore as a digital metropolis.
For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on Facebook (IMDAsg) and Twitter (@IMDAsg).
