TAIPING, PERAK — What happens when a college, an expressway operator, and a regional film festival issue a real industry brief to young filmmakers—and explicitly instruct them not to make an advertisement?

IACT College, West Coast Expressway (WCE), and the Raintown Film Festival have partnered to launch “Raintown Horizons: The IACT × WCE Student Cinematic Showcase.” The initiative bridges creative education, professional filmmaking, and contemporary Malaysian storytelling by transforming a commercial brief into a platform for artistic exploration.

Held in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY 2026) and structured around the 3rd Raintown Film Festival theme, “After the Rain,” the project challenged 46 IACT student filmmakers across eight production teams to conceptualise, shoot, and edit original narrative short films over a seven-week period from June to July 2026.

Rather than treating WCE as a conventional sponsor to be prominently advertised, students were challenged to integrate the expressway organically into their storytelling, as a silent character, a journey, a connector of communities, and a visual bridge between Malaysia’s regional heritage and modern life.

Timothy Chan, Chief Executive Officer of IACT College, noted that this initiative reflects how creative education must evolve as the industry adapts to technological shifts, artificial intelligence, and changing audience expectations.

“The future of creative education cannot exist only inside the classroom. Our students need opportunities to confront real briefs, real expectations, and real creative decisions while they are still learning. What makes this collaboration special is that WCE did not ask our students to create advertisements, they trusted them to create stories.”

“That trust gives young filmmakers something incredibly valuable: the freedom to discover their own voices while understanding that creativity in the professional world must ultimately connect with audiences, stakeholders, and purpose.”

For Lyndon Alfred Felix, Chief Executive Officer of West Coast Expressway, the partnership reflects a broader vision of what infrastructure contributes to society.

“An expressway is ultimately about more than moving vehicles from one destination to another. It connects people, communities, opportunities, and experiences. Through Raintown Horizons, we wanted young Malaysians to interpret that idea through their own eyes and stories.

“We gave the students a real-world challenge, but we did not want corporate films. We wanted authentic Malaysian stories. If WCE appeared, it had to belong naturally within that narrative. Industry provides the platform, academia develops the talent, and the creative community gives that talent a stage.”

IACT College Supervising Lecturer Ms. Ain Syafiqah Binti Rosdi highlighted the students’ professional growth throughout the production journey:

“From early script iterations to handling tough conditions on location, our students embraced every challenge with professional grit. Balancing a client-driven brief with artistic freedom allowed them to discover their authentic voices as filmmakers.”

The resulting films address complex themes including grief, family reconciliation, creative burnout, mental health, and personal healing—using roads and regional landscapes as metaphors for growth and connection.

The submitted titles include:

1. BEcause

Typing in Taiping: Krethesha A/P Rajaderan, Ng Yit Yee, Olivia Sim Xin Xian, Phoebe Soon Xin Thing, Tan Yan Xi, Tan Ze Xuan

Captures a poignant conversation in a Taiping café where a couple confronts emotional distance. A journey of reflection leads them back to where they first confessed their feelings, using matching Polaroids to turn a painful moment into a message of healing and connection.

2. Before We Became Strangers

The 5 Girls: Liew Wen Li, Esther Loh Zi Yew, Ng Su Qian, Chloe Tan Koh Xin, Hayley Zi Yen Barnes

A bittersweet road trip story exploring grief and letting go, following a young man who journeys to Morib Beach alongside his memories as he learns to accept the loss of his partner.

3. Never Let Me Go

The Wild Ones: Jarrod, Sriya, Caeden, Danush, Girish

Focuses on an e-hailing driver struggling in his personal relationship, who gains a life-changing perspective on family and reconciliation after an insightful conversation with a passenger.

4. Nevertheless

5dB Production: Crystal Au Yong Yu Zheng, Faith Chan Xinyi, Lim Xin Rou, Samuel Lee Zhi Hong, Tan Yik Xuen

A light-hearted yet touching narrative about two best friends whose getaway to the beach is disrupted by a vehicle breakdown. Stranded beside a peaceful paddy field, they discover that companionship matters far more than reaching the perfect destination.

5. So Much Ahead of Us

404 Production: Ashley, Emily, Arissa, Yazmin, Vicky

Centres on a road trip encounter between an emotionally exhausted protagonist and her childhood best friend. A roadside tyre blowout becomes a powerful metaphor for necessary life changes, leading to closure, healing and peace.

6. The Last Thought

Rusty Rain Visuals: Gabriel Andrew Anand, Puganesan A/L, Maya Marie, Beverly Lau Qian Yu, Isaac Ong Yan Fei

An intimate coming-of-age drama about a young adult attempting to run away from family strife, whose late-night drive forces her to confront long-buried grief, ultimately leading to realisation and reconciliation.

7. Off

TGBG Studio: Atone, Eeh Wen Bin, Manish Sathiya Silan, Rhea Khandhar, Sik Khai Wen, Sriraam A/L Thiyagarajan

Explores creative burnout and mental fatigue, following an artist who begins to break free from emotional exhaustion during a simple road trip with a supportive friend.

8. The Weight of Silence

Siapa Ni? Productions: Tyrael Raul Pavanaris, Farouk Razlan, Putri Aleeya Natasha, Fion Lim, Tneh Kexing, Cheong Oscar, Jesse Tan, Azman Shah, Zhi Jian Lim

A visual exploration of academic stress and mental health, charting a student’s internal journey from isolation and self-doubt towards self-acceptance, resilience and hope.

Filmed along highways, rural routes, coastal roads, and heritage sites, the project highlights the intersection of infrastructure, tourism, education, and the creative economy. For WCE—whose 233-kilometre alignment connects Banting, Selangor to Taiping, Perak—the showcase underscores infrastructure as a catalyst for regional discovery.

Selected films will be screened on the big screen during the 3rd Raintown Film Festival in Taiping in September 2026, featuring student work alongside established Malaysian filmmakers.

Submissions are currently undergoing evaluation by a joint panel from WCE and the Raintown Film Festival, running through 16 August 2026.

• Co-Chief Judges:
  • Tuan Syed Mohammed Idid Bin Syed Ahmed Idid – General Manager, Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, WCE
  • Jacky Yeap – Founder, Raintown Film Festival

• Judging Panelists (WCE Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement):
  • Nor Shahira Binti Abdul Aziz – Lead, Strategic Communication
  • Hail Roshman Ahmad – Lead, Stakeholder Engagement
  • Wan Nurathirah Nabila – Executive, Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

Award & Closing Ceremony Details:

• Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026
• Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Venue: Hall 3, Paragon Cinemas, Taiping Mall

Selected outstanding films from Raintown Horizons will be showcased during the 3rd Raintown Film Festival in Taiping in September 2026, placing emerging student filmmakers alongside the wider Malaysian filmmaking community.

Three Partners. One New Model.

Raintown Horizons ultimately represents something larger than a student competition.

It demonstrates what can happen when academia, corporate Malaysia and the creative community stop operating in separate lanes.

IACT brings the learning.

WCE brings the real-world platform.

Raintown brings the cinematic stage. 

And Malaysia’s next generation of storytellers brings the imagination.

That may be the most important journey of all.

Production Behind-the-Scenes Media:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cngytq3Ww5du-iv9t8fE9MnPGtCa1kWq?usp=sharing

Founded by the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) and the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As), IACT College is Malaysia’s leading creative communications specialist and a member of the BAC Education Group. Established “by the industry, for the industry”, IACT has built a strong reputation for producing graduates in broadcasting, film, advertising, digital marketing, public relations, media studies and graphic design through an industry-driven and project-based learning approach.

IACT is also the only institution in Malaysia accredited by the International Advertising Association (IAA), New York, reflecting its commitment to global industry standards and creative excellence. Over the years, the college has received multiple recognitions for excellence in creative education, industry collaboration and student achievement, while continuing to nurture the next generation of storytellers, media practitioners and creative professionals.

More information is available at https://www.iact.edu.my/

The Raintown Film Festival is a community-driven cinematic event held in Taiping, Perak, dedicated to celebrating regional heritage, authentic Malaysian storytelling and emerging creative talent. As Northern Malaysia’s dedicated film platform, the festival provides opportunities for filmmakers, creators and communities to connect through cinema while spotlighting local narratives and cultural experiences.

The 3rd edition of the festival will take place in September 2026 in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/raintownfilmfestival

The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is a major highway project in Malaysia spanning 233 kilometres from Banting, Selangor to Taiping, Perak. Once fully completed, it will serve as a vital transportation artery connecting towns and cities along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

For further information about the WCE, please visit https://wce.com.my.