This year’s programme showcases four feature films shot in Taiping, each offering a distinct perspective on the town.
Also featured will be short film screenings, film talks, and guided tours, offering visitors a fresh and immersive way to experience the charm of Raintown, from the screen to the streets.
“We want audiences from other states, as well as from overseas, to mark their calendars to travel to Taiping each year, not only for the Raintown Film Festival, but also to experience Taiping, the ‘Raintown’ itself,” festival founder Jacky Yeap told FMT Lifestyle.
“We hope this festival becomes more than just a series of screenings, we want it to be a gathering that reminds people why stories matter, why small towns matter, and why coming together for art is still one of the most beautiful things we can do in our life.”
Admission to the festival is free. Walk-ins are welcome, but audience members are encouraged to pre-register to secure a seat.
The festival’s opening film will be “The Gathering”, produced by Jin Ong (director of Abang Adik), who was born in Taiping.
The film is about the reunion of two former classmates who used to have feelings for each other. It was shot at iconic locations: Taiping Hua Lian High School, Taiping Lake Gardens and the Taiping Zoo.
Also featured will be “The Game”, directed by Felix Tan. Billed as Malaysia’s first “reality movie”, the film was shot without a script, with all performances being spontaneous. Shot on Bukit Larut, it centres around 10 orphans.
The festival’s closing film will be “Rock”, directed by Mamat Khalid, which tells the tale of a group of kids in the 1980s who want to succeed in the rock music scene. They encounter many obstacles and comedic mishaps as they try to fulfil their dreams.
One festival highlight is the first-ever Raintown Short Film Competition, which sees its top 10 films (chosen from 103 submissions) competing in seven award categories.
Each entry explored the theme of “Rain” through a variety of genres, including narrative, experimental, and AI-driven storytelling.
Audiences can also embark on a three-hour Taiping Walking Tour led by Taiping-born architect Professor Teoh Chee Keong, which will uncover little-known stories and hidden corners of the town.
One guest at this year’s festival will be director Khoo Eng Yow: his documentary “The Pirate and The Emperor’s Ship”, partially shot in Taiping, will be screened here on Sept 14.
Khoo’s documentary is centred around the notorious “Pirate King” Tan Lian Lay, who once terrorised the waters of Perak and Bagan Siap-Api in Indonesia. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Khoo and field researcher Lee Eng Kew.
“I think this film festival is a great effort to promote local films and Taiping to Malaysia and the world. Although it’s just the second year of the festival, I can see interest in it is rising,” Khoo told FMT Lifestyle.
Also featured is writer Uthaya Sankar SB, who will have the premiere screening of his first documentary, “Kenangan di Lorong B” (Memories of Aulong Lama) on Sept 13.
His documentary captures how he returns to his hometown in Taiping, to document precious memories from the 1970s-1990s. It features interviews with past and present residents of the area.
Uthaya will also be conducting a talk after the screening. He will share how he directed the project with a smart phone on zero budget, which he hopes will encourage others to make their own short films and documentaries.
“I sincerely hope that RFF will become an annual affair,” Uthaya told FMT Lifestyle.
“Based on the films, short films, and documentaries shown last year and this year, it is clear that Taiping is really part of the Malaysian film industry. Taiping has so many stories to be told,” he said.
2nd Raintown Film Festival
Date: Sept 12-14
Venue: Paragon Cinema, Taiping Mall
Free admission
For more information and to redeem tickets to the festival, visit Cloudjoi. Follow the Raintown Film Festival on Facebook and Instagram.