SeaShorts Film Festival 2025: Through The Cracks

The SeaShorts Film Festival makes its long-awaited return to Kuala Lumpur this 16-19 October 2025, bringing the region’s most exciting short films back to the big screen. Now in its 9th edition, the festival invites you to step into a world of stories from across Southeast Asia - bold, imaginative, and deeply human.

This year’s theme, “Through the Cracks,” sets the tone for the journey ahead. These films shine a light on what often slips by unnoticed: the tensions between generations, the spaces between cultures, the moments that sit quietly between identity and change. Every screening becomes an invitation to look a little closer.

✨ Highlights include:

• From a record 703 submissions, 40 standout competition films have been handpicked - representing 11 countries across Southeast Asia.
• Special showcases
  

           - Shorts+: intimate and powerful stories by women filmmakers.

           - Beyond Indian Shores: a vibrant look at Malaysian Tamil cinema.

           - Heatseeker: fresh voices from Malaysia’s next generation of filmmakers.

           - Heatseeker Japan: student films from Japan (in collaboration with the Japan Foundation KL).

Beyond the screen, the festival comes alive with forums, workshops and masterclasses, led by award-winning filmmakers and regional guests.

Whether you’re a long-time film lover, completely new to short films, or just looking for something inspiring to do in the city, SeaShorts 2025 is your chance to feel the heartbeat of Southeast Asia on the big screen, and with over 10 programmes happening every day (and even more still to be announced), there’s always something exciting to catch, discover and be part of.

Come in, take a seat, and let the stories carry you. 🌊