Singapore became my destination before completing my MASB program at AFTRS.

As a Malaysian with family residing and working in Singapore, I assumed I understood the country due to my regional roots. However, the week-long trip in November 2024 offered an eye-opening perspective that challenged my assumptions and deepened my understanding of Singapore’s media landscape.

Returning to Singapore gave me a new insight into the country through the perspective of our lecturers, Pia Aquilia and Peter Herbert. Pia is a former foreign expat and academic who spent more than a decade from 2000-13 living and working in Singapore.

One of the key highlights was our conversations with industry leaders like Justin Damien of Goldfinch Asia, Vani Tripathi Tikoo from IFFI Goa, and Michael Lim from Animation Nation. These meetings brought sharp insight into the region’s ambitions, funding models, and the challenges, especially the contrast between Singapore’s polished infrastructure and its limited creative content investment.

Vani’s openness and invitation to collaborate at IFFI felt deeply encouraging, and Justin’s take on cross-border producing and creative entrepreneurship really stuck with me—especially his emphasis on sustainability and having a solid financial pipeline.

I wish we had more time together. Getting to know my MASB peers better made the journey even more meaningful. This trip—and the subject overall—was an incredible learning experience.

Indrani
25 November 2024