Singapore Media Festival launches Creator Summit: ATF gets AI zone and microdrama focus

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Singapore Media Festival launches Creator Summit: ATF gets AI zone and microdrama focus.

From December 1 to 5, 2026, Singapore once again transforms into the meeting point of the Asian media industry — and the program is more broadly structured this time than ever before. For the first time, Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is staging the new Asia Creator Summit (ACS) parallel to the long-established Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF). Under the festival motto "The Heart of the World's Stories," the two strands ATF and ACS form the two main pillars of the Singapore Media Festival.

More than 20 sessions, six-figure prize money

The ACS runs on December 4 and 5 at Marina Bay Sands under the banner "Create. Monetize. Scale." and, according to the organizers, brings together more than 20 sessions — keynotes, panels, master classes, and practical formats that, according to the IMDA, are meant to help strengthen the industry's "creative and commercial capabilities." The summit is curated by Generation Experience (GenXP); Monica Khan, founder and CEO of the creator-focused firm Creator Revolution, is involved in shaping the program.

On stage are names with reach: The South Korean creator Kimpro, who, according to the organizers, has accumulated over 130 million subscribers and 154 billion views in his career. Also, the Japanese comedian Issei, whose dialogue-free comedy commands more than 75 million YouTube subscribers. From the USA, AJ Eckstein is traveling in, founder and CEO of Creator Match, which has already accompanied brands such as Anthropic, Fiverr, Notion, Lovable, and Zapier in building creator programs. Singapore is represented on the speaker list by Johnathan Chua (GRVTY Media), Kelvin Tan (DU Media Holdings), and Althea Lim (Gushcloud International).

There are concrete opportunities for up-and-coming creators as well: Mandarin Oriental Singapore is staging a Creator Pitch Challenge on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, and Bloomr.SG is awarding up to 100,000 Singapore dollars (around 78,000 US dollars) for creator-focused ideas as part of its "Creator Lab." Calls for Proposals are set to open in early November. "Creators play an increasingly influential role in how audiences discover, interact with, and connect with content, brands, and ideas," says Michelle Lim, founder and CEO of GenXP.

ATF in its 27th edition — and its own AI zone

The ATF, organized by RX Global, enters its 27th edition from December 1 to 4 at Marina Bay Sands. The organizers expect more than 5,000 content players from 60 countries and regions. It opens with the Leaders' Dialogue on the theme "The Attention Economy" — with executives from East West Bank, Omdia, TikTok, Unilever, Webtoon Productions, and YouTube on stage.

New is the program item "The AI Era | Entertainment Reimagined", which combines a dedicated zone with a program on AI in content creation, IP rights, and regulation. Participating are Huace Group, Moonmax, and Studio Meta K, as well as the Motion Picture Association, the Television Academy, and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The ATF also hosts the finale of the AI Hackathon 2026, supported by Yoywow Space and Visify, with a live competition and screenings of selected entries. Canada and Indonesia are represented with their own pavilions for the first time.

In addition, microdrama is moving more into the spotlight — that is, short, vertically told series in smartphone format — while the existing drama showcases, accelerator, and pitching programs for new IP continue. "ATF has evolved beyond a marketplace into a strategic platform for commercial announcements, content launches, and thought leadership," says Yeow Hui Leng, Managing Director Singapore at RX Global.

Two industries under one roof

At its core, the organizers are about bringing together two worlds that have rarely sat at the same table: the classic format market and the creator industry, TV reach and platform audiences, licensing trade and short-video logic. "New technologies and user behavior are constantly changing how we consume, distribute, and monetize content," puts it Yvonne Tang, Assistant Chief Executive of the Media Industry Group at the IMDA. Further details on the agenda, speakers, and registration will follow with the IMDA's next announcements.