​​MDEC launches Digital Content Creators challenge 

• Provides seed funding for creative content developers to create portfolio, IPs
• Funded 360 projects and disbursed US$3.5 million in prize money to winners 

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has launched the Digital Content Creators challenge (DC3) for 2022.

In a statement, the agency said the DC3 which started in 2006 is one of the platforms that provides seed funding for creative content developers to create portfolio or intellectual properties (IP) that can be used to pitch to investors, broadcasters, and publishers to get further funding.

It claimed that throughout the years, the competition has funded 360 projects and has disbursed US$3.5 million (RM15.3 million) prize money to the winners.

DC3 is a competition-based programme designed to assist content creators to develop and produce high quality digital content as well as increasing the creation of IP, in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital) which sets out to produce 200 IPs by 2025.

The winners of DC3 2022 will receive a prize money to develop their proposed digital creative content with the support of industry experts through a mentorship programme. 

This would provide the necessary catalysts for local talents to penetrate local and global markets, MDEC said.

According to CEO of MDEC Mahadhir Aziz (pic), past winners have gone on to win awards on the global stage and MDEC could be more than honoured to provide the necessary platform to content developers to develop, showcase, and market their digital content regionally and globally.

“We are optimistic that this year’s participants will bring fresh ideas and develop great stories that will place Malaysia on the global map of creative contents,” he said. 

The programme is open to digital content creation companies and is divided into three project scopes, namely, digital comic, animation, and digital games.

Under the digital comic category, winners will receive a prize money of up to US$5,700 (RM25,000) and six months to complete their project.

Meanwhile, winners from the animation category will receive a prize money of up to US$28,000 (RM100,000) and eight months to complete their project.

Digital games producers on the other hand will receive up to US$28,000 (RM100,000) and ten months to complete their project.

Among the notable past DC3 projects include Batik Girl by the R&D Studio that went on to win international accolades such as being the winner for the Animated Short Film category at the 5th Festival de Largos y Cortos de Santiago, Chile and Best Animated Short Film 27th South Cinematographic Academy Film & Arts, Chile in 2019, MDEC said.

The Pillar of Strength by Creatvtoon Studio was recently an award winner for Best Animation, Couch Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Best Animation, Cinematic European Film Festival, Romania in 2022, it said.

Meanwhile, Rhythm Doctor by 7th Beat Games won the Best Sound at Brazil’s Independent Games festival and Audio Winner at Big Festival in 2018, it added.

Applications for the DC3 programme are now open until 15 June 2022.

Click here for more information.