Young Malaysian Creatives Get A Shot At Turning Their Ideas Into Something Real

Starbucks Malaysia has selected 10 emerging creatives — five musicians and five filmmakers — for its Kopi Creator Kolektif Class of 2026, a structured development programme that pairs finalists with industry mentors from Breaking Music, Weekend Boys Studio and Multimedia University’s Faculty of Cinematic Arts.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

A musician who has never recorded in a professional studio, a filmmaker with a concept but no production budget.

For many young Malaysian creatives, the gap between having an idea and making something real comes down to access.

Starbucks Malaysia is attempting to close that gap — at least for 10 parties this year.

The company recently announced the Kopi Creator Kolektif (KCK) Class of 2026, selecting five musicians and five filmmakers through an open call earlier this year.

The finalists will go through a structured development programme before presenting their work at a live showcase on 16 May at Starbucks Reserve in IOI Mall Damansara.

The winning musician walks away with a four-track EP recording deal.

The winning filmmaker receives the full production of an original short film; each prize is valued at RM10,000.

More Than A Competition

The programme pairs finalists with working industry professionals rather than judges.

Musicians are being mentored by Isaac Ravi, co-founder of Breaking Music, with access to studio time and professional equipment.

Filmmakers are working with Weekend Boys Studio and the Faculty of Cinematic Arts at Multimedia University, with director Adam Zainal attached as a mentor.

Adam, a Multimedia University (MMU) alumnus himself, framed the value plainly.

Platforms like KCK matter because they create room — not only by giving young filmmakers a platform to share their work, but also by allowing audiences and communities to discover the perspectives shaping the next generation of Malaysian storytelling.

Isaac echoed that.

There’s already a lot of promise in this Class of 2026. Giving back to the creative community matters to us.

From Music To Film

Kopi Creator Kolektif is not new — it launched in late 2025 as a music-focused platform, featuring intimate live sessions with 13 homegrown acts including Amanda Imani, An Honest Mistake and RESORT.

The Class of 2026 marks its first expansion into film, bringing Multimedia University on board as an institutional partner.

The 10 finalists have not yet been publicly named.

Starbucks anchors the programme in its “Third Place” philosophy — the idea that its outlets function as a space between home and work — a positioning supported by a 2024 study of 230 Malaysian university students who described cafés as places to socialise, work and, for some, a second home.

Whether a coffeehouse can genuinely incubate creative careers is a harder question, but what the programme offers concretely — mentorship, equipment, institutional backing and a public showcase — are things that tend to matter most at the beginning.

The 16 May showcase is open to the public at Starbucks Reserve, IOI Mall Damansara.