In short
- Cities, oil and gas towns and river communities each need a different plan.
- Small aircraft, a single road or the few remaining river boats reach some places, so schedules shape the day.
- Drone flights and filming in national parks need approvals that take time.
Where in Sarawak your event is decides most of the filming plan. A conference in Kuching, a plant visit in Bintulu and a gathering upriver from Sibu are three different jobs. Tell us the venue and date, and we confirm the crew and travel.
Settings at a glance
| Setting | Typical events | Key question | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital and convention centre | Conferences, hotel dinners, Gawai open houses | Which rooms need their own camera? | Kuching |
| University town | Convocations, seminars | How many days and sessions will the hall run? | Kota Samarahan |
| Oil and gas coast | Company meetings, safety days | Is filming allowed on site, and who approves it? | Bintulu |
| Northern gateway | Business events, trips to parks | Is the park trip a separate plan? | Miri |
| Foochow river town | Weddings, festivals, clan dinners | Which languages and how many venues? | Sibu |
| Upriver and longhouse | Community and family gatherings | How do crew and equipment get there, and back? | Kapit |
Other district towns such as Sarikei and Mukah also have their own pages.
What changes about filming in Sarawak?
Getting around. Flying is the usual way between the big towns, and small aircraft serve interior places such as Mulu and Bario. Kapit has had a road from Sibu since 2021, and the Rajang express boats are far fewer than they were. Ask how equipment will travel, and whether the crew should arrive the day before. Our guide to travelling between Peninsular and East Malaysia helps if you are based on the peninsula.
Approvals. For a drone, CAAM asks for applications at least 14 working days ahead and lists an extra Sarawak authorisation. See the Sarawak drone planning questions and our drone footage service. For national parks, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation asks professional filmmakers to get approval from the State Secretary first.
Festival dates. Gawai Dayak starts on the evening of 31 May and 1 June is the visiting day, so families, hotels and flights are busy then. Town festivals keep their own calendars: Sibu’s Borneo Cultural Festival ran from 3 to 12 September in 2026. For weddings, see planning a wedding video around Sarawak community traditions.
Language. Malay and English carry most public events, and Mandarin, Hokkien and Foochow are common at Chinese family and clan gatherings. Iban and other community languages are heard at Gawai and longhouse events. Tell us who will speak, and we plan captions.
What should you settle before booking?
- The exact venue, and how people and equipment reach it.
- Who approves filming on site: a company, a park office or a village head.
- A backup if a flight, boat or road is delayed.
- Whether sound can be taken from the venue’s sound system (PA).
The travel cost worksheet lists what travel adds to a quote, and the coverage brief builder turns your plans into a message you can send. Our core offer is event videography across Malaysia.
If the trip also takes in the rest of East Malaysia, see our pages for Sabah and Labuan.
Send us the town, the venue, the date and what you want filmed. We confirm the crew and the travel for your date.
Ask about coverage hereSources
- Borneo Post, Everybody can swing: Sibu's giant itut returns for BCF 2026 (29 Aug 2026), checked 2026-10-11
- CAAM, Unmanned Aircraft System, checked 2026-10-10
- Sarawak Forestry Corporation, visitor information, checked 2026-10-10
- Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, Plan your event, checked 2026-10-10
- The Vibes, End of the road for Rajang River's iconic express boats (26 May 2024), checked 2026-10-10
- Borneo Post, Gawai Dayak history, checked 2026-10-10
- Borneo Post, BCF 2026 closing (13 Sept 2026), checked 2026-10-10
Checked on the date shown. Rules and venue requirements change, so confirm them for your own event.