The ABU Media Academy concluded the fourth and final session of the 2025 AFTRS TV Expert Webinar Series on 11 June 2025 with a compelling focus on culturally grounded storytelling and agile development frameworks. Led by Dr. Pieter Aquilia of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), the webinar explored how traditional narratives and national identities can harmonise with modern production strategies to create television content that resonates both locally and globally.

Referencing a foundational regional workshop from 2022, Dr. Aquilia shared how storytelling models-ranging from folklore-inspired animation in Vanuatu to youth dramas in Malaysia-were refined using agile production and collaborative pitch development. The session also delved into narrative structure, audience engagement, and the ethics of inclusive authorship through tools like pitch bibles and sizzle reels.

Participants from Myanmar, Malaysia, and beyond raised thoughtful questions, sparking vibrant discussion on maintaining creative unity, the role of visual identity in formats, and how even factual storytelling can follow a dramatic arc. Both ABU Media Academy Head Daniyar Tussupbek and moderator Mr Aswandi Amin closed the session by expressing their gratitude to Dr. Aquilia for her outstanding guidance and reaffirmed the Academy's commitment to ongoing collaboration with AFTRS, with additional workshops already being planned in the months ahead.

The session reaffirmed the ABU Media Academy's dedication to capacity building through cross-institutional collaboration. By partnering with AFTRS and drawing from local broadcast experiences, the Academy helps equip creators to design narratives that are culturally grounded, ethically attuned, and technically robust. The collaboration continues with another engaging series in August-September, this time focusing on the radio sector.