Russian animation traces its history back to 1912 – earlier than commonly believed: on April 8 of that year, "The Beautiful Lukanida, or the War of the Stag Beetles and the Horned Beetles" by director Wladyslaw Starewicz was released, one of the world's first stop-motion puppet animated films. In honor of this premiere, April 8 is celebrated as Russian Animation Day. Centralized production began later, in 1936, with the founding of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio – over its 90-year history, the studio has produced around 3,000 animated films and received more than 800 national and international awards, with many of its works becoming part of the golden fund of world animation.
Russia's contemporary animation industry is no less visible on the global market: the series "Masha and the Bear," produced by Animaccord Studio, has surpassed 100 billion views on YouTube and holds the Guinness World Record as the most-watched cartoon on the platform. Today, the industry is consolidated around the Russian Animated Film Association (RAFA) – the country's only professional association of its kind, with more than 90 members, including the largest studios, production companies, and licensing companies, together producing around 95% of all Russian animated content. The Association has already signed cooperation agreements with counterpart associations in China, South Korea, and Indonesia.

Brunei's animation industry is still in the early stages of development, but the country is investing systematically in its future. Under the national "Wawasan Brunei 2035" strategy – a course toward diversifying the economy from oil and gas to a knowledge-based model – creative industries, including computer animation, have been identified as one of the priority areas.
The government is building infrastructure for the sector: CRAFT, a creative hub under the Brunei Economic Development Board, provides equipment and software for 2D and 3D animation training, and local colleges offer animation education programs. This is still an emerging ecosystem, but youth interest and consistent government support are laying the groundwork for growth.

Vietnamese animation traces its history back to November 9, 1959, when the state-run Vietnam Animation Studio was founded in Hanoi; its first film, "Đáng Đời Thằng Cáo," was released in 1960. The studio's artists trained under Soviet masters, and its early works served an educational purpose. A new stage began in the 1990s amid the "Đổi Mới" economic reforms (literally "renewal") and the growth of private studios.
Over the past decade, the industry has made notable strides: Vietnamese studio Sconnect created the character Wolfoo – the series has amassed over 41 billion cumulative views on YouTube, around 100 million subscribers, and has been translated into more than 17 languages. In 2023, "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island" was released – the first Vietnamese-produced animated feature film to reach theaters. The government supports the industry through tax incentives, and in 2025, the country saw the establishment of the Vietnam Animation and Visual Effects Association (VAVA), which helps local studios enter international markets and collaborate with foreign partners.

Indonesian animation traces its history back to 1955: the first work is considered to be "Si Doel Memilih," a short campaign film by Dukut Hendronoto made for the national elections. Full-fledged television animation came later – in 1983, the series "Si Huma" aired on TVRI, becoming the country's first animated TV series. A landmark moment came in 2015 with the release of the 2D feature film "Battle of Surabaya" – the country's first-ever animated feature film, which went on to win several international awards.
A true breakthrough came in 2025: the film "Jumbo," on which 420 Indonesian creators worked for five years, drew over 10 million viewers and became the highest-grossing animated film not only in Indonesia but in all of Southeast Asia. According to the Indonesian animation industry association AINAKI, the country is now home to roughly 120 studios across 23 cities.

Cambodia's creative industry draws on the rich cultural heritage of the Angkor era, and the government sees reimagining traditional storytelling through modern animation as one path for economic development. At the 2025 ASEAN Digital Content Summit, the country presented initiatives for regional cooperation in content production.
Local organizations are doing the practical work of training talent: iThinkAsia provides free training in 2D animation to young Cambodian artists, while Phare Creative Studio, part of the Phare Ponleu Selpak cultural organization, trains animators through its own visual arts school. The industry is still small, but it is being deliberately built up with support from the government and international partners.

Laos's animation industry is at its very earliest stage of development, made up mainly of small studios handling service and training projects. The sector's growth is linked primarily to the broader push toward economic diversification and the digitalization of the creative sector under regional ASEAN initiatives.
Regional cooperation – interest from neighboring countries, including Thailand and Japan, in co-production with mainland Southeast Asian countries – is seen as one possible driver of future growth for Laotian animation, alongside the development of specialized education.

Malaysian animation gained worldwide recognition through the series "Upin & Ipin" by Les' Copaque Production, launched in 2007. In March 2013, the twins Upin and Ipin were named national UNICEF Malaysia ambassadors, and the series is broadcast on Disney+ and Netflix, as well as by broadcasters in Indonesia and other countries in the region. Another notable work is "BoBoiBoy" by Animonsta Studios.
This success is due in large part to systematic government support: the MDEC agency has consistently invested in the industry through the Multimedia Super Corridor program, and the MAC3 center (launched in 2009) helps studios with funding and access to international markets. The annual Malaysia Animation Film Festival supports the community of young creators.

Myanmar's animation industry is developing amid difficult economic and political conditions. Government support for creative industries in the country remains limited for now, and most projects are carried out by small studios and enthusiasts.
Nevertheless, the region views Myanmar as a promising direction for future co-production – neighboring countries in mainland Southeast Asia, seeking new markets and talent, have expressed interest in expanding cooperation in animation.

Singapore has established itself as one of the region's leading hubs for international animation and visual effects: from 2005 to 2023, the country was home to Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, and in 2006, the first overseas Industrial Light & Magic facility opened there – both studios closed in 2023 after nearly two decades of operation, having trained a whole generation of local animators in the process. Local studio Sparky Animation (established 2006) co-produced the series "Dinosaur Train" for PBS, which achieved record-breaking viewership for the channel, while studio One Animation's series "Rob the Robot" has aired in more than 57 countries.
The government invests systematically in the industry through the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which provides grants and subsidies, as well as through the PIXEL creative space for startups and professionals.

Thai animation traces its history back to 1955, when artist Payut Ngaokrachang, recognized as the father of Thai animation, created the country's first animated short film, followed in 1979 by the country's first animated feature film, "The Adventure of Sudsakorn." The modern industry was shaped by Kantana Animation studio, which started in 1987 as a subcontractor for Japan's Toei Animation and, in 2006, released "Khan Kluay" – the first Thai 3D computer-animated feature film.
Today, Thailand is one of the largest animation outsourcing hubs in Southeast Asia: according to the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), in 2016, the country was named the region's leading destination for animation business, and roughly 91% of Thai studios work for overseas clients.

Philippine animation began in the 1980s as service outsourcing for major American studios – local artists worked on classic series such as "The Flintstones" and "Scooby-Doo." Founded in 1993, Toon City Animation established one of the longest-running partnerships in the industry's history, working with Disney on a number of projects.
Today, thousands of professionals work in the Philippine animation industry, and studios such as Top Draw Animation and Synergy88 not only handle contract work for major global studios but are increasingly developing their own international co-productions and original content, building on the country's reputation as one of Asia's strongest hubs for English-language animation.

Timor-Leste is the youngest nation in Southeast Asia, and its film and animation culture is still in the early stages of development. The main focal point for growth among local creators has been the Dili International Film Festival, held annually since 2019, which includes educational masterclasses for emerging Timorese filmmakers.
The industry currently relies mainly on the enthusiasm of individual creative collectives and support from international partners, but growing youth interest in the visual arts is laying the groundwork for future growth in the country's creative sector.