東南亞國家共有超過6.4億人居住，坐擁800多種本土語言，群島面貌異彩紛呈，孕育了高度多元的媒體產物、電影、建築、視覺藝術以及社交媒體。由於地理位置與歐洲西部、北美、南亞、亞洲東北部相鄰，東南亞文化深受前殖民管治階層及當代市場力量的影響。作為東南亞國家協會經濟共同體的一份子， 東南亞是香港第二大貿易夥伴。地理上，香港與多個東南亞國家為鄰，因而成為眾多菲律賓、印尼、越南和泰國移民的家。與此同時，新加坡，能夠與香港相比擬的城邦，正時刻挑戰香港對未來的城市想像。

Archipelagic and syncretic in character, Southeast Asia has over 640 million people and 800 native languages, which have resulted in highly diverse media products and practices in film, architecture, visual art, and social media. Situated at the convergence of Western Europe, North America, South Asia, and Northeast Asia, its cultures bear the influences of former colonial rulers and current market forces. As the ASEAN Economic Community, Southeast Asia is Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner. Because of its proximity, Hong Kong is home to many migrants from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Singapore, Hong Kong’s rival city-state, haunts its imagination of the urban future.