Thursday, December 07, 2006
Jakarta festival showcases growing Indonesian film industry
by Nabiha Shahab
JAKARTA, Dec 7, 2006 (AFP) - Jakarta International Film Festival opens on Friday hoping to showcase the fledgling Indonesian movie industry which is starting to make an impact abroad.
Now in its eighth year -- it was founded after dictator Suharto stepped down in 1998 and censorship was relaxed -- the increasingly popular festival is for the first time holding a competition for best Indonesian movie.
Some 29 local feature films released since the end of 2005 are in the running with prizes of 5,000 dollars each for best film and best director.
Competing movies include "Love For Share" by Nia Dinata, which was Indonesia's entry for the 2006 foreign language Oscar and recently won the Golden Orchid prize for best feature at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
The film deals with polygamous marriages, a subject Dinata knows first hand from when her father took a second wife and one which is back in the news in Indonesia with moves to tighten the law on polygamy.
Other features in contention include local box office hit "Heart" by Hanny Saputra and Rudi Soedjarwo's "9 Naga".
Two highly anticipated local films will also be screened at JiFFest -- the musical "Opera Jawa" ("Requiem From Java") by Garin Nugroho, starring Artika Sari Dewi, which won two awards at the Festival of the Three Continents in Nantes, and "Jakarta Undercover" by Lance, starring Luna Maya.
Festival director Orlow Seunke says Indonesian movies are starting to attract international attention.
"Indonesian films start to win awards in international festivals, so there are talents, this is why we invite (people) from Cannes, Tokyo, also international film buyers and distributors," the Dutch filmmaker told AFP.
But he admitted they still have some way to go.
"They are not ready to be in the same category as the films in the world cinema section, so we have a special section on Indonesian films, and people can watch them for free," he says. "This is a gift for the city."
Festival founder Shanty Harmayn says the local film industry may be taking off but Indonesia still lacks the necessary production facilities.
"Indonesian film production is growing in numbers, but we're still in baby steps," she says.
"For example, the infrastructure, we still have to do our final mixing out of Indonesia."
The festival is also hosting script development workshops by well-known screen writers and cinematographers to encourage aspiring filmmakers to develop their ideas and help them make it onto the big screen.
"Ten winners (of the script-writing competition) will get the chance to learn from the best people in the business internationally," says Seunke.
Four short films that won last year's script writing competition will have their premiere at the festival.
JiFFest is also holding a competition for human rights films, with Amnesty International presenting a 5,000 euro (6,650 dollar) prize to help with the winner's distribution in Indonesia.
Singapore production "A Hero's Journey" about the life of East Timorese president and independence hero Xanana Gusamo is among the contenders, with Gusmao, who narrated the film, due to attend the festival.
While the Gusmao film is being shown, four other films on East Timor and Aceh have been banned by the authorities on the grounds they could "disturb security" -- a move lambasted by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders as "outdated censorship".
Despite the controversy, the festival is drawing increasing numbers of visitors and this year is showing more than 200 films from over 35 countries.
But organisers have failed to win substantial financial support from the municipal government and fear this year may be the last unless they can secure funding.
"Forty-seven thousand people came last year and we are expecting more people this year," Seunke said.
The Jakarta government "should give more attention to this annual international event and its potential to attract tourists," he added.
"Culture is a heritage, like architecture. Tourists can visit the city for one day, watch films and tour the city.
"With a budget of half-a million dollars, this festival by far has a smaller budget compared to other international festivals."
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Babel", starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, opens the festival on Friday.
World War II thriller "Black Book" by Paul Verhoeven is the closing film on December 17.
nsh/mtp/bgs
by Nabiha Shahab
JAKARTA, Dec 7, 2006 (AFP) - Jakarta International Film Festival opens on Friday hoping to showcase the fledgling Indonesian movie industry which is starting to make an impact abroad.
Now in its eighth year -- it was founded after dictator Suharto stepped down in 1998 and censorship was relaxed -- the increasingly popular festival is for the first time holding a competition for best Indonesian movie.
Some 29 local feature films released since the end of 2005 are in the running with prizes of 5,000 dollars each for best film and best director.
Competing movies include "Love For Share" by Nia Dinata, which was Indonesia's entry for the 2006 foreign language Oscar and recently won the Golden Orchid prize for best feature at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
The film deals with polygamous marriages, a subject Dinata knows first hand from when her father took a second wife and one which is back in the news in Indonesia with moves to tighten the law on polygamy.
Other features in contention include local box office hit "Heart" by Hanny Saputra and Rudi Soedjarwo's "9 Naga".
Two highly anticipated local films will also be screened at JiFFest -- the musical "Opera Jawa" ("Requiem From Java") by Garin Nugroho, starring Artika Sari Dewi, which won two awards at the Festival of the Three Continents in Nantes, and "Jakarta Undercover" by Lance, starring Luna Maya.
Festival director Orlow Seunke says Indonesian movies are starting to attract international attention.
"Indonesian films start to win awards in international festivals, so there are talents, this is why we invite (people) from Cannes, Tokyo, also international film buyers and distributors," the Dutch filmmaker told AFP.
But he admitted they still have some way to go.
"They are not ready to be in the same category as the films in the world cinema section, so we have a special section on Indonesian films, and people can watch them for free," he says. "This is a gift for the city."
Festival founder Shanty Harmayn says the local film industry may be taking off but Indonesia still lacks the necessary production facilities.
"Indonesian film production is growing in numbers, but we're still in baby steps," she says.
"For example, the infrastructure, we still have to do our final mixing out of Indonesia."
The festival is also hosting script development workshops by well-known screen writers and cinematographers to encourage aspiring filmmakers to develop their ideas and help them make it onto the big screen.
"Ten winners (of the script-writing competition) will get the chance to learn from the best people in the business internationally," says Seunke.
Four short films that won last year's script writing competition will have their premiere at the festival.
JiFFest is also holding a competition for human rights films, with Amnesty International presenting a 5,000 euro (6,650 dollar) prize to help with the winner's distribution in Indonesia.
Singapore production "A Hero's Journey" about the life of East Timorese president and independence hero Xanana Gusamo is among the contenders, with Gusmao, who narrated the film, due to attend the festival.
While the Gusmao film is being shown, four other films on East Timor and Aceh have been banned by the authorities on the grounds they could "disturb security" -- a move lambasted by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders as "outdated censorship".
Despite the controversy, the festival is drawing increasing numbers of visitors and this year is showing more than 200 films from over 35 countries.
But organisers have failed to win substantial financial support from the municipal government and fear this year may be the last unless they can secure funding.
"Forty-seven thousand people came last year and we are expecting more people this year," Seunke said.
The Jakarta government "should give more attention to this annual international event and its potential to attract tourists," he added.
"Culture is a heritage, like architecture. Tourists can visit the city for one day, watch films and tour the city.
"With a budget of half-a million dollars, this festival by far has a smaller budget compared to other international festivals."
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Babel", starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, opens the festival on Friday.
World War II thriller "Black Book" by Paul Verhoeven is the closing film on December 17.
nsh/mtp/bgs
