Ignited Raises the Issue of Kalimantan’s Forest Fires, Selected for the Global Animation Short Competition
Jakarta Film Week 2024 returns with a selection of short films curated for the program Global Animation Short Competition. Within this compilation, there are 10 short animated films screened on the second day of Jakarta Film Week 2024, hailing from a diverse range of countries. These are the titles showcased on that day:
- Nun or Never! (Finland, 2023)
- Percebes (Portugal, France, 2024)
- It Shouldn’t Rain Tomorrow (Portugal, German, 2024)
- A Night at the Rest Area (Japan, 2024)
- Trumpet Voice (Chile, 2023)
- Circle (South Korea, 2024)
- The Skytrain (Canada, 2024)
- Ignited (Indonesia, 2024)
- Daisy (Spain, 2023)
- The Car That Came Back from the Sea (Switzerland, 2023)
During the screening, Ignited received the audience’s attention, because it is the only Indonesian short animated film feature in the Global Animation Short Competition.
Ignited is a short animated film about the climate and environmental issues festering in areas prone to forest and land fires, particularly areas in Kalimantan. This issue is disseminated in the eyes of a mother and wife from Central Kalimantan.
The director of Ignited, Riri Royanto, expresses her reason for exploring this issue in a short animated film, “So far, the issue of fires has only been treated as statistical data, but we hardly see the social conditions underlying these cases.”
This issue is considered rather complex and universal, with problems such as improper or slow approaches and treatments, a challenging field to navigate, and limited resources. Riri Royanto perceives the threat of forest fires does not only loom over Kalimantan, but also many other parts of the world. With constant endangerment, local communities in those areas are hoped to possess sufficient knowledge on how best to cope with fires.
Equipped with firsthand experience in areas at risk of forest and land fires, Riri Riyanto witnesses a few problems arise as a result of fires, which then inspire her to make this short animated film with the purpose of raising people’s awareness on this subject.
“In its capacity as a short film medium, Ignited quite effectively raises awareness in communities, but it isn’t enough and we mustn’t stop there. We must also make other strategic campaigns to further urge people to care about this issue,” she says.
“I am very pleased to know that this short film is competing in Jakarta Film Week and is representing Indonesia in its compilation. I’m also happy that Ignited got the opportunity to reach a wider audience through these screenings,” lanjutnya.
She adds that all the other short animated films featured in the Global Animation Short Competition screenings are equally as interesting and important in their contributions to the issues they are raising, the development of their plots, and visual aspects. She mentions a couple of films which have captured her attention.
Other than the aforementioned film titles, there are many more films, both feature-length and short, being showcased throughout the festival until the 27th of October. For more information about Jakarta Film Week 2024’s programs and events, visit our website www.jakartafilmweek.com and follow us on social media @jakartafilmweek. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of this celebration of international cinema in Jakarta, this year!
Muhamad Iqbal Ramadhan | Nanda Hadiyanti
tr. Fairuza Hanun