Day Four of Jakarta Film Week 2024 Filled with Exciting Film Screenings and Creative Industry Dialogues
Jakarta, 26 October 2024 – Jakarta Film Week 2024 was getting more festive on its fourth day with a variety of programs capturing the attention of film enthusiasts and industry professionals. One of the most anticipated events was the screening of Exhuma by Jang Jae Hyun, which was not only welcomed with enthusiasm but was also followed by a Q&A session with the film’s producer, Kim Young Min. Kim expressed his gratitude for the positive response from Indonesian audiences, admitting he hadn’t expected the film to be received with such high enthusiasm. “I never imagined someone would watch it up to five times,” he remarked, realizing that the mystical elements in Exhuma resonate closely with Indonesia’s supernatural cultural beliefs.
Herstory, Fantasea, Classique, and Family Time Programs
In addition to the screening of Exhuma, Jakarta Film Week 2024 also presents the Herstory program—a collection of films from around the world that portray women’s stories or are directed by female filmmakers. Another featured program is Fantasea, a selection of films highlighting filmmakers’ creativity in creating fantastic and imaginative worlds.
This year, Family Time joins the film screening lineup, adding a festive touch to Jakarta Film Week with warm and delightful films suitable for all family members. Featured films include Kid, You’re Just A Kid, Reni’s Worlds, My Father Drowned in Soup, Out of Order, and The Raffle.
A new addition to this year’s lineup is Classique, a program that brings historical cinema classics back to life, reviving the magic that the big screen once offered. Classique connects timelines, delves into nostalgia, and resonates with today’s world, illustrating that cinema remains timeless. Classique films screened in this program include Wings of Desire and Buena Vista Social Club from the director Wim Wenders, also Tribute to Hendrick Gozali: Sumpah Pocong – Lintang dan Bayu.
In addition to existing programs, this year also introduces collaborative screenings with various partners, including Clermont-Ferrand, showcasing a curated collection of high-quality short films from multiple countries. This collaboration enriches the film selection at Jakarta Film Week while aiming to strengthen Jakarta’s position as a global cinema hub that promotes creativity and innovation across various genres of fiction and animation. Other collaborative programs featured this year include collaboration program BIFAN, Altenativa, Made in Hong Kong and Bioscoop Belanda.
Talks: Showcase of Concept Arts in IP Development and ASEAN Regional Workshop on Creative Economy
The fourth day also featured the Talks program with a diverse range of sessions, one of which was Showcase: Concept Arts in IP Development. This session explored IP (Intellectual Property) development in film, discussing the potential of character design concepts to be expanded across various media. The discussion brought together several seasoned speakers, including Felix Ezra Supriadi and Nasya Hikari Vania, who worked on the Desa Timun animation-puppet project, as well as Didier Konings, a concept artist for blockbuster films, who shared his perspective on IP development and working on projects with limited funding. “Small-budget projects are sometimes more challenging because they allow greater freedom in expressing creative processes. Sometimes, the larger the funding, the greater the challenges,” noted Didier.
The ASEAN Regional Workshop on Creative Economy, in collaboration with the JFW Net Industry Program, was also a key highlight. This workshop connected cities across Southeast Asia through discussions on the role of film commissions and festivals in supporting the creative industries. The first session highlighted the importance of relationships between cities and the film industry, featuring panelists from the Busan Film Commission, Tokyo Film Commission, Quezon City Film Commission, and Jogja Film Commission. Rina Damayanti from Jakarta Film Week highlighted how the rising quality of ASEAN films has achieved success at international festivals. The Jakarta Arts Council also proposed establishing the Jakarta Film Commission to support production permits and strengthen the local film ecosystem.
In the second session, titled Film Festivals as Gateways, panelists from various Asian film festivals, such as Ed Lejano from QCinema (Philippines), Ajish Dibyo from Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (Indonesia), Jeremy Chua from Singapore International Film Festival (Singapore), Lorna Tee from Asian Film Alliance Network and Tran Thi Bich Ngoc from Autumn Meeting (Vietnam), discussed the importance of film festivals as platforms to support new works. The panel emphasized the need for policies that protect film industry professionals and strengthen the Asian film ecosystem to become less dependent on Western markets.
Collaborative Programs with Directorate of Film, Music, and Media (PMM) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Indonesia
Jakarta Film Week also collaborated with the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media (PMM) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology by presenting the Screening of Indonesiana Children’s Animation, featuring titles such as Banti Rengo, Kwartet Gupala sang Jagawana, and Kesatria Semesta. Additionally, Indonesiana Women’s Story showcased films with women-centered themes, followed by a Q&A session with filmmakers such as Rifqi Mardhani (Perempuan Berlumur Lumpur), Rohil Fidiawan Mokmin (Perempuan Dalam Anyaman), Jamaluddin Phonna (Selubung Kain Putih), Indra Prasetya (Pembayun), and Erina Adeline (Gin Swa).
Many compelling stories emerged during the Q&A session with the filmmakers of Layar Cerita Perempuan Indonesiana, but one of the most personal came from the film Gin Swa. Director Erina Adeline revealed that she created the film based on a real-life experience losing her father suddenly at the beginning of 2024.
She once dreamed of buying a car for her father when she was financially stable. However, he passed away before she could realize that dream. This became the foundation of Gin Swa. “Gin Swa” means silver paper, and the tradition of burning gin swa represents a way for Chinese descendants to honor their ancestors. “In the film, since the daughter was unable to fulfill her goal of gifting her father a car, she tries to achieve this goal through gin swa, a cultural tradition held by the Chinese community,” explained director Erina Adeline.
Concluding with Networking Event: Hong Kong Night
On its fourth day, Jakarta Film Week 2024 concludes with a Networking Event, an industry gathering in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO). Jakarta Film Week and HKETO invite and connect national and international creative industry players for casual meetings and discussions through this gathering program. Through Hong Kong Night, creative industry professionals are expected to meet with producers, investors, or other potential stakeholders to realize project ideas and foster opportunities for global collaboration.
More Diverse Program and More Collaborations at Jakarta Film Week 2024
Rilda An-Nuur, Business Development of Jakarta Film Week, expressed her enthusiasm for the growth of the festival’s programs, including the expansion of industry programs under the JFW NET umbrella. “In its fourth year, Jakarta Film Week is focused on developing industry programs with the support of various collaborators. This significant development demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth and development of the film industry in Indonesia,” she stated.
The fourth day of Jakarta Film Week 2024 showed how this festival is not only a place for film appreciation, but also a space for discussion, collaboration, and innovation that enhances Indonesia’s recognition on the international stage.
Jakarta Film Week 2024 will run until October 27, 2024, showcasing high-quality films from around the world, along with a series of industry programs designed to strengthen Indonesia’s position on the global film map. For more information about the programs and events at Jakarta Film Week 2024, visit www.jakartafilmweek.com and follow us on social media @jakartafilmweek. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this celebration of international cinema in Jakarta this year!
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