Celebrating 5 Years, Jakarta Film Week 2025 Reignite, Cinema Energy and Jakarta’s Place on the Global Stage

Ahmad Mahendra, Director General of Cultural Development, Utilization, and Fostering at the Ministry of Culture, explained, “JFWNET–Industry Program aligns with MTN Cultural Arts, emphasizing sustainable efforts to nurture and strengthen Jakarta, September 30, 2025 – Jakarta Film Week 2025 held a press conference at CGV FX Sudirman, Jakarta. The event marked five years of the festival’s commitment to nurturing and strengthening young talent while expanding industry networks through international collaboration and professional forums.

Under the theme REIGNITE, this fifth edition aims to reignite conversations, passion, and collective energy within Indonesia’s film ecosystem. Jakarta Film Week seeks to be a shared space that connects films, audiences, and industry players, while providing broader access for the creation of new works and ideas. This year, the festival, through the JFWNET–Industry Program, received support from the Ministry of Culture via the National Talent Management (MTN) Cultural Arts Program.

Rina Damayanti, Festival Director of Jakarta Film Week 2025, stated, “With the theme REIGNITE, Jakarta Film Week is committed to continually fueling creativity through young talents, offering fresh stories with new perspectives, and opening opportunities to grow and shine on the global stage through the festival.”

Gaining International Spotlight

Since its inaugural edition in 2021, Jakarta Film Week has steadily grown: the number of films increased by nearly 55%, the range of film-origin countries expanded, and audience attendance surged by over 250%, reaching more than 170,000 viewers both online and offline in 2024. The festival has also broadened its format with the parallel JFWNET–Industry Program since 2023, providing a wider space for industry collaboration and strengthening Jakarta’s position internationally.

In its fifth year, Jakarta Film Week’s position is further reinforced with new programs, emerging talents, and a wider reach—not only across Indonesia but also on the global stage.

Rano Karno, Vice Governor of Jakarta, emphasized, “As we move toward making Jakarta a Cinema City by 2027, the Jakarta provincial government is strengthening support from various aspects. Jakarta Film Week, as an international film festival, brings fresh energy to screening spaces, expands the diversity of content, and presents works and filmmakers from dozens of countries to celebrate cinema in Jakarta. This strengthens Jakarta as a Global City and a City of Cinema.”

Jakarta Film Week 2025 Program Lineup

Jakarta Film Week 2025 will open with The Fox King (2025), a Malaysian film directed by Woo Ming Jin and starring Dian Sastrowardoyo. Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film is a Malaysia–Indonesia co-production with co-producer Yulia Evina Bhara. The festival will close with the Indonesian premiere of Dopamine, directed by Teddy Suryatmaja and starring Shenina Cinnamon and Angga Yunanda.

The festival features competition programs, including Global Feature for international feature films, Global Short for international short films, Global Animation for animated films, Direction Award for Indonesian feature films, and Jakarta Film Fund, a story idea competition providing funding and production mentorship. This year, the Jakarta Film Fund will release three short films by emerging Jakarta directors: Amelia, Amelia (2025) by Daphne, produced by Rekata Studio; the animated short Duka Cita (2025) by Fritz Widjaja, produced by Turu Tangi Studio; and Salon Gue Aje (2025) by Tahlia Salima Motik, produced by Illusory Films and Benteng Air Production.

Outside the competitions, the festival presents thematic programs such as Emergency Broadcast, highlighting current global issues; Herstory, focused on women’s stories; Fantasea and Classique, exploring cinematic imagination and archival works. Collaborative programs also feature partnerships with national and international organizations such as Made in Hong Kong, Postcards from Clermont-Ferrand ISFF, Dutch Bioscoop, Layar Indonesiana, Refleksi 20 Tahun Reza Rahadian, Fun Cican, and Sekolah VR.

According to Novi Hanabi, Jakarta Film Week Program Manager, “Entering its fifth year, the challenge of film curation continues to grow. We keep track of the industry’s development and respond with this year’s program lineup. Animation, genre, and family-friendly films are key highlights. Jakarta Film Week aims to be an inclusive festival accessible to the general public, inviting audiences to appreciate and celebrate cinema together in Jakarta.”

Films at Jakarta Film Week 2025 will come from four continents: Asia, America, Europe, and for the first time, Africa. “This is a new achievement for us—this year we can expand the scale and diversity of films from Africa,” added Novi Hanabi.

JFWNET–Industry Program

Supported by the National Talent Management (MTN) Cultural Arts Program, JFWNET–Industry Program is a parallel initiative focusing on talent development, supporting film projects as key drivers of the filmmaking ecosystem, strengthening professional networks, and opening cross-border collaboration opportunities for Indonesian and international filmmakers.

MTN Cultural Arts is a national priority program managed by the Ministry of Culture, aiming to identify, develop, and promote Indonesian cultural and artistic talent in a structured and sustainable manner. The program connects talents with capacity-building and market-access opportunities both nationally and globally.

MTN Cultural Arts at Jakarta Film Week 2025 includes initiatives such as Producers Lab, Pitching Forum, MTN Lab, Masterclass, Producers Network, Industry Talks, and Festival Meeting. The newest addition, Talents Hub, invites emerging filmmakers from Indonesia and abroad to meet industry professionals, exchange knowledge, expand networks, and explore collaboration opportunities.

alent in arts and culture, including filmmaking. Through its industry programs, JFWNET–Industry Program serves as the right platform to discover new talents and support their work through collaboration opportunities and international recognition.”

Masterclasses will feature experts and practitioners focusing on Music Scoring and Directing, while Industry Talks will cover International Co-production, Film Festivals & Exhibitions, and Film Genres.

Claresta Taufan as Festival Ambassador of Jakarta Film Week 2025

This year, Jakarta Film Week introduces young actor Claresta Taufan as Festival Ambassador. Claresta began her career in the popular horror films Ronggeng Kematian (2024) and Badarawuhi di Desa Penari (2024). Recently, she starred in Maryam: Janji dan Jiwa yang Terikat (2025) and Pangku (2025), Reza Rahadian’s directorial debut, which premiered and competed at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2025 under the Vision Asia program. Claresta won the Rising Star Award at the Marie Claire Asia Star Awards, part of BIFF 2025.

“I’m really looking forward to Jakarta Film Week 2025. I can’t wait to watch the films and participate in the festival programs. I believe international festivals like Jakarta Film Week should be fully utilized by film lovers and industry professionals, especially in Jakarta, where anything is possible,” Claresta Taufan shared enthusiastically.

Event Details

Jakarta Film Week 2025 will take place from October 22–26, 2025 at CGV Grand Indonesia, CGV FX Sudirman, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Hotel Mercure Cikini, and Galeri Indonesia Kaya, with online screenings available via the VIDIO platform.

Tickets will be available on TIX.ID starting October 13, 2025, and can also be purchased on-site. Full schedules and program information are available at www.jakartafilmweek.com and on social media @jakartafilmweek.

Let’s welcome Jakarta Film Week 2025 together and support the continued growth of Indonesia’s cinematic space on the global stage!

Arga Arifwangsa | Asia Khairunnisa Luthan

ABOUT JAKARTA FILM WEEK

Launched in 2021, Jakarta Film Week is a continuous commitment of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office to support the growth of cinema, both nationally and internationally. Since its inception, the festival has been warmly welcomed by filmmakers and film enthusiasts across Indonesia.

Every year, Jakarta Film Week showcases works from around the globe—feature films and shorts alike—while selected titles are honored with prestigious awards. Hundreds of thousands of audiences, both online and onsite, take part in the festival’s diverse programs, from Road to Jakarta Film Week, Jakarta Film Fund, screenings, masterclasses, talks, community activities, to the award night.

More than just a festival, Jakarta Film Week serves as a hub for innovation and a platform for filmmakers to grow. Through new programs and collaborations with international festivals, Jakarta Film Week continues to expand its reach while strengthening its position within the global film industry.

CONTACT
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