The Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has expressed its support for the strong contingent of filmmakers from the country at the Busan International Film Festival. There are 20 participants from Indonesia across the festival’s various strands.
Indonesian content in the festival program includes: Makbul Mubarak’s Venice winner and Toronto selection “Autobiography” and Kamila Andini’s “Before, Now & Then” (“Nana”) in A Window on Asian Cinema section; Joko Anwar’s “Satan’s Slave 2: Communion” at Midnight Passion; series “Blood Curse” in the On Screen program; and two Indonesian co-productions – the omnibus “Look at Me, Touch Me, Kiss Me” and “Stone Turtle” are also included at A Window on Asian Cinema. In the Asian Project Market, “Gaspar,” directed by Yosep Anggi Noen and produced by Yulia Evina Bhara and Christian Immanuel, features, and 10 young Indonesian filmmakers are participating at Platform Busan.
Indonesia’s general director of cultural affairs, Hilmar Farid, said: “We are happy that the Indonesian filmmakers are flowing to Busan this year and to support them, we will held an Indonesia Night to further promote their works, to expand their network and to also introduce new initiatives from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology such as an Indonesian film lab and a short film competition. We will also highlight he Indonesian films at BIFF this year.”
Bhara said: “This year, I think I am seeing the biggest Indonesian delegation in recent years of BIFF, be it the films in the official selection or other sidebar programs and market programs like ACFM and Platform Busan. It is also a pivotal moment to come back to meet face-to-face in film festival just like before the pandemic. I am hoping to see new collaborations flourish between Indonesian filmmakers and the international filmmakers after BIFF 2022.”
The director of film, music and media of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Ahmad Mahendra, said: “We will continue to support Indonesian filmmakers’ presence at international film festival as it is our utmost commitment to strengthen the ecosystem of the Indonesian film industry.”
Park Seri, manager, support program team at the festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market, said: “We are ecstatic for this collaboration with the Indonesian government to bring 10 emerging filmmakers to Platform Busan. Platform Busan is created to provide space for collaboration and we are happy to know that we share the same ideas with the Indonesian Directorate of Film, Music and Media.”