The four finalists in Indonesia Feature-Length Competition may serve as a window to peek into the scope of feature-length documentary production in the country. Although it is slowly increasing every year, the number is still comparatively small. The four films presented with equally important stories are able to show the depth and complex depiction of the featured narrative. Moreover, these films try to respond to issues with locally relevant contexts that can be contextualized in a broader sense. Over time, how can the quality of Indonesian feature-length documentaries compete with their quantity?
Indonesia Feature-Length Competition
Program Notes
Film
Jury
Laura Coppens
Laura Coppens is a filmmaker and visual anthropologist. She received her PhD through the University Research Priority Program Asia and Europe at the University of Zurich in 2014. Since then, she works at the University at Bern as a research assistant and teaches documentary filmmaking. Her PhD film project, Anak-Anak Srikandi, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won several awards. As film curator, Laura served on several film festival juries including in the Berlinale Teddy Award. Her documentary feature, Taste of Hope, is Laura’s debut as sole director.
Gary Byung-seok Kam
Gary is the first ever Korean documentary producer nominated for an Academy Award based in Seoul, Korea. He is committed to crafting compelling stories and supporting independent documentary makers. His films in release include Planet of Snail (2011, director Seung-jun YI), the first Asian documentary that won Best Feature-Length Documentary at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the OSCAR® nominated In The Absence (2018), Shadow Flowers (2019) and Crossing Beyond, the official Olympic film for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He has served as a mentor at the Docedge Kolkata, the DMZ International Documentary Festival, Docs by the Sea, MyDocs, EBS International Doc Fest and as a juror/selection committees at the Whickers Foundation, IDFA Forum and IDA. Gary is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.
Eric Sasono
Eric Sasono is a film critic. He earned his PhD in film studies from King’s College London and is a founder of Rumah Film (2007-2011). He was a board member of Yayasan Masyarakat Mandiri Film Indonesia (YMMFI) which organized JIFFest and In-Docs. Eric is one of the founders of the Indonesian Film Society in London, which aims to promote Indonesian film and culture to the public in London. Now works for a non-governmental organization in Jakarta.
Selection Committee
Dag Yngvesson
Dag Yngvesson is a filmmaker and Assistant Professor of Cinema and Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia. His scholarly and creative work focuses on the history and politics of form in Southeast Asian cinema and media. His latest publication, “Centering Peripheries: The Return of Regionalism in Indonesian Independent Cinema,” appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. His most recent film, Banyak Ayam Banyak Rejeki (Many Chickens, Lots of Luck), premiered internationally on Mubi in January 2021 and is currently making the rounds of Asian and international film festivals and conferences.
Jamaluddin Phonna
Jamal is the director of Aceh Film Festival (AFF) and the founder of Aceh Documentary, a 10-year documentary development and production organization in Aceh. He studied Communication Science, which paved his way to becoming a filmmaker. His 13 years of experience in filmmaking strengthened his concern for social issues. This inspires him to raise awareness and educate audiences through documentary films.
Rugun Sirait
Rugun is a media anthropologist in training with a (wide) focus in music, photography, films, digital cultures, and social issues. She is one of the programming team of Festival Film Dokumenter.
