For 20 years straight, FFD’s Competition program has been the main course that is held consistently. This year is the third year for the competition program to present four categories: International Feature-length Documentary, Indonesian Feature-length Documentary, Short Documentary, and Student Documentary. Through the Competition program, we keep trying to organize a place for documentary films from around the world as a reflective medium for responding to issues around us critically and delivered in a creative documentary film.
This year, over 150 films were submitted to our Competition program, from June to August. This number actually is lower than the numbers in the last two years of the festival. But, the quality of this year’s films is incredibly impressive. We have chosen 11 films for the category International Feature-length Documentary, 4 films for the category Indonesian Feature-length Documentary, 6 films for the category Short Documentary, and 3 films for the category Student Documentary. The 24 films will be presented to be the main focus for the FFD audience online or offline.
We have more interest in films with colorful perspectives, narration, or approaches. This year’s juries-who come from different backgrounds-will choose one film from each category to be awarded on the Awarding Night and Closing Ceremony of Festival Film Dokumenter 2021.
— Rugun Sirait
Program Coordinator