The Student Competition program at Festival Film Dokumenter (FFD) 2025 presents six selected films depicting the diverse perspectives of student filmmakers in Indonesia. The six films are DJUM (Ahmad Brilian Maulana Vitjayanto, 2025), Constructed (Jonathan Gradiyan, 2025), Our Father Hour (Aziz Hammad Kusteja, 2025), Forced to Be Wild (Muhammad Al Hafiz, 2025), When the Blues Goes Marching In (Beny Kristia, 2025), and Honey & Moon (Navin Dharma Christopher Erick, 2025). After the jury meeting, the FFD communications team interviewed the Student Competition juries, including Anna Har, Risa Permanadeli, and Taufiqurrahman Kifu.
One important context in this year’s FFD Student Competition program was the curatorial decision to expand the segment to higher education so that university students could also participate in the competition. This decision had consequences and produced interesting findings, i.e., the technical achievements and exploration of approaches that turned out to be not too far apart between students and university students. The judges also saw that the variety of themes that emerged in the six films were closely related to the context of social dynamics in Indonesia. Some films captured their immediate surroundings, while others attempted to penetrate broader collective experiences and memories.
The geographical diversity of the filmmakers was also considered refreshing, showing that student documentaries no longer originate only from certain urban centers of production. However, although many films dealt with relevant issues, the jury found a similar pattern: most of the ideas raised had not been fully developed into a strong narrative style. The ideas are there, the familiarity with the subject is present, but they have not yet reached a depth of narrative or mature cinematic articulation. In several films, visual exploration begins to emerge—there is experimentation and a willingness to play with form. This exploration is still finding its place: is it merely aesthetics, or is it part of the structure of the ideas being addressed?
Of the six films under consideration, one film stood out because of the filmmaker’s closeness to the context in which it was made. This film was made by a high school student and was considered capable of reading a phenomenon so familiar in his life that he managed to present it with many layers, in terms of subject agency, social structure, power relations, and the politics of space. The jury decided not to select a winner in this category, but instead awarded a Jury’s Special Mention. The Jury’s Special Mention for FFD 2025 Student Competition is awarded to Forced to Be Wild (2025), directed by Muhammad Al Hafiz.
Furthermore, the juries expressed their hope for young filmmakers in Indonesia to be “astute in seeing the unseen.” They believe that filmmakers should be more sensitive to issues that have been overlooked—unpopular topics, seemingly insignificant realities, and experiences that are beyond the reach of large institutions. Documentaries are seen as an honest and flexible medium, capable of touching reality as it is. At the same time, the juries also noted that more and more young people are capable of producing films anywhere, using any means available. Now, the question is no longer can this film be made, but how close is the filmmaker to what they are telling.
At the end of the interview, the juries agreed that spaces such as FFD need to continue to exist; not only as a platform for screenings, but also as a platform for growth, experimentation, and dialectics. Rather than focusing on finding a winner, the Competition program is about reading the direction of a generation, especially the younger generation, in recording the reality of the world they live in through the lens of documentary. It is, perhaps, at this point that the FFD Student Competition program becomes relevant and important; opening up space to continue trying. A space where student films are not necessarily a final destination, rather the beginning of a new understanding of how reality can be discussed.
Jury’s Statement for Jury’s Special Mention Award
The six films competing in this program, in our view, have not yet been able to process their substance into a sublime artistic language. Thus, the aspects remaining for us to discuss and consider are their socio-political and geographical contexts, and the depth of understanding of the matters being addressed, in the form of complexity, as well as their potential to be further interpreted.
For the Best Film, we, the jury of the FFD 2025 Student Competition category, decide that there is no film good enough to win. This decision is made because we are concerned that the Best Film would become a mode, or a certain standard, whereas the quality of the films in this competition program indeed needs to be critiqued.
We apologize if this decision does not meet the expectations of public. We are grateful that FFD continues to provide space for films made by students. This is far more important than celebrating who the winner is. We acknowledge that, as viewers, we were entertained by the films in this competition program. But, as jurors, we must also be objective and critical regarding our decision.
However, we have decided to give a Jury’s Special Mention to one film that drew our attention. This film, unfortunately, concludes in a wasteful manner because what is being discussed is actually already present through the construction of its reality. Technically, like the other films in this program, nothing significantly disrupts the viewing experience. While in terms of artistic achievement, there is actually nothing that can be meaningfully discussed from this film. Fortunately, the film is careful enough in its formal decisions so that it does not fall into an inability to process its artistic materials.
This film presents a complexity of context that relates to the negotiation of subjects toward space—from the home to the street—running wild among the currents of socio-political issues of society and its geography. We also consider this film as a critique of the state, from the perspective of young people who simply wish to channel their hobbies. Based on these critical notes, the jury decides to give the Jury’s Special Mention award to the film Forced to be Wild by Muhammad Al-Hafiz from Aceh.
Festival Film Dokumenter is grateful to all the jury members (Anna Har, Taufiqurrahman Kifu, Risa Permanadeli) and selectors (Gerry Junus, Kurnia Yudha F., Michael A. Chandra) of the Student Competition category. Festival Film Dokumenter is presented by Forum Film Dokumenter, Indonesia. (Hesty N. Tyas, 23/11/2025 [Ed/Trans. Vanis])
