Twelve months have passed since we introduced filmdokumenter.id to you at DOC Talk during Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. The incredible energy we’ve received through your suggestions, feedback, and criticism has inspired us to continue growing and developing filmdokumenter.id. As a new initiative, challenges are an integral part of our journey. Therefore, we need to pause for a moment to reflect and adapt. However, even as we do so, we are grateful for the support of our filmmaker partners, whose numbers continue to grow and who have accompanied us on this journey.
Now, we are entering a new era for filmdokumenter.id. The platform features new additions that offer a fresh experience for exploring Indonesian documentary films. We are thrilled to present the Beta version of filmdokumenter.id. Let’s get to know it!
A More Representative Website Design
As you may have already noticed, the design of filmdokumenter.id has changed significantly. We’ve redesigned the Home page to be more representative so that every visitor can more easily understand what the platform has to offer. We’ve also added and improved the Filter feature on the Collection page to make film searches more intuitive for Users.
In the previous version, each film included a set of codes (A, B, C, D, E) indicating the access level for the film collection. These codes have now been replaced with icons, which we hope will be easier for you to understand. Furthermore, we’ve also provided a User Guide to help you learn more about each feature of the website.
Website Membership System
We have launched and implemented a membership feature for filmdokumenter.id users. All visitors to filmdokumenter.id can still access the film collection data available to the public. However, since some of the features offered are form-based and involve our filmmaker partners, we’ve introduced a membership system to ensure the website is managed and utilized more effectively.
Online Film Preview Access
Registered users can now begin requesting access to full previews of films partnered with us. Users can use the filters on the Collection page to see the available films. We hope all users understand that we are unable to approve every request we receive. In addition to the platform’s limited server capacity, this feature is prioritized for members with professional backgrounds as educators, filmmakers, film exhibitors, film programmers, and researchers.
Learn more about how this feature works on the User Guide page.
Educator Accounts, Limited Screenings, and Learning Guides
Any user who registers as an educator can apply for verification to obtain an Educator Account and additional features. Currently, the feature we offer is access to films for Limited Screenings, which are screenings held in learning spaces with a limited number of viewers. Each application received will be approved and facilitated* by the Administrator so that educators can access and stream the films online via the recommended web browser.
Currently, there are 101 films available for Limited Screenings. We have also launched a number of Learning Guides that can be accessed on this page or on each film’s page where they are available. We designed these Learning Guides to inspire educators rather than serve as a rigid framework for using films as teaching materials. Educators are free to adopt parts of them and adapt them as needed.
We welcome anyone interested in contributing to our film Learning Guides. The more films that have Learning Guides, the greater the chance these films will continue to have a positive impact on the public. Please contact us at arsip@ffd.or.id regarding this matter.
*Since the films are streamed online, we need to consider submission quotas and server capacity. Nevertheless, we will continue to strive to optimize our ability to facilitate every submission we receive.
What About Public Screening Access?
Currently, we are unable to accommodate Public Screening Access as we have just completed the design phase of the new access management system. But don’t worry! We aim to launch this feature in the third quarter of 2025. The launch date may be moved up as we test the access management mechanisms, including trial screenings of the content. We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience as you await this feature.
Welcoming 2025
As we enter this year, the FFD Database program has two main focuses: (1) improving the services offered on filmdokumenter.id; (2) promoting filmdokumenter.id to educational and film institutions and communities. Given the introduction of several new features, technical issues or bugs on the platform may arise and be experienced by some users. If users encounter technical issues, please contact us immediately via email at arsip@ffd.or.id. We will continue to optimize the platform while preparing features for public screenings and other interactive features. In order to make the platform more useful, we must continue our promotional efforts. We have already begun listing potential universities, schools, and film communities to collaborate with. We are also open to anyone interested in collaborating on this initiative.
We, as the working team, would like to thank the filmmakers who have partnered with us on filmdokumenter.id, as well as everyone who has been involved, either directly or indirectly. filmdokumenter.id exists not only because of the hard work of the Database and FFD teams, but also as a result of collaboration among many parties. We thank all those involved—our filmmaker partners, discussion partners, and the Ministry of Culture through Dana Indonesiana, which has been with us since the launch of filmdokumenter.id.
Let’s welcome this new chapter of filmdokumenter.id together!
Michael A. Chandra
Program Director, Database