Asia-Pacific Film Festival struggling for recognition

Asia-Pacific Film Festival struggling for recognition

By Marselli Sumarno

JAKARTA (JP): The 40th Asia-Pacific Film Festival (APFF)
starts today in Jakarta. Some 30 feature films and 10
documentaries will enter the four day competition. Fourteen
countries from the Asia-Pacific region including Japan, Hong
Kong, India, Australia and New Zealand are taking part in the
event.

This year's festival is significant for Indonesia because it
has not held its own Indonesian Film Festival for the past three
years due to a reduction of national film production and the
absolute lack of quality films.

A more interesting issue, however, is the future of the APFF
itself. Forty years for a film festival is not a short period.
Compare it with other festivals: The Cannes Festival is only 49
years old and the Berlin Film Festival 45. So, why is the APFF,
even in Asia, not an important festival yet?

Most observers already know the answers: the APFF is not
competent enough to develop itself; the participants are limited
to the 14 member-countries; the venue moves from place to place;
and the awards don't carry sufficient prestige.

The APFF was preceded by the establishment of the Asian Film
Producers Federation in Japan in 1953. The aim of the federation
was to boost the interests of film industry in Asian countries,
to improve artistic standards, to step up film distribution and
to contribute to friendly relations among the participating
countries.

In the following year the Asian Film Festival was held for the
first time. Japan was honored with organizing the festival. Then,
the festival moved from one country to another. There were no
festivals in 1968 and 1981. Japan has hosted the event the most,
eight times.

Australia joined in 1975 and New Zealand followed in 1978, but
the name Asia-Pacific Film Festival was not officially adopted
until 1983. Many people think the two countries joined for
political reasons because, despite their close geographic
location to Asia, their cultures differ greatly from Asian
culture.

The lack of a permanent festival venue has led to host
countries not placing priority on the films but instead creating
a party atmosphere with numerous lunches, dinners and tourist
excursions.

The evaluation of films is primarily done by jury members from
the organizing country who grant (local) awards to the winners,
making the occasion semi-competitive. Consequently, there is a
tendency to share many awards.

"There is always a compromise to share the awards," the late
director Wahyu Sihombing said at the 34th APFF in Jakarta in
1989. So, despite the prizes, it is felt there is a lack of
prestige.

APFF's inability to develop is reflected in the small number
of participating countries. Moreover, the festival hasn't helped
develop a film market in itself. Apparently economic regionalism,
the trend in the Asia-Pacific, has not touched the Asian film
industry.

Indonesia, which is now hosting the festival for the fifth
time, has prepared a number of supporting programs. Turino
Junaedi, chairman of the Indonesian film producers' association
and chairman of the festival's organizing committee, says that
the supporting programs will mainly be seminars on conditions in
the film world and on production cooperation possibilities among
Asia-Pacific countries.

The dismal condition of Indonesian film making has prompted
the National Film Council to subsidize two directors, Garin
Nugroho and N. Riantiarno, US$ 300,000 each to make their latest
productions.

Young director Garin Nugroho has used the subsidy for his
third film Bulan dan Ilalang (Moon and Grass), a psychological
drama with its three main characters (a traditional music
composer, his wife and his pupil) torn between jealousy and love.
The two-hour film has a tragic ending.

N. Riantarno, a well-known dramatist, has made his first film
with Cemeng 2005 (The last primadonna). It relates the
disintegration of a traditional arts group due to the changing
times. At the closing of the film, some members of the group
perform at a garbage dump.

Both Bulan dan Ilalang and Cemeng 2005 are favorites to
represent Indonesia in the APFF. Other Indonesia films shown will
be Sesal (Regret) directed by Sophan Sophiaan, and the story of a
legend which has special effects shot in the sea, Dewi Angin
Angin (Goddess of the winds) by Ackyl Anwari.

Indonesia last won the best film award for Doea Tanda Mata
(Two tokens) by Teguh Karya in 1986. It also took home the top
award for Apa Yang Kau Cari Palupi? (What are you looking for,
Palupi?) by Asrul Sani in 1970, and Pengantin Remaja (Adolescent
bride and bridegroom) by Wim Umboh in 1971.

It is not clear whether the APFF will be better-off in the
future. This will strongly depend on the organizers and their
courage to compete with younger festivals such as the film
festivals of Singapore and Tokyo.

Turino Junaedi says there are plans to register the APFF with
international film festival organizations. Then the APFF could
attract films and delegations from around the world. "That will
be a leap forward for the APFF," he remarked.

If the plan is realized, the future of the APFF will be
bright. Will the APFF in Auckland, New Zealand, change in
appearance? We shall have to wait until next year to see.

Marselli Sumarno is a film critic and a lecturer at the film
department of the Jakarta Arts Institute.