Indonesian Films in Oscar Contention, Ambassador Says: Our Stories and Culture Go Global

Indonesian short films are drawing closer to the world cinema stage. Two works by Indonesian filmmakers were screened at EuroAsia Shorts 2026 in Washington D.C., United States, whilst two other Indonesian films have achieved Oscar-qualifying status, opening up the opportunity to progress towards the Academy Awards or Oscars. Indonesia’s participation in the annual short film festival, which brings together Asian and European filmmakers, marks an important momentum for efforts to expand the national film industry’s footprint internationally. During the Austrian-Indonesian Partner Film Night held at the Austrian Embassy in Washington D.C. on 8 June, Indonesia screened the short film Kepaten Obor by Lukman Hakim and Daly City by Indonesian diaspora filmmaker Nick Hartanto. This year’s festival, themed ‘Past/Present/Future’, marked two decades of EuroAsia Shorts and was attended by around 500 viewers from film communities, diplomats, academics, and the general public. One of the highlights was the film Daly City, which has entered the Oscar-qualifying category. This status allows the film to go through the selection process for the Academy Awards, the most prestigious film award in the world. In addition to Daly City, the film Anak Macan by Amar Haikal has also reached the same category. Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Indroyono Soesilo assessed that these achievements demonstrate the growing opportunity for Indonesian films to penetrate international markets and festivals. ‘Indonesian films possess story quality and cultural strength capable of speaking to a global audience. Therefore, we must continue to support filmmakers so that more Indonesian works appear and compete in various international festivals,’ Indroyono said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday (11/6). According to him, the presence of Indonesian films in various international events not only opens up opportunities towards the Academy Awards but also strengthens the position of Indonesia’s creative economy on the world stage. Indroyono added that film can function as an effective cultural diplomacy instrument to introduce the identity and narrative richness of Indonesia to the international community. EuroAsia Shorts 2026 was organised through collaboration between several embassies and international cultural institutions, including the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington D.C. For national cinema, the event serves as an important gateway towards wider recognition on the global stage.