Indonesian short films eye Oscars via US festival

The participation of Indonesian short films in the EuroAsia Shorts 2026 festival in the United States strengthens the opportunity for Indonesian filmmakers to break into the world film stage, including moving towards the Academy Awards or Oscars. The annual short film festival, which brings together works by Asian and European filmmakers, was held in the second week of June in Washington D.C., carrying the theme ‘Past/Present/Future’. Indonesia had the opportunity to screen two short films during the Austrian-Indonesian Partner Film Night, part of the EuroAsia Shorts 2026 series, at the Austrian Embassy in Washington D.C. on Monday (8/6). The two short films reflect the wealth of narrative and perspective of Indonesian filmmakers, namely Kepaten Obor by Lukman Hakim and Daly City by Indonesian diaspora filmmaker Nick Hartanto. The event, which marked 20 years of EuroAsia Shorts, was attended by around 500 viewers from the film community, diplomats, academics, and the general public. One of the highlights of the festival was the film Daly City, which has entered the Oscar-qualifying category, thus having the opportunity to follow the selection process towards the Academy Awards. In addition, the film Anak Macan by Amar Haikal has also reached that stage. ‘Indonesian films have story quality and cultural strength that can speak to global audiences. Therefore, we need to continue to support filmmakers so that more Indonesian works appear and compete in various international festivals,’ said Indroyono. According to him, the presence of Indonesian films at various international events can pave the way to the Academy Awards while strengthening the contribution of the creative economy sector to the national economy. Indroyono also said that film not only functions as an entertainment medium but also becomes an effective instrument of cultural diplomacy to introduce Indonesian identity to the international community. EuroAsia Shorts 2026 was organised through the cooperation of several embassies and international cultural institutions, including the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C.