JP/YINTRO.029

Year-end Special Edition

Within the world of the arts and entertainment, 2005 was a year marked by many individual achievements in a variety of fields, against a backdrop of perceived inadequate government support for the arts in general.

The performing arts continued to show an endless capacity for invention, while the large number of locally made films meant this was the most prolific year in almost a decade, even if quantity alone proved to be no guarantee of quality.

December's Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) was a great success again, with the total number of admissions almost twice those of last year. The event is really helping to put Jakarta on the film festival map, and is a great way of promoting the capital.

The indie music scene seems to growing stronger all the time, while a host of classical music events through the year catered well for both lay audiences and aficionados alike.

Advances in information technology continue to make huge inroads in all our lives, particularly in telecommunications and transportation, where improvements in fuel efficiency, safety and personal comfort are likely to be main features of the year to come.

[Sunday to complete intro]