Youths shine at short film festival

Youths shine at short film festival

By Gotot Prakosa

JAKARTA (JP): Two important cinema events passed without much
fanfare in the capital last week, the Jakarta Arts Institute
(IKJ) School of TV and Film's annual national short film
competition and the 2nd Indonesian Independent Video Film
Festival.

IKJ chose four best short films from among 20 titles vying for
the school's awards this year.

Faozan Risal's Angin Kemarau (Summer wind) won the award from
Kodak for best cinematography and will be featured in the
upcoming Asian film festival next February, where it will compete
with works of young artists from Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong,
the Philippines and Japan. Should the film win the Asian award,
it would eventually find its way to the international film
festival in Rochester, New York.

Faozan is a young productive cinematographer who makes films
with his friends.

The wind was directed by Lono Abdul Hamid, a young director
who got a big name for his short film Bawalah Aku Terbang (Up
where You Fly), 1998, a story about a boy, overly influenced by
his mother, who chooses to become a transvestite. The exotic film
will be featured at the ongoing Jakarta International Festival on
Nov. 6 at H. Usmar Ismail film center.

Another of IKJ's choices is Anugerah yang Terindah (Most
Beautiful Award) by director Lina Nurmalina for best plot
category. The film was acclaimed for presenting great detail with
a simple plot and powerful characters. It is Lina's debut.

Saat Menyatakan Cinta (Moment to say love), the second work of
director Eric Gunawan, was recognized for its innovative filming
techniques. Eric's first short film was Sebuah Lagu (A Song),
1998.

IKJ's best choice is Untuk Secangkir Kopi (For a Cup of
Coffee), the debut of Lintang Pramudya Wardani. The wide-screen
format film tells about a man who left home for over 10 years
after having an affair. When he eventually returns, his wife
accepts him.

The IKJ awards are presented every Oct. 28, the Youth Pledge
Day, also the anniversary of the passing of cinematographer D.
Djajakusuma, who died in 1987.

Independent films

Meanwhile, the Independent Video Film Festival at H. Usmar
Ismail film center from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 attracted about 1,550
people, mostly youths.

The festival featured 88 local and four German films.

The four foreign films were winners of the Oberhausen Short
Film Festival, which has a relationship with Indonesia's
Independent Film Community.

The 88 local films came from major cities across Indonesia,
mostly Jakarta (60), Bandung (10), Yogyakarta (8), Surabaya (5),
Semarang (1), Gunungkidul (1), Palembang (1) and Bali (2). All of
them were local audience choices.

The most favorite films received awards from Kuldesak
Foundation managed by well-known film figures like Mira Lesmana,
Nan T. Achnas, Riri Reza and Rizal Mantovani and from Set
Foundation led by film director Garin Nugroho.

The favorite film of the audience's choice was Portrait by
William Christian, 16, and friends, who made the film together
with Pop Corner, a non-governmental organization offering film
lessons to high school students. The film also won Special
Mention from Kuldesak, which gave it Rp 1 million in cash.

Kuldesak awarded Rp 1 million cash to www.gasberacub.con, a
short film by Puguh p.s. Admaja for best plot category. While
Violence against Fruits, an experimental short film about racism
was awarded Rp 1 million for best concept category.

"The most pop" category award of Rp 2 million from Kuldesak
went to Don't Touch, a short film by Andy Nugraha. The monochrome
film that tells about drug addicts is poetic and well-done.

Taim Krisis (Time crisis) and Jadi Pembalap 10 Menit (Ten
Minute Racer) were proclaimed as "most independent works" and won
Rp 500,000 and a trophy each from Set Foundation. Both films were
made by teenagers with Pop Corner.

The events proved that short films are thriving better than
long feature films in Indonesia. The independent film festival
was the second to have been held in Jakarta.

With the slogan of "Think freely, work independently, develop
Indonesian cinema", has proven to be a popular forum for the
younger people to express their ideas through cinema. The effort
is worth trying outside Jakarta as well.