What's new at Jakarta International Film Festival (7th)

The 7th Jakarta International Film Festival will open December 9 and will conclude 9 days later on the 18th!

Words from Orlow Seunke, JiFFest Director

JiFFest has always included documentary films, but this year, for the first time, we’ve created a special section for documentaries. These days, the documentary form is enjoying an exciting revival. Captivating and entertaining, they no longer resemble that dry ‘serious’ genre we love to hate. We’ve selected the best documentaries of recent years with the help of the IDFA, the world’s biggest documentary film festival. To celebrate this year’s new section, all 18 documentaries will be screened free. Come watch Metallica, The 5 Obstructions, Comandante and other great docs at TIM 1 and 2.

Also new this year is the World Cinema and Panorama section. World Cinema showcases big films with big names screened in big cinemas: Jakarta Theater 1 and Graha Bakti Budaya. The Panorama films are equally good, but of lesser known directors or actors. I guarantee that each and every one is worth seeing, so check them out at Jakarta Theater 2 and 3, and at TIM 3 and 4.

Don’t miss the free EU section. In all, 33 great films from 17 European countries, features as well as documentaries. Screenings are at Erasmus Huis, GoetheHaus and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and at the JiFFest venues on Monday. Also free, like last year, are the screenings in Teater Kecil, with its All About Indonesia program, Des Alwi films, two animation programs, Dutch shorts and the S-Express shorts.

Come to the ‘Meet the Filmmaker/Actor’ interview series at the JiFFest Café at Graha Bakti Budaya, where each evening you can meet and listen to a visiting film figure, like Archie Panjabi, (actress – Yasmin, Bend it Like Beckham) and
Aline Bonetto (art director - Amelie).

Finally, we’ve organized 10 film workshops at Galeri Cipta and Hotel Nikko. Learn from renowned international filmmakers like Robbie Muller, Leonard Retel Helmrich and Kim Longinotto. All JiFFest films have been imported especially for you. After the three screenings the prints will be shipped out of the country. If you miss the film there is no second chance. So take the whole week off, have fun, and enjoy JiFFest!


Orlow Seunke
JiFFest Director