Kapanlagi.com - The Indonesian film industry has undergone a monumental transformation in recent years, ushering in a new golden era in the national film industry. This transformation is the result of the relentless dedication of the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology through the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media, which has worked hard to elevate the film ecosystem in the country.
In 2023, the Indonesian film industry reached its peak with an impressive appearance of 50 film titles in 24 international film festivals in 18 countries, an achievement that solidifies Indonesia's position on the global film stage and marks Indonesia as a strong competitor in the international film market.
"This achievement is the most glorious moment in our film history, proving the government's strategy and support in elevating our film industry to the next level," said Ahmad Mahendra, Director of Film, Music, and Media.
The upcoming National Film Day on March 30, 2024, will be a moment to highlight various programs aimed at improving film literacy and appreciation, such as Indonesiana Film and various other initiatives that enrich the skills and networks of young Indonesian filmmakers.
Mahendra further explained, "This strategy aims to maintain audience enthusiasm, increase the presence of Indonesian films internationally, and enhance the quality of human resources and film production."
Photo Credit: Personal Documentation of the Ministry of Education and Culture
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia has also taken strategic steps to support the improvement of literacy and film appreciation through various programs. One of them is Indonesiana Film, a screenplay writing workshop guided by professors from the University of Southern California that focuses on the development of local Indonesian narratives.
"This program aims to produce strong stories with moral values and local wisdom, while also increasing exposure and income in the shooting locations," said Mahendra.
Until now, the Indonesiana Film Script Bank has produced 33 scripts, including 4 scripts in 2020, 10 scripts in 2021, 9 scripts in 2022, and 10 scripts in 2023. In addition, there are several other initiatives such as Layar Indonesiana, which holds a short film production competition for young filmmakers, and Lock x Full Circle Lab, which enhances cinematic storytelling capacity and international networks.
MyLab+@Jogja 2023 serves as an incubator for scriptwriters, directors, and producers to develop projects with the assistance of international experts, which in that year selected 6 projects with a total of 17 participants. Meanwhile, Idoclab 2023 is a special program to support Indonesian documentary filmmakers in developing narrative and production skills.
"These initiatives reflect the government's ongoing efforts to develop a film industry that is not only creative but also competitive on the global stage," added Mahendra.
Photo Credit: Personal Documentation of the Ministry of Education and Culture
Kemendikbudristek also consistently supports the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI), which has been established since 1955, and regional film festivals. Throughout 2023, Kemendikbudristek will also facilitate more than 20 Film Festivals from Sabang to Merauke, including: BALINALE (Bali International Film Festival), Lake Toba Film Festival, UI Film Festival (UI), Kenduri Serumpun Melayu Film Festival in Jambi, Jogja Asian NetPAC Film Festival (JAFF), Flobamora Film Festival in NTT, and many more.
This aims to appreciate the works of local artists and identify and nurture young talents in order to strengthen the national film ecosystem. Mahendra also explained that Kemendikbudristek organizes special screenings (watching together/nobar), "This is done to maintain audience interest, preserve accessibility, and appreciation for Indonesian films."
This is proven through the implementation of widespread watch together (nobar) programs domestically. This program has been held in 29 cities from 2020 to 2023, with the number of viewers continuously increasing significantly from 6,332 viewers in 2020 to 5,095 in 2021, jumping to 9,186 in 2022, and totaling 10,952 in 2023.
Films that enrich cultural connections such as Nyanyian Akar Rumput (Song of Grass Roots), The Science of Fiction, and Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (Impetigore) have been screened, reflecting the richness and diversity of Indonesian cinema. This shows not only the success in promoting local works but also the increasing interest and support of the public towards the national film industry.
Similar activities are also held abroad in collaboration with several Indonesian embassies as part of the government's efforts to bring Indonesian films to the global stage.
On the other hand, Kemendikbudristek also acknowledges the important role of local film communities through the AFI (Apresiasi Film Indonesia) initiative, which has collaborated with Cinema Poetica and Rangkai.id to collect data on film communities. Since its inception in 2022, this program has reached 79 communities in 10 cities.
In 2023, this program is expanded with research in 5 new cities and 3 cities with follow-up programs, indicating that throughout 2023, there are more than 20 films that have an audience of more than 1 million people, such as: Sewu Dino (4,891,609), Air Mata di Ujung Sajadah (3,127,671), and Petualangan Sherina 2 (2,414,504), showing the diversification of genres and wide audience interests.
"For some films, we facilitate special screenings or nobar using the Kemendikbudristek budget. We want to maintain audience interest, and the achievement figures for the number of viewers in 2023 reflect the increasing appreciation of the community towards national films and indicate stable growth in the film industry in Indonesia," said Mahendra.
Photo Credit: Personal Documentation of the Ministry of Education and Culture
The Ministry of Education and Culture has launched the Indonesiana.TV platform as part of the Merdeka Belajar Episode 13 program with the theme "Merdeka Berbudaya dengan Kanal Indonesiana" on September 3, 2021.
"This platform is designed as a library, dissemination tool, and cultural expression space that aims to be a promotional and diplomatic media, a library of cultural content, as well as a space for expressing diversity and cooperation," explained Mahendra.
With a library that currently has more than 1,544 titles, Indonesiana.TV can be accessed through the website, mobile application, and Indihome channel, expanding the reach and strengthening the distribution of Indonesian films both domestically and internationally.
In addition, the Ministry of Education and Culture provides support through travel grants for Indonesian filmmakers participating in international film festivals, providing travel accommodations as a real effort by the government to strengthen the national film ecosystem without intervening in the creative process.
The Ministry of Education and Culture has also opened the Cultural Facilitation Program in the micro cinema category through the assistance of the Indonesiana Fund. A total of 39 film communities have been facilitated with assistance from the Micro Cinema Program of the Indonesiana Fund, some of which have utilized the assistance by organizing film screenings in areas that do not have cinema buildings.
"The Cultural Facilitation Program in the Micro Cinema category is not only used as an alternative cinema space but also as support to communities in order to increase the number of audio-visual-based cultural meeting spaces," said Mahendra.
The Indonesiana Fund or the cultural endowment fund is provided by the government to help cultural practitioners develop and achieve achievements and channel expressions. In recent years, the Indonesiana Fund has gradually become very beneficial to cultural practitioners.
Photo Credit: Personal Documentation of the Ministry of Education and Culture
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology has placed a high priority on preserving films as the cultural heritage of the Indonesian nation. Films, both fiction and documentary, reflect the lives of their creators' society and therefore need to be preserved as a national heritage. This is an important reason behind the efforts of the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media in archiving, documenting, and preserving films, in accordance with Law No. 33 of 2009 on film. These efforts include film digitization, which has successfully converted 332 Indonesian film titles from celluloid to digital since 2016, as well as archiving historical film posters that were previously used as promotional tools in front of cinemas.
In addition, the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media is also committed to film restoration to restore the original condition of the film's image and sound, especially for old films that are still based on celluloid and vulnerable to damage. To date, five films have been restored, including important works such as Darah dan Doa (The Long March) by Usmar Ismail, which was restored in 2013, as well as Pagar Kawat Berduri, Kereta Api Terakhir, Dr Samsi, and Bintang Ketjil, which have also undergone the restoration process.
"These steps are not only aimed at preserving the film materials but also ensuring that these films can be enjoyed again by the current and future generations in a form that is almost close to the original, despite some existing shortcomings," explained Mahendra.
To encourage the presence of Indonesian films at the international level, the Ministry of Education and Culture provides financial support through travel grants for filmmakers and Indonesian films participating in international film festivals. The Directorate of Film, Music, and Media continues to accompany and facilitate Indonesian filmmakers to participate in several major film festivals, including in Busan, Berlin, and Toronto, with ambitious plans to break through the Venice International Film Festival in 2024.
"The commitment of the Ministry of Education and Culture is clearly to continue supporting the development of Indonesian films, with an emphasis on the importance of respecting the creative process of filmmakers. The government is committed to facilitating more Indonesian films to penetrate international festivals," said Mahendra.
Mahendra explained that one important aspect of Indonesia's current film strategy is the use of film as a strategic diplomatic tool. "Through the policies mandated by Law Number 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture, Indonesian films are expected to become a bridge to introduce and promote Indonesian culture to the world," he said.
This is reflected in the increasing interest of the public in watching Indonesian films, as shown by a total audience of 55 million people in 2023.
At the end of 2023, the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media recorded an important achievement in budget management. Until December 31, 2023, this Directorate successfully absorbed almost the entire budget, with a budget absorption percentage of 99.96%. This indicates the efficiency and effectiveness of the allocated funds for various programs and activities in supporting the development of the film, music, and media sectors.
The Indonesian film industry is currently experiencing a golden age that marks a significant period in the history of national cinema. One of the most striking indicators of this success is the dominance of the Indonesian film market, which once held around 61% of the domestic audience market share after the Covid-19 pandemic, surpassing the market share of imported films, which stood at 31%. This achievement not only shows the strong preference of the audience for local productions but also indicates the resurgence of the national film industry, which is increasingly able to compete with foreign films.
"With a focus on improving the quality and visibility of Indonesian films in both the domestic and international markets, as well as the development of human resources and supporting infrastructure, Indonesia is on the right track to position itself as a key player in the global film industry. Through comprehensive commitment and strategy, the future of Indonesian cinema looks bright, with great potential for continued growth and development," Mahendra concluded.
In order to commemorate National Film Day, the Ministry of Education and Culture has also organized a series of rich and diverse events to celebrate Indonesian cinema and its creators. The activities held include screenings of Usmar Ismail's classic films in his hometown, inclusive discussions and watch parties, art exhibitions supporting film, as well as honoring the legends of Indonesian cinema. There are also watch party programs in collaboration with XXI, CGV, and Cinepolis cinemas, as well as free ticket distribution, which allows more viewers to enjoy the best works of national films.
This initiative is a tangible proof of the Ministry of Education and Culture's commitment to not only celebrate, but also to enhance awareness and appreciation of Indonesian films, and to strengthen the national cultural identity through the medium of film.
(kpl/gtr)
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