Blog

Singaporean director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla’s “Ah Girl” will open the sixth Jakarta Film Week, set for Oct. 21–25, and Yosep Anggi Noen’s “The Sea Speaks His Name” (“Laut Bercerita”) will close the festival in its Indonesian premiere.

The program was unveiled Sept. 23 at a press conference at CGV Grand Indonesia, where Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno and the Ministry of Culture’s Ahmad Mahendra joined the festival team. This year’s edition carries the theme Encounters, succeeding 2025’s Reignite.

“Six years of Jakarta Film Week have taught us that this festival is not just about screening films, but also about bringing together the people behind them, discovering new talent, and strengthening Indonesia’s film ecosystem. Encounters is a reflection of that meeting point,” said festival director Rina Damayanti.

The Global Feature Competition lines up Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose,” Nagahisa Makoto’s “Burn,” Rafael Manuel’s “Filipiñana” and Abdallah Al-Khatib’s “Chronicles from the Siege.” The Currents strand includes Alice Winocour’s “Couture,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning” and Leyla Bouzid’s “In a Whisper,” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia” is also on the program.

On the Indonesian side, Yogi S. Calam’s “Togel” and Andrew Kose’s “Harga Teman” will premiere in the Direction Award section, which also features Luki Herwanayogi’s “Our Son” and Bernardus Raka’s “Nobody Loves Kay.”

Kamila Andini’s Indonesian Oscar hopeful “Four Seasons in Java,” a co-production spanning Indonesia, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, plays in the Global Feature Official Selection. That section also has Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s “9 Temples to Heaven,” Pete Ohs’ “Erupcja” and Sarah Arnold’s “Too Many Beasts.”

Four titles come out of Next Step Studio, a joint Indonesia–France initiative: “Holy Crowd,” from Reza Fahriyansyah and Ananth Subramaniam; “Annisa,” from Reza Rahadian and Sam Manacsa; “Original Wound,” from Shelby Kho and Sein Lyan Tun; and “Mothers Are Mothering,” from Khozy Rizal and Lam Li Shuen.

“For the first time, audiences will also be able to watch eight short films set in Jakarta through Jakarta Film Fund,” said program manager Novi Hanabi. “This is a new achievement for us in facilitating emerging talent among filmmakers in Jakarta.”

Three of those shorts were made under the fund’s student arm, a partnership with the J-Youth Film Festival 2026.

On the industry side, JFWNET returns with a Producers Lab, Pitching Forum, Talents Hub, Industry Talk and Festival Meeting. The Producers Lab has picked 10 up-and-coming local producers, drawn from Jakarta, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java and Kalimantan. The Pitching Forum slate covers genres including horror and animation, with producers looking for local and overseas partners. Talents Hub participants were put forward by Minikino Film Week, Mollucas Film Festival, Craft Animfest and Layar Indonesiana locally, and by CinemaWorld Singapore, the Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival and Vietnam’s Autumn Meeting internationally. The program is designed to feed participants into initiatives such as Goedam, BIFAN Fantastic School and Platform Busan, with support also available toward Cannes.

JFWNET is also working with Cerita Anak Nusantara, a Netflix-backed contest seeking story pitches for kids’ and family content, organized with the Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI) and the Indonesian Film Board (BPI). Ten projects from cities around the country will pitch during the festival.

“JFWNET–Industry Program seeks to open doors for young filmmakers, providing a space where they can grow, connect with international partners, and take their next steps, as demonstrated by our alumni. Each year, this ecosystem continues to expand and welcome new faces,” said Gayatri Nadya, the festival’s head of industry.

Industry partners include Netflix, ACFM Platform Busan, the Cannes Film Market’s Short Film Corner, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, HKIFF Industry, QCinema and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

For general audiences, the Emergency Broadcast and Herstory strands use cinema to open up discussion of current issues, Fantasea joins the international competitions in showcasing current trends in world cinema, and Family Time offers screenings aimed at all ages. Young Indonesian actor Ali Fikry has been named festival ambassador as part of a push toward younger viewers.

“The Jakarta Provincial Government sees Jakarta Film Week as a strategic partner in realizing Jakarta as a cinema city. Through collaboration with the Jakarta Film Summit and Jakarta Film Commission, we hope to further open the capital’s film ecosystem to industry professionals and the wider public,” said Karno.

The Jakarta Provincial Government organizes the event with the Jakarta Film Commission, with backing from the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate General of Cultural Development, Utilization, and Promotion. International cultural partners include the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Cinecittà, the Japan Foundation, Erasmus Huis, Institut Français Indonesia and the Italian, Dutch, French and U.S. embassies. Country showcases include an Italian Screen strand featuring Pietro Marcello’s “Duse” and Silvio Soldini’s “The Tasters,” along with the Dutch-focused Bioscoop Belanda.

Ahead of the main event, the festival’s JFW360 outreach program has hosted quiz events, shorts programs at JITEX and a free streaming slate of 24 shorts on Vidio, available Sept. 20 through Oct. 20.

Screenings will be spread across CGV Grand Indonesia, Galeri Indonesia Kaya, Mercure Jakarta Cikini, Paviliun Raden Saleh Artotel, Taman Ismail Marzuki, CGV FX Sudirman and FX Sudirman.

The Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency set up Jakarta Film Week in 2021.

White House officials are defending U.S. President Donald Trump‘s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico, claiming that it does not violate the First Amendment.

A Tuesday court filing obtained by The New York Times alleges that the news outlets had breached standards of conduct, accusing them of “trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information.”

“Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right,” the filing states, according to The New York Times. The documents also claim that the denial of access is a “preliminary matter” and the news organizations can contest the decision until Friday.

Trump announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, writing that he was expelling the outlets from the White House “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” On Monday, CNN, MS Now and Politico released a joint statement saying that they planned to sue, alleging that the ban violated the First Amendment.

“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” their statement said. “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

An emergency hearing will be held on Wednesday regarding the outlets’ request for a temporary court order reversing the ban. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, will preside. Kelly previously ruled against Trump in 2018 when he similarly expelled CNN reporter Jim Acosta, whose credentials were restored when Kelly determined that Trump had not given him sufficient notice.

Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico has sent shock waves through the media industry. In an unprecedented move, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Fox News have all suspended pool coverage of the president in solidarity with CNN.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the five networks said in a joint statement Monday. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

Finnish director Miia Tervo didn’t have to look far for the inspiration for her third feature “You Crazy Thing,” about Aino, a mental health nurse who’s preparing a performance with her patients for a talent competition.

“My mother worked in a mental hospital for 37 years. We lived in a small village in Lapland, and there was only this hospital – and the forest. There was a joke that the only thing separating the nurses from the patients were the keys,” she told Variety.

“We live in a class-based society, and I could see that my mum wasn’t appreciated for her work. It felt like nobody could see her. But when people were in need, when they felt broken, she was there for them. That’s one of the main themes of the film. Do we actually see each other?”

Tervo added: “I wanted to give her this film because it’s crazy that they’re out there saving people while we walk red carpets. That’s why I give her all my awards, too.”

The upcoming film, which debuts its first-look stills, was produced by Marko Talli for Yellow Film & TV and co-produced by Paloma Production (Denmark) and Garagefilm International (Sweden).

Pihla Viitala, Adam Pålsson and Clara Dessau lead the cast that combines professional and amateur actors.

“I wanted to create a safe place where they could be themselves. The best thing about my work is that I can give them the space to shine,” she noted.

“[In the past] I didn’t have any dreams. I always thought I would die of alcoholism before turning 30 because that’s what happened to people in our village. But we weren’t victims, and my mother really enjoyed her work. She preferred being with the ‘crazy’ people because they didn’t play social games. They were free.”

While Tervo might be following her mother’s perspective – “She never believed in social hierarchies or norms” – hers is a fictional story. One that also sees Aino fall for one of her patients.

“I started thinking about how having or not having money, or having mental health problems in the family, affects identity. If identity is what we think about ourselves, then how does it affect love and loving? How does class affect how and who we love? Can you can suffer from feelings of worthlessness even if you are rich, and can you feel valuable even if you are poor?”

“At one point, I thought that just because I come from a poor family, I couldn’t love a rich person. That there’s a gap. It’s really about this triangle of class, identity and love,” said Tervo. And, again, about being seen.

“In this society, everyone wants to be seen. We think we need a special gift or talent, but with Aino, you can be seen in all your glory – whoever you are. You don’t need to be a magician or perform crazy stunts.”

Still, that doesn’t make Aino a saint.

“People who do this job have seen so much sorrow and life in all its forms. I thought: Aino actually wants to be crazy. It would liberate her, you know? When you help others, you can forget about yourself. You can escape your own issues and forget your own sadness.”

Tervo, also behind award-winning “Aurora” and “The Missile,” has always celebrated messiness in her work. Her characters misbehave and make mistakes, but she never punishes them for it.

“It’s always more interesting to see not the façade we put on but how we are in our secret lives,” she said.

“It’s not easy to talk about depression or mental health challenges, especially your own. But often, it’s precisely those vulnerable places that make people fall in love. It was always that part, the part where I’d forgotten to lock the door, that drew people in. For love to be real, you have to dare to be the mess that you actually are. Nobody wants to live with a perfect person. It’s boring.”

With “You Crazy Thing,” Tervo is no longer hiding – also when it comes to her personal struggles.

“I’m a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for many years now. I used to self-medicate my sadness and depression with alcohol. I drank because, for a while, it did what nothing else could. It put a wall between me and the reality I wanted to escape. That worked until it didn’t,” she recalled.

“Maybe this film is inviting me to dare to be seen, too. I don’t use social media, but I write about the themes of my life. One of biggest themes is wanting to live again. How do you find the will to live once you’ve lost it?”

Now, “with enough distance and therapy,” she can face all these things. Also in her films.

“Creating a dark yet warm dramedy out of painful incidents, emotions and experiences makes us wonder about the shame surrounding mental health challenges and the stigmas that come with them. Once you’ve come through something like that, you also want to feel this joie de vivre, as clichéd as it is,” she said.

“Depression can be a black sun. But, in a strange way, that black sun can also be an opportunity for change. Now, in the mornings, I sit and don’t ask for anything particular; I just give thanks.”

“For a girl who never learned how to dream, I’m now learning to appreciate this miraculous life that we have.”