Nurturing Memory, Celebrating Growth: Two Important Books for JAFF’s 20th Anniversary
The two-decade journey of the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) is not only about film screenings, but also about sustaining an ecosystem, a community, and a body of knowledge. This spirit was encapsulated in the launch of two important books, they are Lintasan Cahaya Asia: 20 Tahun JAFF and Garin: Made in Indonesia. The event was held at Artotel Suites Bianti, Yogyakarta, on Sunday (30/11).
In a warm gathering attended by the festival’s founders, long-time collaborators, and filmmakers, the event became a reflective moment—an opportunity to revisit JAFF’s grassroots beginnings and its transformation into one of Asia’s most influential film festivals. Lintasan Cahaya Asia: 20 Tahun JAFF serves as an effort to archive the festival’s collective memory. The book traces JAFF’s path from its community-driven initiative in the wake of the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake to its evolution into an established institution. Meanwhile, Garin: Made in Indonesia explores the long career of Garin Nugroho, not only as a maestro of Indonesia’s ‘new wave cinema’ but also as an educator who has nurtured a new generation of filmmakers.
Budi Irawanto, Festival President of JAFF, emphasized the importance of these books as acts of knowledge production. “JAFF is unique because we don’t just screen films, but we also attempt to produce knowledge. From the beginning, we published books, held public lectures, and turned this festival into a ‘second campus’ for all of us,” he said. He recalled how JAFF started with almost no infrastructure, yet continued to grow thanks to a persistent desire to learn.
Wong Tuck Cheong (Pak Ticie), NETPAC representative and editor of Garin: Made in Indonesia, shared his personal memories of JAFF. He recalled the festival’s early years at Taman Budaya Yogyakarta in 2006, when Festival Curator Philip Cheah would often bring him along to hunt for secondhand books at a nearby market. “My strongest impression of JAFF is its community spirit. I haven’t been to many festivals in Indonesia, but I can say that in Asia, JAFF’s sense of community is unique,” Pak Ticie noted. This was what drove him to propose the idea of the book to Garin Nugroho, it serves as a tribute to the creativity and activism of JAFF’s dynamic team.
“I love adventure. If I find something new, like a new map along the journey, I’ll take it on. Whether it’s the team’s style, its funding, or its technology,” Garin said. He likened JAFF and his body of work to a forest full of diverse plants, where each creation grows differently with its own form, market, and audience.
For Festival Director Ifa Isfansyah, JAFF’s 20-year journey is also a story of personal transformation, one that has evolved alongside the festival. “These twenty years have truly transformed many things. Back then, I didn’t even have the confidence to show this city to international guests because we barely had any cinemas. But now, we’ve all grown together,” Ifa reflected. He acknowledged that although the scale of the festival has expanded, nurturing what remains constant is essential: its community, the spirit of youth, and volunteerism. “What makes JAFF grow isn’t me. It’s the collaborators and the spirit of collective work,” he said.
The launch of these two books affirms that at twenty years old, under the theme Transfiguration, JAFF is not only celebrating cinematic achievements but also strengthening its role as an inclusive meeting ground where history is documented and the future of Asian cinema continues to be woven.
