The eight-day journey of Asian cinema in Yogyakarta came to a close on 6 December 2025, marking the culmination of the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF20). The festival’s final chapter unfolded with a closing press conference announcing this year’s milestones and the list of award recipients.
This edition marked a new chapter in JAFF’s continuing growth. Audience attendance surpassed 30,000 over the course of the week—an encouraging and consistent rise that reflects public enthusiasm well beyond previous years. In total, 227 films from 43 countries were screened with no cancellations, accompanied by coverage from over 100 media outlets, 99 online screenings, and 47 discussion sessions.
As night fell, the JAFF20 Closing Ceremony took place at the Main Stage of Empire XXI, where this year’s award winners were officially announced. Becoming Human (dir. Polen Ly, 2025) won the top award, the Golden Hanoman, while A Useful Ghost (dir. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, 2025) was awarded the Silver Hanoman.
Within the ten categories of the Indonesian Screen Awards, five honors went to Tinggal Meninggal (dir. Kristo Immanuel, 2025), including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Performance, and Best Editing. Meanwhile, Water Sports (dir. Whammy Alcazaren, 2024) received the Blencong Award.
Below is the complete list of JAFF20 award recipients, along with notes from the jury:
MAIN COMPETITION JURY
Eric Khoo | Suryana Paramita | Tumpal Tampubolon
MAIN COMPETITION – GOLDEN HANOMAN
BECOMING HUMAN – dir. POLEN LY
Captivating us with lyrical visual poetry and a tender meditation on memory, loss, and the fragile spaces that hold our shared stories, this film becomes a love letter to cinema itself, a vessel of longing, transformation, and a meditation about life and death. With visual elegance and emotionally resonant storytelling, it offers an immersive experience that lingers long after the final frame. Crafted with remarkable vision and sensitivity, the winner of the Golden Hanoman Prize goes to Becoming Human by Polen Ly
MAIN COMPETITION – SILVER HANOMAN
A USEFUL GHOST – dir. RATCHAPOOM BOONBUNCHACHOKE
With an audacious blend of absurd humor, emotional depth, and sharp social insight, this film transforms a surreal love story into a powerful reflection on memory, mourning, and those society too easily forgets. With precise visuals, deadpan wit, and a singular voice, it moves between comedy and tragedy with memorable impact. For its imagination, urgency, and bold clarity, the Silver Hanoman Prize is awarded to A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke.
JURY SPECIAL MENTION FOR MAIN COMPETITION
SUNSHINE – dir. ANTOINETTE JADAONE
This film is distinguished by its poignant and unflinching commitment to standing beside women whose lives are circumscribed by state controls and societal judgment. With clarity and compassion, the film reveals how such forces shape daily realities, while allowing its characters to retain their dignity and complexity. Sunshine by Antoinette Jadaone crafts a narrative that is both intimate and quietly defiant, illuminating resilience where silence is expected.
BLENCONG AWARD JURY
Henry Foundation | Khozy Rizal | Mary Pansanga
BLENCONG AWARD
WATER SPORTS – dir. WHAMMY ALCAZAREN
With its unique vision, striking visuals and innovative storytelling, this feisty, playful and trippy short film is not only a feast for the senses but also manages to immerse us into a ravishing nightmare of living in the midst of apocalypse.
JURY SPECIAL MENTION FOR LIGHT OF ASIA
HYENA – dir. ALTAY ULAN YANG
A very well-directed and well-crafted coming-of-age horror film that enchanted us with its gorgeous cinematography, mise-en-scene, music and great performances from the actors while portraying the messiness of toxic masculinity that oftencreates a cycle of violence.
INDONESIAN SCREEN AWARDS JURY
Amir Muhammad | Antoinette Jadaone | Puiyee Leong
BEST FILM
BETTER OFF DEAD/TINGGAL MENINGGAL – dir. KRISTO IMMANUEL
A satirical take that is both modern and primordial on how humans seek connections with one another
BEST DIRECTOR
KRISTO IMMANUEL – film BETTER OFF DEAD/TINGGAL MENINGGAL
The direction is energetic, balancing comedy with pathos to surprising effect and managing to be full of heart
BEST SCREENPLAY
KRISTO IMMANUEL & JESSICA TJIU – film BETTER OFF DEAD/TINGGAL MENINGGAL
For its clever, fresh, and contemporary take on relatable fears told through irreverence and absurdity
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
VERA LESTAFA – film DOPAMINE
The camera plunges us right into the mood of paranoia and danger, and it never lets go
BEST PERFORMANCE
- OMARA ESTEGHLAL – film BETTER OFF DEAD/TINGGAL MENINGGAL
It’s not often that a comedic performance is awarded, but how can we resist such a charismatic tour de force?
- AFIQA KIRANA – film THE PERIOD OF HER
She embodied the spirit of resilience against the societal odds that restrict her
BEST EDITING
RYAN PURWOKO – film BETTER OFF DEAD/TINGGAL MENINGGAL
For its cheerful, kinetic flow that creates a memorable tempo of controlled “chaos”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
AHMAD ZULKARNAEN (Production Designer) & WAHYU EFATA (Art Director)
Film IKATAN DARAH
The way each location manages to be specific to each character is an integral part of how the story engages us
BEST MUSIC
ANTO HOED, MELLY GOESLAW – film RANGGA & CINTA
By becoming a major character in its own right, the score brings an invigorating soul to this youthful tale
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Sound Designers: Pramudya Adhy Wardhana, Ridho Fachri, Renaldy Lomo, Alexandrie Dolly
Sound Recordists: Luthfi AG, Iqbal ‘Encik’ Marekan, Halid Ilham, Ikhsan Nugroho
Film THE PERIOD OF HER
Without an overreliance on music, it seamlessly builds its atmosphere in articulating the inner conflicts of the characters
BEST POSTER
Evan Wijaya (Poster Designer) & Jozz Felix (Poster Photographer)
Film SORE: A WIFE FROM THE FUTURE/SORE: ISTRI DARI MASA DEPAN
For its attractive simplicity in communicating the theme of the film
NETPAC AWARD JURY
Bunga Siagian | Herman Van Eyken | Marissa Anita
NETPAC AWARD
BECOMING HUMAN – dir. POLEN LY
For a story told through a spirit’s eyes, the film asks us to keep remembering, to reflect on being human, resistant, and alive.
GEBER AWARD JURY
DENNIS ADISHWARA | IAM MURDA | SISKA RAHARJA
GEBER AWARD
SUNSHINE – dir. ANTOINETTE JADAONE
The film reflects the stark realities of stigma and the lack of safe spaces that force young women to shoulder immense burdens in silence. Yet within this darkness, Sunshine remains tender and engaging, resisting melodrama while allowing hope to quietly take root in each layer of its storytelling. This film resonates not only with the Philippines, but also with Indonesia and the broader Asian region, where women continue to negotiate their rights amid tradition, law, and persistent social stigma.
STUDENTS AWARD JURY
ANDRIENNE ADELIA | RAMADHANI MEAUTIA IFFA | DIMAS PUTRO UTOMO | JANSSEN EWALDO | FADA RAMADHAN DHIYA
STUDENTS AWARD
WATER SPORTS – dir. WHAMMY ALCAZAREN
This film stands out for its fun spirit and its fresh, creative way of talking about global warming. By turning a simple water sport into a playful message of awareness, it speaks directly to this generation. The film shows how everyday actions can transform into new meanings a true reflection of JAFF’s theme, Transfiguration. It reminds us that facing climate change can be powerful, hopeful, and imaginative. For its energy, originality, and clear impact, we award this film the JAFF Student Award.
Photos: JAFF Documentation Team
