TRANSFIGURATION OF THE CINE-VERSE
Arief Akhmad Yani
Fauzan Nur Ramzy
Benny D. Susanto
The synergy of the universe has created many changes for all forms of life within it. These forms have been transformed, much like a frog undergoing complete metamorphosis.
For two decades, the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) has breathed life into films presented in the unique styles, forms, and characteristics of their filmmakers. In line with this, the JAFF Community Forum has consistently followed its programmed agenda. The JAFF Community Forum continues to accompany the dynamics of the film community—for example, in addressing humanitarian issues, media transitions, and rapid technological advances—through its programs. All of these dynamics are part of the transformative progress of the film medium as it develops today. This transformation has occurred in the patterns of education, production, distribution, exhibition, appreciation, and digital archiving of films.
Transfiguration undoubtedly occurs in the production and post-production phases of filmmaking. In the production phase, the Asosiasi Drone Indonesia (Indonesian Drone Association) introduced a way of viewing vast landscapes using drones. This technology was born from the transfiguration of how landscapes are captured from a bird’s-eye view. In the post-production phase, particularly in the film editing process, the presence of Super 8mm Studio provides a new discourse for managing post-production. In the screening eligibility process, the Lembaga Sensor Film (LSF) (Film Censorship Institute) acts as a representative of the state to enforce regulations agreed upon by the actors—in this case, the film industry players. The LSF’s film classification efforts are necessary, especially for non-commercial and commercial screenings. This process used to be done by submitting films that were still in celluloid form. In the digital era, this process has been transformed into memory cards or hard drives. Now, the process only requires clicking and uploading files through the LSF website.
In the film education ecosystem, the involvement of educational institutions that lead to filmmaking is important, such as the Perkumpulan Pendidik Broadcast dan Film Indonesia (PERDIBROFI) (Indonesian Broadcast and Film Educators Association). PERDIBROFI aims to produce filmmakers at the vocational high school level. “Community Presentation” regularly serves as a forum for film communities across the archipelago. This year, the JAFF Community Forum intends to bring together communities that are active in the appreciation and exhibition ecosystem in their respective regions. Belantara Film and Ravacana Films are production houses that actively provide alternative non-formal learning spaces for anyone who wants to learn about film. The same spirit of inclusive education is also demonstrated in the form of a documentary film education portal through filmdokumenter.id, initiated by the Forum Film Dokumenter (FFD) (Documentary Film Forum).
Yogyakarta has always played a special role in the growth and development of the film community, given the role of the film community as the backbone of Indonesian cinema. Since 2014, the Paguyuban Filmmaker Jogja (PFJ) (Yogyakarta Filmmakers Association) has consistently supported the film community, film production houses, and film activist groups in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Film production houses, especially in Indonesia, are an important driving force in the realization of the film production ecosystem. In response to this, the “Safari JAFF Market” program was created with the aim of inviting JAFF Community Forum participants to learn about the global film industry market. The hope is that participants can network and become part of the Indonesian film market movement. The JAFF Community Forum also brings this spirit of inclusivity to its participants. Through the “Star Nimbrung” program, participants can network and learn more about film with important film figures attending JAFF through casual discussions. Violence is an important but rarely discussed topic, especially when it involves the projection of violence in films while still under safety supervision. In the social life of Yogyakarta, violence has become a negative stigma attached to the younger generation in this city of students. It is complicated and complex. However, the “STUNT IN ACTION!” program is our attempt to present an antithesis to that stigma in the form of an educational space themed around violence.
Yogyakarta’s appeal as a multicultural student city has had a major influence on the works of filmmakers from various regions. “Layar Komunitas” consistently provides an inclusive space for members of the film community to participate in and celebrate the film festival at JAFF. In its execution, we present a space we call “Layar Arisan!” to showcase films from various regions. Through this space, filmmakers have the opportunity to gain exposure and appreciation from JAFF audiences. The development and achievements of the film community in a region, such as in Sulawesi—a region in eastern Indonesia with a distinctive ‘K’-shaped island—are summarized in the film screening and discussion Focus On Celebes Island. Furthermore, the JAFF Community Forum even specifically provides a space for migrant students to gather their works during their studies in Yogyakarta to be appreciated in a screening titled “Kartu AS Bolo Semesta”.
“Mari Menonton!!” (Let’s Watch!!)—a campaign movement in 2008 initiated by the late Elida Tamalagi as program director of KINOKI Yogyakarta—was able to revive and breathe life into alternative screening groups in various regions of Indonesia. Elida was not just a figure, but a symbol of the education-literacy-reference movement through her work and grassroots film spaces. Specifically, the 20th JAFF Community Forum, through its “Focus On Celebes Island” program, presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Elida Tamalagi, who hailed from Palu, Central Sulawesi, as a symbol of perseverance in fighting alongside the film community.
The JAFF Community Forum is not merely an annual event. However, our twenty-year journey has taught us the importance of creating spaces for film communities to express themselves collaboratively and inclusively. We will continue to instill and spread this same spirit throughout the archipelago—and even Southeast Asia—as long as we exist. Changes may occur in form and execution, but our spirit remains the same: to make the film community the backbone of Indonesian cinema.
