This year, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) inaugurates its 17th edition since its humble beginnings in 2006. In the context of development psychology, the seventeenth year commonly signifies crucial physiological and psychological human development. It is closely associated with the peak of adolescence and youth, brimming with energy, curiosity and creativity. The openness that accompanies this age underscores other traits, among which is the unwavering courage to rebel against conventions or established norms.
Therefore, taking inspiration from human development, JAFF presents ‘Blossom’ as the festival theme to mark its coming of age. Moreover, ‘Blossom’ symbolizes renewal during the seemingly unending pandemic in terms of mode of film production, artistic and thematic explorations and the emerging of new talents in Asian film landscape. In particular, ‘Blossom’ offers new hopes and dreams for Asian cinema in an era marked by the high risk, volatility and uncertainties in many aspects of our lives. In the process of maturing into a full blossom, the future is bursting with possibilities.
Moving beyond global recognition and gaining many accolades, Asian cinema has entered into a new stage characterized by new narratives, themes and styles. This is created by a new generation of Asian filmmakers who have sustained their excellent cinematic achievements while bringing many pressing social and political issues into the spotlight. Through the metaphor of “blossoming”, we are able to identify the refreshing and continuously inventive Asian cinema.
LPP 1 | WED, 30 NOV| 15:00 - 17:00
Isabelle Glachant
Isabelle Glachant started as a journalist for French TV station Canal + and began her career in cinema as executive producer of SHANGHAI DREAMS (WANG Xiaoshuai, Cannes Film Festival, Jury Prize, 2005). Since then, she participated in several of WANG Xiaoshuai‘s films, including 11 FLOWERS the first official French-Chinese co-production, and worked with directors like LI Yu, LU Chuan or LOU Ye. Glachant is the founder behind Hong-Kong based production company CHINESE SHADOWS and French-based SHASHA & CO PRODUCTION, which produced among others WANG Bing’s THREE SISTERS (Venice Orizzonti Best Film Award, 2012), WANG Xiaoshuai’s documentary CHINESE PORTRAIT (BUSAN IFF 2018) and Mouly Surya’s MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS (Directors' Fortnight, 2017). Glachant is also the founder of International boutique Sales Company ASIAN SHADOWS that represent films by Asian talents, Masters and new voices, like COMING HOME AGAIN by Wayne WANG, SITI by Eddie CAHYONO or MEMORIES OF MY BODY by Garin Nugroho. Made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture, Glachant is also the Greater China representative for the French Industry Promotion association UniFrance.
Kamila Andini
Kamila Andini is a mother and filmmaker based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her concern of social culture, gender equality and environmental issues lead her passion to make films with a distinctive perspective of telling a story. In 2011, she released her debut feature film ‘The Mirror Never Lies’, which portrays the life of a sea wanderer in the Indonesian ocean. And in 2017, She released her second feature ‘The Seen and Unseen’; a cinematic universe of dualism based on Balinese philosophy Sekala Niskala. Both films had traveled through more than 50 film festivals around the world and received about 30 awards nationally and Internationally, including Grand Prix winner best feature film in Berlinale Generation kplus 2018. Her third feature, ‘Yuni’, was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2021 and won the Platform Prize. Her fourth feature film ‘Nana’ (Before, Now & Then) was selected for the Competition section in Berlinale 2022 and won Best Supporting Performance, and also Best Film in Asia Pacific Screen Award 2022.
Phillip Cheah
Philip Cheah is a film critic and is the editor of BigO, Singapore's only independent pop culture publication. He is currently program consultant and advisor to film festivals in Shanghai (China), El Gouna (Egypt), River Meets Mountain (India), Adoor (India), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), and Hanoi (Vietnam).
He co-founded the South-east Asian Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Screen Lab and is Patron of the SEA (South-east Asia) Screen Academy in Makassar, Indonesia. He is also Spiritual Advisor to the Bakunawa Young Cinema Film Festival, Philippines. He is co-editor of the books, Garin Nugroho: And the Moon Dances; Noel Vera: Critic After Dark and Ngo Phuong Lan: Modernity and Nationality in Vietnamese Cinema. He was given an Honorary Award at the 15th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2019, an award for Achievement in the Promotion of Kyrgyz film by the Kyrgyzstan Film Critics in 2010, an award for promoting Vietnamese film by the Vietnam Cinema Association in 2008, an Award for Asian Cinema at the 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival in 2006, and the Korean Cinema Award at the 9th Pusan International Film Festival in 2004.
Budi Irawanto
Budi Irawanto is a Lecturer in Communication Sciences at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM). Apart from being a lecturer, he is also used as a Festival Director at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) from August 2006 to the present.
Budi graduated with a bachelor of communication from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, then he continued his studies at the Master of Arts (MA), Media and Information Studies, Curtin University, Australia. In 2015 he won a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore / NUS.
