Sundance Film Forward
Sundance brings touring film program to Indonesia.
The Sundance Institute, which runs the world-famous Sundance Film Festival, is bringing its Film Forward touring program to five cities on Bali, Java and Kalimantan — along with film exhibitions, workshops and talks by international filmmakers.
The US embassy’s assistant cultural affairs officer Holly Zardus said that Film Forward offered screenings and discussion designed to foster dialogue and cross-cultural understanding utilizing the power of cinema to inspire curiosity and awareness of shared stories and values.
The Rocket – Sundance Film Forward
The program are slated to be held in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; Denpasar, Bali; Jakarta; Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan; and Yogyakarta.
Zardus said that Palangkaraya and Banjarmasin were added to the line-up due to their relative distance from the centers of Indonesian creativity and culture.
“Film Forward seeks to engage audiences that have limited access to independent film and artists. The Palangkaraya and Banjarmasin film communities have not had as much opportunity to join international documentary films and discussions,” Zardus told a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
Film Forward has been held annually since 2011. Besides in Indonesia, this year’s installment of the program will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Mexico and Taiwan and also in California, Michigan, Mississippi and Pennsylvania in the US.
Common themes explored in the eight films chosen for Film Forward 2014 include acceptance, overcoming adversity and the transforming power of the arts to heal and bridge differences.
Three films have been chosen for screenings in Indonesia: the documentaries Circles and 20 Feet from Stardom and the narratives films If You Build It and The Rocket.
The program in Indonesia focuses on the contributions of women to the arts and culture, traditional storytelling through music, communities in conflict and heroism.
Zardus said that the US embassy in Indonesia and the Sundance Institute chose four films that would speak to topics in which Indonesian people would be interested. “We hope they will be a good fit for the Indonesian audience and generate good discussion.”
Film Forward director Meredith Lavitt said that the curated films all talked about universal themes and issues that could travel around the globe.
“These documentary and international narrative films should be good starting points to create conversations,” Lavitt said. “Film is one of the most powerful art forms for sharing human emotions, telling stories and creating global community.”
The Film Forward Indonesia tour will present two filmmakers, Srdan Golubovic and Doug Blush, who will lead discussions and workshop sessions with an emphasis on cinematography, film production, film research and development.
Both are making their first visits to Indonesia.
Twenty Feet From Stardom
Blush is an award-winning director, producer, editor, writer and cinematographer. He was the supervising editor for 20 Feet from Stardom, which won the Best Documentary at the 2014 Academy Awards, and the editor of If You Build It.
“I’ve been dreaming of coming to Indonesia. It’s very exciting to come here and get the chance to see a different part of the country. I would love to meet people from all walks of life during the screening and can’t wait to get their feedback,” Blush said.
Similarly, Golubovic said he hoped that his film would resonate with local audiences. “The movie Circles us a story that shows the scars of war and the complicated implication of making decisions based on one’s moral,” he said.
“I look forward to the shared discussion around this film and hope that audiences find similarities that will help make their world more nuanced,” the Belgrade-based director said.
Golubovic has received numerous awards. His second feature film, Klopka (The Trap), had its world premiere at the 2007 Berlinale International Film Festival in Germany. The film went on to win 21 international awards and was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
In a lunch banquet, Blush and Golubovic met with younger Indonesian filmmakers and artists, including director and writer Mouly Surya, whose acclaimed film What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love had its premiere at Sundance; her lead actor in the film, Nicholas Saputra; and producer and festival consultant John Badalu.
Golubovic was upbeat.
“I like Indonesian films. I feel a very strong energy in the new generation of Indonesian filmmakers,” he said. “I’d like to encourage aspiring and young Indonesian filmmakers to find their own voice and stories and then to bring part of their world to the international stage.”
He continues. “In order to be a successful filmmaker, you have to be passionate and completely mad about making film.”
For more information, visit sundance.org/filmforward.