Jakarta, JULY 10 2019 – Ten thought-provoking and timely stories have been selected as finalists for the third Viddsee Juree Indonesia, an annual festival of short films that celebrates and supports filmmaker communities in Asia.
The nominated films were submitted by a range of independent filmmakers, from acclaimed film writer Candra Aditya and award-winning Imam Syafi’i, who were both finalists for last year’s competition; to seasoned filmmakers Bani Nasution and Mada Ariya, as well as promising up-and-comers such as Sarah Adilah, Muhamad Bagas Satrio, and Christian Banisrael.
The films cover several genres that examine a wide range of subjects, including family relationships, religion, politics, social media, and pollution. ‘#Blessed’ (directed by Candra Aditya) is a cautionary tale for the social media age; ‘Merged With The Ground’ (Imam Syafi’i) portrays a father’s sacrifice to heal his autistic son; and ‘Sound of Preeett’ (Rangga Kusmalendra) is a satire about society’s mob-like desire for public shaming.
Also included in this list are three documentaries: ‘Along The One Way’ (Bani Nasution) is an experimental documentary about the strained relationship between a religious mother and her secular son during a local election; ‘Take Back’ (Mada Ariya), which looks into the illegal trade of plastic waste, and ‘Independent48’ (Jonathan Wijaya), which revolves around a local idol dance group IND48.
“This year’s entries reflect a desire from filmmakers to dive into hot-button topics frequently discussed in Indonesia, presenting these modern narratives within the context of traditional and familial values,” said Viddsee’s Content Community Manager Arie Kartikasari.
The winners will be announced on August 10 in an awards ceremony in a venue to be determined. Prior to the ceremony, Viddsee will be organising a three-day Juree Indonesia Awards Programme from August 8-10. The programme kicks off with the premiere of ‘Oldies Buddies’, a short film from last year’s Gold winner Rein Maychaelson, who made it with the aid of an IDR40.000.000 production grant that came with the award. The three-day event will also feature a number of activities including talks on current topics such as ethical practices in filmmaking, as well discussions with subtitling communities and Akatara, the Indonesian film financing forum backed by BEKRAF (Badan Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia).
Two top entries will be named Gold and Silver winners, who will be picked by an international panel of judges that comprises the managing director of Network of Asian Fantastic Films Jongsuk Thomas Nam; award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini; and award-winning Filipino writer and filmmaker Monster Jimenez.
Gold and Silver winners will be awarded film production grants worth IDR40,000,000 and IDR20,000,000 respectively. The Gold winner will also win a five-day Global Film & TV Program in Los Angeles sponsored by the Motion Picture Association.
In addition to the grant, the Gold winner will receive a 14-day loan for RED Digital Cinema camera equipment with a five-lens set of ZEISS CP.3 Lenses, while the Silver winner will receive a 14-day loan of RED Digital Cinema camera equipment and the ZEISS Light Weight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm lens. All ten finalists will receive a 12-month Creative Cloud All Apps subscription worth US$560 each from Adobe.
Aside from the main winners, finalists and out-of-competition films can also vie for the Audience Choice Award, which will be picked based on the most number of ‘likes’ it receives on Viddsee.com.
The annual Juree Awards initiative debuted in Indonesia in 2016, and expanded to include the Philippines in 2017, and Singapore in 2018. Find out more about the Juree Awards at https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree.
The public can learn more about the Juree Indonesia Awards Programme, as well as watch all nominated and other out-of-competition films for free on https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree/indonesia2019
For more information, stills, and press images of the directors, visit
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1qbgxOclIj1orX4PFBjp1OmtD0WLgh_M3
About Viddsee Juree Awards
Viddsee Juree Awards (‘Juree’) is an annual industry pick award celebrating best short films from Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. In each edition, the countries’ brightest talents and storytellers submit their films to a panel of international judges, who will then handpick the winning entries. Viddsee amplifies the out-of-competition entries and finalists to our audience communities. Juree is part of Viddsee’s commitment to grow a network of prestigious storytellers, to support local film communities, and to inspire a new generation of storytellers across Asia.
About Viddsee
Viddsee is a leading video entertainment platform for short premium content. With over 1 billion views powered by data insights and a trusted community, we empower storytellers by enabling the creation of films and amplifying stories to targeted audiences.
Media contacts
For Indonesian press: Indanavetta Putri indana@viddsee.com
For International press: John Lim john@viddsee.com
