Mulawarman University (UNMUL) in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, will host the Indonesian premiere of the ReelOzInd! Film Festival on 24 October. It will be the first time the Indonesian premiere has been held outside of either Java or Bali.
Lecturer in the Faculty of Cultural Studies (Fakultas Ilmu Budaya), Irene Sartika, believes short films can be a crucial medium for young people to find their voice.
“Cinema and short films empower Indonesian youth to voice their stories and address critical issues, fostering social awareness and cultural expression,” says Irene, who is helping to host the event.
“These platforms provide a creative outlet for young filmmakers to challenge stereotypes, highlight underrepresented narratives and inspire change within their communities.”
Irene connected with the festival via her friend, filmmaker and ReelOzInd! jury member Dery Prananda, and says the premiere is “a fantastic opportunity for students in Samarinda to experience a film festival, which is a rare treat here”.
“My literature students can greatly benefit from the diverse perspectives this festival brings,” she says.
“Plus, I have friends from Layar Mahakama (a Samarinda-based film community organisation) who are filmmakers and I’m excited to involve them in sharing and discussing their films with my students at Mulawarman University.
“It is a wonderful way to enrich learning and spark creativity.”
Irene says the ReelOzInd! festival, with its theme of keberagaman/diversity this year, has the potential to significantly strengthen cultural ties between Australia and Indonesia.
“By showcasing diverse stories and perspectives, the festival fosters mutual understanding and appreciation between our two nations,” she says.
“I hope that through this collaboration, we can contribute to a more inclusive world, giving a voice to those who are often silenced.
“This festival is a beautiful opportunity for both countries to come together, celebrate our shared humanity and build a constructive relationship rooted in peace and respect.”
A lecturer in literature rather than film, Irene and her colleagues often serve as advisors for student creativity programs, providing guidance in short film making.
“Through this festival, I aim to expose my students to high-quality short films, demonstrating how messages are effectively conveyed and helping them develop their own preferences and styles in filmmaking,” she says.
Festival director Jemma Purdey says ReelOzInd! has been honoured to have exceptional juries including filmmakers, actors, artists, writers and musicians since the event began in 2016.
“Sometimes these are people who already have a special interest in Australia-Indonesia connections, but often they are simply creative talented people who are leaders in their field and have a passion for storytelling,” Purdey says.
“This is our ninth year and in that time 41 individuals have served on the ReelOzInd! Jury.”
Among this year’s judges are Irene’s friend Dery Prananda, Australian-Indonesian dancer and actor Juliett Burnett and Indonesian actor Asmara Abigail, the latter two both returning for a second time.
“What’s also really gratifying and a great example of the ReelOzInd! community we’ve created over these nine years, is that past winners of our festival have also gone on to serve as jury members, including Ruby Challenger, Tim Barretto and this year, Dery Prananda,” Purdey says.
“Every year when we reach out to invite new jury members and our alumni to join us, I am blown away by the generous responses I get back.
“No matter how busy their lives are, they are always enthusiastic about supporting the festival not only as a platform for creative storytelling on film, but also as a way for Indonesians and Australians to get to know each other better.”
ReelOzInd! 2024 will premiere in simultaneous screenings in Melbourne at ACMI and in Samarinda at Universitas Mulawarman on 24 October.
To reserve free tickets for the Melbourne event at ACMI visit their website.
