Since its inception in 2004, Indonesian Film Festival (IFF) still remains the biggest celebration of Indonesian Screen Culture held in Australia. Organised by IFF Inc., a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with members of University of Melbourne Indonesian Student Association (MUISA), the festival aims to promote local awareness as well as to amplify cultural appreciation within the multicultural community in Australia. Moreover, over the years, IFF aspires to not only advance on its entertainment value, but also to develop an interest in educational aspect of the Indonesian language in Australia.
Held from Thursday 9th to Saturday 18th April 2015, at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Melbourne, Australia, IFF is going to showcase a distinctive selection of award winning and trending films in the industry. And at the end of each screening, IFF will also conduct question and answer sessions with various prominent figures in Indonesian screen culture to allow the audience to delve deeper into the current Indonesian filmmaking era. The event pledges to deliver a high standard of cultural, educational and entertainment values to the people of Australia.
SYNOPSIS
3 NAFAS LIKAS (LIKAS’ 3 BREATHS)
Thursday 9 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 2
Set in Indonesia, through the 1930s to 2000. 3 Nafas Likas (Likas’ 3 Breaths) is an inspiring true story based on the life of an extraordinary woman, named Likas (Atiqah Hashiholan) who have attained numerous remarkable and admirable accomplishments in her life. Her motivations are her promises to the three most important people in her life. Three promises that become her breath in everything she does. Three promises to always fight and survive in life.
DIBALIK 98 (BEHIND 98)
Friday 10 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Set based on May 1998 tragedy where reformation that lead to the fall of President Suharto and the unrest of college students occurred in Indonesia, Dibalik 98 (In Behind 98) tells a story of a college student who decides to become an activist and faces opposition from her family of soldiers. In the chaotic and dangerous situation she continues to run protests with her lover and fellow activists endangering everyone. As the situation goes out of control, many have yet able to locate their family members, up till today.
7/24
Saturday 11 April, 6:45 PM @ ACMI Cinema 2
Prasetyo ‘Tyo’ Ichsan Setiawan (Lukman Sardi), a famous film director, is married to Tania Wulandary (Dian Sastrowardoyo), a manager at one of the prestigious banks. Both have a child who is five years old. Both are workaholics. The only time they are together is only in the morning, at night, or sometimes on the weekends. One day Tyo is hospitalized after collapsing during his film shoot. Soon, Tania finds herself juggling between work, home and take care of Tyo. After three days of taking care of everything by herself, Tania burns out. She is treated at the same hospital and sharing the same room with her husband. Finally, after years of marriage and spending little time together, Tyo and Tania are stuck with each other. Secrets which have been kept neatly begin to manifest. Started as sweet moments, sharing a room in the hospital everyday for 7 days 24 hours with each other drives them crazy and awkward. The situation turns into a battleground.
KAPAN KAWIN? (WHEN WILL YOU GET MARRIED?)
Sunday 12 April, 6:45 PM @ ACMI Cinema 2
Dinda (Adinia Wirasti) has a successful career in Jakarta. However, her parents, Gatot (Adi Kurdi) and Dewi (Ivanka Kelvin), always criticize her for her only shortcoming: being unmarried. Dinda is in her 30s and is still single. Tired of being criticized by her parents, Dinda plans to hire an idealistic actor, Satria (Reza Rahadian) to act as her boyfriend to attend her parent’s wedding anniversary party in Yogyakarta. Dinda’s plan, which originally is just a short solution for her problem, turns out to be a bigger problem. Chaos and hilarity ensue as Dinda juggles between Stario, who ignores Dinda’s scenario and eccentrically charms her parents, and her parents, Gatot and Dewi who secretly have their own plans for her.
SITI
Monday 13 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Siti (Sekar Sari), 24 years old, has to take care of her mother-in-law, Darmi, her son, Bagas, and her husband, Bagus. Bagus had an accident when fishing the year before resulting in his paralysis and his new boat that was purchased with borrowed money is lost in the sea. Siti has to work day and night to feed her family. By day, she sells snacks; by night, she works as a karaoke guide. Tainted by her night-time employment, Siti finds her husband no longer speaks to her. In a karaoke bar, Siti meets a cop named Gatot who likes and wants to marry her. Frustrated and confused, Siti has to choose what is best for her happiness.
TES NYALI (TEST OF FEAR)
Tuesday 14 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Irma, Sinta, Pingkan, Andi, Frans, and Alex are in charge of making a TV program called the Test of Fear. This time the events are held in an old abandoned hospital. Before work, Alex tells Irma that he dreamed about the crew being trapped in an old building. In the old building they meet a young man called Joko, and an old woman named Marni who is looking for her granddaughter in the building. As the scheduled program participants do not turn up on the set, Budi asks Marni to be the participant. When the program is running, the camera which oversees Marni suddenly stops. When they catch up there, their flashlights mysteriously black out, so they are separated and scattered around the building. When the flashlights are on again, some of them have disappeared. Locked in the dark and eerie building, without any clues and guidance, they have to find ways to get out of the old building, unharmed.
TABULA RASA
Wednesday 15 April, 6:45 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Tabula Rasa tells the story of Hans (Jimmy Kobogau), a young man from Serui, Papua, who dreams of becoming a professional football player. His dream almost becomes a reality when a football club in Jakarta recruits him. Yet, fate has a different agenda and Hans has to see his dream shatters. In the midst of despair, he meets Mak (Dewi Irawan), the owner of a simple Minang restaurant (lapau). Mak then invites Hans to her lapau. A bowl of warm fish head curry and Mak’s compassion reignites Hans’s will to live. Hans’s presence evokes a rejection from Parmanto (Yayu Unru) the cook and Natsir (Ozzol Ramdan) the waiter. Things get worse when a competitor arrives just across from their simple lapau – a new, much bigger Minang restaurant. Hans, Mak, Natsir and Parmanto have to settle their problems to save their lapau, that is currently struggling to get customers.
LOVE AND FAITH
Thursday 16 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Love and Faith is a film based on the true story of a man named Karmaka Surjaudaja or Kwee Tjie Hoei (Rio Dewanto). Born in Hokja, Fujian Province, China in 1934, he was initially known as a teacher in Bandung from 1937 to 1967. But after marrying a woman named Lim Kwei Ing (Laura Basuki), he received a mandate from his parent in law to save a bank, which at the time had to pass through a transition period and difficult economic situation.
ANGKER (HAUNTED)
Friday 17 April, 7:00 PM @ ACMI Cinema 1
Angker (Haunted) claims to be a real story in Bangil area, East Java, in 1979. Harun and Ratna with their three children inhabited the house they bought. A few days later the family experience a frightening incident at the house. They call a psychic to cleanse the house from those spirits. After further investigation it turns out that shaman witchcraft massacre happened in the place where the house was built.
JALANAN (STREETSIDE)
Saturday 18 April, 6:45 PM @ ACMI Cinema 2
Jalanan (Streetside) tells the captivating story of Boni, Ho & Titi, three gifted, charismatic street musicians in Jakarta for over a tumultuous 5-year period in their own lives and that of Indonesia. The film follows the young marginalized musicians and their never before seen sub-culture, while also painting a striking, moody and intimate portrait of Indonesia’s frenzied capital city. Using the powerful soundtrack of the musicians’ original compositions to drive the film, it traces their elusive quest for identity and love in the day-to-day of a city overrun by the effects of globalization and corruption.
Tex & Photos:
Media & Marketing IFF 2015
