LOS ANGELES, Calif. – July 31, 2014 – The first Indonesian film festival in Los Angeles is set to be held on September 3rd & 4th at The Regent Theater in Westwood Village. This 2-Day Festival will screen a number of critically praised feature films and a compilation of short films to showcase Indonesian talents and beauty.
Besides inviting the film enthusiasts in L.A. to attend the screening of Indonesian feature and short films, LAIFF also invites the people who work in the film industry to join its workshop program. Focusing on the industry growth and Indonesia as an exquisite location for global filmmakers, the workshop will involve and the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, along with some producers/actors whose films are screened at the festival.
“This is the first Indonesian film festival in Los Angeles. It is a chance for Indonesian filmmakers to show their talents while the local filmmakers who are based here in the U.S. can learn more about the opportunity in making films in Indonesia, expand their networks, and talk face-to-face with the people in the industry & regulators,” said Endah from Dapoer Kita Productions (DKP), the organizer of LAIFF.
Mari Elka Pangestu, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, is in full support of this initiative, stating that this is one of the ways to expose Indonesia to the global motion picture industry.
Wednesday, September 3 – The Regent Theater in Westwood Village
Sang Penari (The Dancer) | Director: Ifa Isfansyah
Description: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Sang_Penari_poster.jpg
Young teenagers, Rasus and Srintil, fall in love amidst living in poverty in their small, poor village of Dukuh Paruk in the 1960s. Srintil is blessed with her dancing moves and many elderly believe that she is destined to be a ronggeng (prime dancer), which means she belongs to the entire village. Feeling robbed of his love to Srintil, and in the middle of despair, Rasus leaves the village to join the army. As time goes by, he is torn between abdicating himself to the country, or to pursue his love to Srintil, until a big political coup separates the two. The Dancer was selected as the Indonesian entry for the Best Foreign Language at the 85th Academy Awards. Followed by a conversation with the cast.
From U.S. With Love (A collection of short films produced in the U.S. made by Indonesian Filmmakers) – Would You (Roland Wiryawan), The Box (Kartika Mediani), SU (Vincent Tjong), Blumenblatt (Eric Chang), Lilith (Eric Chang), Antifilm (Calvin Khurniawan), In the Desert of Panacea (Randolph Zaini). Followed by Q&A with the cast and crew.
9 Summers 10 Autumns | Director: Ifa Isfansyah
Description: Macintosh HD:private:var:folders:wr:tjm9yf75433czn05fm9bw2t00000gn:T:TemporaryItems:imgres.jpg
A story of hope where the son of a poor minibus driver in Batu, the City of Apples in East Java, Indonesia went on to become a multinational company director in New York, The Big Apple. Followed by a conversation with the cast.
Thursday, September 4 – The Regent Theater in Westwood Village
Soegija | Director: Garin Nugroho
Description: Macintosh HD:private:var:folders:wr:tjm9yf75433czn05fm9bw2t00000gn:T:TemporaryItems:imgres.jpg
Though raising the universal aspect of humanity rather than emphasize the religious aspects, this film is about Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) first indigenous bishop: Monsignor Albertus Soegijapranata, SJ, from his inauguration until the end of Indonesia’s independence war (1940–1949). This turbulent decade marked by the end of 350 years of Dutch occupation, entry and commencement of Japanese occupation of Indonesia, the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, and the return of the Netherlands who tried to get Indonesia back as part of their Dutch Empire, which led to the Indonesian National Revolution.
From Indonesia With Love (A collection of short films produced in Indonesia made by Indonesian Filmmakers) – Taxi (Titis, Arianjie AZ, Nadia Yuliani), Metafora dalam Cinta (Davi Soesilo, Indriani), Horizon (Samuel Ruby), Guk! (William Chandra), Si Nini (Johan Tri Handoyo), Paradoks (Ducko Chan), Wan An (Yandy Laurens). Followed by Questions and Answers with the cast and crew.
Lovely Man | Director: Teddy Soeriaatmadja
Description: Macintosh HD:private:var:folders:wr:tjm9yf75433czn05fm9bw2t00000gn:T:TemporaryItems:imgres.jpg
Proper, devout 19-year-old Muslim woman Cahaya arrives in Jakarta from what can be assumed is her small town home just as the sun is setting. Armed with a piece of notepaper and a few rupiah, she’s in the city on a search for the father she hasn’t seen since she was four. Asking neighbors and shopkeepers in the area he lives in for Saiful gets her blank stares in return. When they finally figure out who she means, they point her in the right direction and say he’s working around Taman Lawang. Cahaya, naturally, goes looking for an office building or store. When she locates him, she finds him as a transvestite prostitute plying her trade on the streets. In the initial minutes after encountering each other, both are shocked at the turn of events. The innocent Cahaya is crushed at her father’s choices; Saiful is horrified to see the daughter he willfully left behind.
Sokola Rimba | Director: Riri Riza
Description: Macintosh HD:private:var:folders:wr:tjm9yf75433czn05fm9bw2t00000gn:T:TemporaryItems:imgres.jpg
Based on a true story from Butet Manurung’s memoirs. In The Jungle School, Butet (Prisia Nasution) is an activist working at a conservation organisation in Jambi, teaching literacy and mathematics to the children of an indigenous tribe in the upstream area of the Makekal River. After being saved by a boy from a community living in the downstream area, Butet wants to expand her jungle school but must contend with opposition. The indigenous tribe believes that learning will cause disasters in their village. Followed by a conversation with the cast.
Tickets are available on sale now at http://laiff.eventbrite.com