The two wins have become a kind of stimulus for the Indonesian film industry, which is currently striving to revive amid the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.
By
WISNU DEWABRATA / DWI BAYU RADIUS
·4 minutes read
DOKUMENTASI FOURCOLOURS FILMS
Director Kamila Andini with her film, Yuni poses with TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey (right) after winning the Platform Prize award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Good news has again come from the country’s film industry. After the film Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas (Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash) won the top prize at the Locarno Film Festival, the Golden Leopard, in mid-August in Switzerland, it was now the turn of Yuni to emerge victorious, winning the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sunday (19/9/2021) in Canada.The two wins have become a kind of stimulus for the Indonesian film industry, which is currently striving to revive amid the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.
Yuni director Kamila Andini said the prestigious prize was intended especially for films with “high artistic value and strong directorial vision”. “Thank you. I have just finished (following) a series of programs,” Kamila said by text message from Toronto, Canada, on Sunday (19/9).
In a press release, Kamila said Yuni was her third short film to compete at TIFF, which she also mentioned in her acceptance speech. She submitted her first film to TIFF 2015.
“Now, I’ve returned here for the third time to bring ‘srikandi’ (female icon) to cinema and TIFF. I see this as raising hope for the voices of women in Indonesia as well as the world, who continue to struggle in pursuit of freedom,” she said.
Yuni is about a brilliant girl who has big dreams.
For her, this win is a victory for not only Indonesian cinema, but also Southeast Asian cinema.
Kamila also expressed her appreciation to the entire crew, cast, producers, partners and all parties that contributed to the film. For her, this win is a victory for not only Indonesian cinema, but also Southeast Asian cinema.
The success of Yuni has added to the achievements of Indonesian filmmakers during the pandemic. In the middle of August, Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas by director Edwin grabbed the highest award of the Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
Edwin became the first Indonesian director to win the prestigious award coveted by cineastes across the globe. His film defeated several competitors from a number of countries, including Hollywood actor-director Ethan Hawke’s Zeros and Ones.
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Director Kamila Andini won the Platform Prize at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for his film, Yuni.
At the end of August 2021, WatchdoC Documentary Maker won the Ramon Magsaysay award in the Emergent Leadership category. The prize was granted to WatchdoC in recognition of the production house’s documentaries as a form of investigative journalism using a new and creative platform to spotlight social, environmental and human rights issues.
Delight
Several leading figures of Indonesian film responded with delight at Yuni’s achievement in Toronto and the earlier success of Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas in Switzerland. Director Makbul Mubarak described the victory of the two films as proof of Indonesian films’ quality. At the same time, the successes boosted the enthusiasm of other filmmakers to produce quality works in order to win awards at major international competitions.
Makbul himself is now completing his latest film, Autobiography. He also said that he was given the opportunity to direct the film after winning the Open Doors Hub at the2019 Locarno Film Festival.
Separately, producer Meiske Taurisia of Palari Films said this was the first time in Indonesian film history that two Indonesian films had won two of the highest international film prizes in a single year, TIFF’s Platform Prize in Toronto and Locarno’s Golden Leopard.
Competitive
The two victories indicate the strong competitiveness of Indonesian films on the international scene. At the same time, this fact enhances the competence of Indonesian films in the global film industry.
Meiske, who also produced Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas, added that the double success story was like harvesting the sweet fruit that was made possible with the support of first-rate, organized plantations. The government was therefore expected to offer prompt, serious and structured support through policies, institutions and facilities, so that many more Indonesia films of international quality could be produced. (DWA/BAY)
