This year’s Puskat Film Festival received five times more entries than last year, when it was launched by Studio Audio Visual (SAV) Puskat, the Jesuit audio-visual centre in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. SAV Puskat attributes the increase to aggressive promotion of the awards and the relevance of the theme, which is “Environment”. Also known as the Ruedi Hofmann Media Awards, the inaugural Puskat Film Festival in 2015 received 20 entries. The theme was “Faith versus Corruption”.
SAV Puskat received 110 entries from across the country for this year’s film festival. The 35 documentary films and 75 feature films were produced by young filmmakers from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Central Java, Yogyakarta Province, East Java, West Java, Jakarta, and from the islands of Karimun Java.
Held on October 16, the festival was a whole-day affair. In the morning, Wregas Bhanuteja, a young filmmaker whose short film “Prenjak” recently won in the Cannes Film Festival in France, and V Osly Vinoli and Ign Kristio Budiasmoro from the Study Center of the Environment at Sanata Dharma University gave a workshop on media and the environment. The 60 participants comprised university students, lecturers, film practitioners and filmmakers.
In the afternoon, elementary school students, their parents and the workshop participants were treated to a “Wayang Kancil” in the Sinduharjo Village Hall. The shadow puppet show was about the environment crisis. The puppeteer was Genthong Triyanto from Minomartani Village Hall, and the Wani Wirang Gamelan Orchestra supported the performance.
The award ceremony was held in the evening in Shinta Hall. The audience, numbering 150, consisted of festival participants, leaders from the village, board members of Puskat Foundation, religious men and women from various congregations, Fr Lucianus Suharjanto SJ, the Socius to the Provincial, Puskat staff, donors, representatives from the Bishop’s Conference and a representative from SIGNIS Indonesia. Dance groups from Balai Budaya Minomartani, Balai Budaya Sinduharjo and Paradence presented beautiful dances.
The first place in the documentary category went to “Bilik Loka Edisi Penakluk Hukum Alam” (Small Room of the Conqueror of Natural Law) by MMTC, Yogyakarta. Second place went to “Kebon Awi Cijaringao” (The Garden of Awi Cijarungao) by Saung Angklung Ujo, Bandung; while third place was awarded to “Gunung Sampah di Bali Selatan” (Garbage Hill in South Bali) by Amnesty Production, Bali. The runners up were “Di Balik Tercemarnya Sungai Kota Batik” (Behind the Polluted River of Batik City) by SMK Negeri 2 Pekalongan, “Lupa” (Forgetful) by Orion UIN Yogyakarta and “Kotaku Kota Pusaka” (My City is an Inherited City) by SMPN 3 Purworejo.
In the feature films category, “Mata Air Sumur” (Spring) by Join Production Makassar garnered first place, followed by “Astronaut Cilik” (Small Astronaut) by Komunitas Bumi Wangi in second place and “Battu Ri Tanayya” (From the Rice Field) by Tanayy Art Production Makassar in third place. The runners up were “Jeritan Subak” (Screaming Subak) by Taksu Nort Bali, “Sepuluh Wit Oleh Mbojo” (Ten Trees for Marriage) by Garlis Sinema Purbalingga, and “Ilang Isinku” (Losing my Shame) by SMK HKTI 2 Purworejo.
Before the end of the ceremony, Puskat previewed a trailer of its new film “Mengejar Embun ke Eropa” (“Running after the Dew to Europe”). The movie was written and directed by Puskat’s Haryo Sentanu Murti, and stars Rizky Anggono and Ayudra Putri. It tells of the struggle of starting a university that is respectful to the local culture and a pluralistic society, and free from manipulation. Produced by Puskat Pictures/PT Alam Media in cooperation with Halu Oleo University of Kendari, South East Sulawesi and Association of Oral Tradition, Jakarta, the film began screening in cinemas across the country from December 15.
For more information on the festival, visit www.savpuskat.or.id and www.mirifica.net.
