The Puskat Film Festival went entirely virtual in 2020.
Now in its sixth year, the festival, also known as the Ruedi Hofmann Media Awards, drew in hundreds of young filmmakers, teachers, students, nuns, and seminarians from across Indonesia for virtual screenings and online discussions around the theme, “Becoming an Indonesian”, inspired by the nation’s philosophy of Pancasila, particularly the second value: just and civilised humanity.
The annual film festival has become a means for Studio Audio Visual (SAV) Puskat to connect with young people from various ethnicities and religious denominations throughout Indonesia. The recent awards were also extra special because it was the golden jubilee anniversary of SAV Puskat, founded in 1970 by Fr Ruedi Hofmann SJ who passed away in 2008.
SAV Puskat received a total of 50 film entries (33 short feature films and 17 documentaries) that touched on the topics of solidarity, nationalism, tolerance, human rights, people with disability, education during a pandemic, and honesty. The panel of judges consisted of film director Bayu Prihantoro Filemon, artist Ninndi Raras, and festival director Fr Murti Hadi Wijayanto SJ.
During the opening night on 15 August, audiences were treated to the screening of the previous year’s winning film, Jimpitan, based on the Indonesian practice, in which families in rural villages donate rice for the needs of the whole community. The film’s director Wiwied Septiardi was on hand to discuss the film and answer questions from the viewers.
The online discussions held once a month throughout the festival featured young artists, namely film directors Triyanto Hapsoro and Bayu Prihantoro Filemon, and actress Annisa Hertami. Around 60 people, most of them young filmmakers, teachers, and university students, participated in each of the online sessions.
The winners were announced at the closing ceremony on 12 December graced by Indonesian Provincial Fr Benny Juliawan SJ as well 66 other guests and participants. More than 400 people tuned in on YouTube. They were entertained with live musical performances.
First place in the documentary films category went to Sinema Pelajar Kebumen about filmmaking as an emerging culture among young people in the district of Kebumen. Second place went to Wido, which documented the impact of Covid-19 on local artists and culture. Third place was awarded to Kaca Caruban about the importance of local culture in building a spirit of tolerance.
Rindu Tenggelam, a film about a mother with her two sons awaiting the return of her husband, an overseas worker, won first place in the feature films category. Second place went to Pencari Ikan di Musim Tak Berikan about two fishermen having difficulty catching fish because of the degradation of the sea. Blank Horizon, which revolves around the search for justice for the victims of the Gestapo in 1965 was awarded third place.
Despite being an all-virtual event, the film festival was a huge success. The organisers are looking forward to meeting the participants again in the next Ruedi Hofmann Media Awards.
Fr Yoseph I Iswarahadi SJ is the Director of SAV Puskat, the Jesuit audio-visual centre in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.