Jakarta Film Fest Sets 2027 Goal to Restore International Jury
Festival officials plan to reopen the First Feature Competition to global submissions after a one-year pause caused by staffing issues.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
Jakarta World Cinema held its First Feature Competition in abeyance for the 2026 edition, a decision that left the category empty for local audiences. The festival announced plans to revive the section next year with a new global scope. This move signals a shift in how the event curates its international lineup.
The primary obstacle for the current cycle was the challenge of recruiting judges from outside Indonesia. Shandy Gasella, the festival director, explained that previous editions relied solely on Indonesian judges. To change this dynamic, the organizing team intends to appoint international jury members with established filmographies. This structural change is a prerequisite for opening the competition to submissions from filmmakers worldwide.
Programming director Daniel Irawan stated that the 2026 program includes a record 102 theatrical titles. This figure represents the highest number of theatrical screenings in the festival's history. The total program for this year comprises 207 titles. Irawan noted that the team is working with CGV Grand Indonesia, the main venue, to increase audience capacity for future editions.
Frederica, the executive director of Jakarta World Cinema and director of KlikFilm, oversees the acquisition of films. She described the lineup as consisting of 80% to 90% award-winning films from major international festivals. These sources include Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Sundance. The festival team travels to markets in Berlin, Toronto, and Cannes to select these titles for local audiences.
The festival schedule positions it between the Jakarta Film Week in October and the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival in late November. A separate short film competition took place in June and attracted more than 300 entries. These submissions came from professionals, amateurs, and students. All 30 competition titles and 20 non-competition titles on the shortlist will screen during the main festival.
Winners for the best short film and audience choice will be announced on closing day. The recipient of the best short film award will receive full funding from KlikFilm for the production and distribution of a debut feature. This financial support is tied directly to the short film competition results.
Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon noted that the festival is backed by Dana Indonesiaraya. This is a matching fund shared by the government and the film industry. The Jakarta edition closes on November 7. The same program will then travel to Bandung World Cinema and Malang World Cinema. These local extensions will run from November 14 to November 21.
