The 20th Jogja Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) opens in Yogyakarta with Garin Nugroho’s musical “Opera Java” and closes with Ako Tenryageri’s feature directorial debut “Comedy Buddy.”
This festival marks a milestone since it was first held in 2006. With the theme of transformation, JAFF20 focuses on the festival’s 20-year journey and the transformation of Indonesian and Asian cinema during that time.
This opening film, which was first shown at the first JAFF convention in 2006, will be shown in its original 35mm celluloid format in the ceremonial program of Gadjah Mada University Gelangan Innovasi dan Creativitas. Comedy Buddy is produced by Bion Studios and Spasi Moving Image.
JAFF20 will screen 227 films from 43 countries across competitive and non-competitive programs. Eleven feature films will compete in the main competition for the Golden Hanoman Award and the Silver Hanoman Award. “Amoeba” by Siyou Tan. “Becoming Human” by Pollen Lee. “Flames” by Ravi Shankar Kaushik. Shu Qi’s “Girl” premiered at the Venice Film Festival. “Hair, Paper, Water” by Nicola Groh and Trung Ming Kui. “Lost Land” by Akio Fujimoto. Reza Rahadian’s “On Your Lap (Pangku)” won four awards in Busan. “Summer’s Camera” by Sung Divine. “Sunshine” by Antoinette Jadawan. “The World of Love” by Pyeongyao Prize winner Yoon Ga-eun.
At the Indonesia Screen Awards, 13 Indonesian films compete in nine categories, and this year four new categories have been added: Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Original Music, and Best Poster Design.
Competing titles include Yahdi Jamhur’s “A Thousand Shades of Purnama” (Seribu Bayang Purnama); “Agaq Ren: Menyara Pantik!” Written by Muhadkuri Acho. “Better Off Dead” (Tingal Meningal) by Christo Immanuel. “Dancing with the Body” (Rengoku Rengoku) by Andy Imam Prakasa. “Dopamine” (Dopamine) by Teddy Soriatomaja. Sidhartha Tata’s “Ikatan Dhara”. “Mothernet” by Ho Wi-Din. “Ranga & Cinta” by Lili Riza. “Smothered” (Legenda Kelam Malin Kundang) by Ravki Hidayat and Kevin Nugroho. Indonesia’s Oscar-winning film “Sole: The Wife from the Future” directed by Yandy Lawrence. “The Period of Her” by Erlina Lakmawati, Pradita Brifha, Sara Adira, and Yulinda Dwi Andryani. “The Tiger” by Ardyansar Sristiana. and Misha Latif’s “Worn Out” (Judheg). “Ikatan Darah” and “Mothernet” will be premiered in Indonesia at JAFF20.
The non-competition program includes 22 feature films and 27 short films from an Asian perspective, and the nine Indonesian films in the Indonesian Film Showcase include “Lost in the Spotlight” (Rupa Daratan), which marks director Ernest Prakasa’s directorial return.
The Panorama program will screen works by acclaimed Asian directors, including Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and Sho Miyake’s Two Seasons, Two Strangers, which won the Golden Leopard Award at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival.
“Indonesian cinema continues to show significant growth. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, cinemas recorded 35 million admissions, which corresponds to about 44% of the total attendance in 2024,” said JAFF Festival Director Ifa Isfanshah. “A notable milestone this year was the animated film Jumbo, which broke records with over 10 million viewers. Indonesian films also premiered at major international film festivals and brought prestigious awards.”
The festival will continue its partnership with Cinema XXI as its main screening venue.
JAFF20 will continue to collaborate with long-standing partners such as the Asian Film Academy and Netflix. In collaboration with the Asian Film Academy, JAFF will host a masterclass with director Ann Hui, screening newly restored 4K versions of two of her seminal films, “A Simple Life” (2011) and “July Rhapsody” (2002). The collaboration will also feature seven Hong Kong feature films and four short films.
Netflix’s programming includes Reel Life Film Camp, a hands-on workshop for entry-level professionals, and Creative Asia, a forum for creators from across Southeast Asia featuring filmmakers such as Kimo Stambor, Joko Anwar, Erik Matti, and Krup Karjarek.
“Last year, we introduced the Sneak Peek program to provide filmmakers with an extraordinary platform to present early footage of their upcoming releases. This year’s Sneak Peek will feature director Camila Andini’s The Four Seasons of Java,” said JAFF Program Director Alexander Matius.
JAFF Market will return with six programs: JAFF Future Project, Content Market, Talent Day, Film & Market Conference, Market Screening and Film Lab, to be held at the Jogja Expo Center from November 29th to December 1st.
JAFF20 will be held from November 29th to December 6th.
