Aaron Wilson’s new project, “Under the Banyan Moon,” a cross-cultural romance set in Australia and Indonesia, has been selected as a JAFF Future Project, and his debut feature “Canopy” premiered in Toronto.
The Australian-Indonesian co-production, directed and produced by Wilson with Michael McMahon through his production company Left Hand Productions, is one of 10 Asia-Pacific titles selected as a JAFF Future Project at this year’s JAFF Market in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
“Under the Banyan Moon” is the story of Stella, a 33-year-old school teacher in Adelaide. Stella is blindsided by her fiancé’s confession that completely ruins the future they thought they were building together. Upset, she ends their four-year relationship, but her best friend impulsively causes her to flee to Bali, just as best friends do.
A chance reunion with Eran, her college sweetheart, soon leads her to Yogyakarta. But rather than rekindling her past, Stella finds herself unexpectedly attracted to Aditya, Elan’s down-to-earth and mysterious best friend. As the two drift through the layered, vibrant world of Jogja, their quiet but undeniable connection forces them both to confront the difference between the comfort they cling to and the courage to imagine a new kind of future.
“This story comes from a very personal place and has been quietly brewing ever since my first feature, Canopy,” Wilson says. “The idea of a romance that bridges neighboring countries Australia and Indonesia was born out of the decades I spent traveling back and forth between Australia and Southeast Asia, and was shaped by the people I have met and the cultural textures and relationships that stick with me.”
As a director and screenwriter, Wilson is drawn to the small human moments that reveal who we really are. “This film is a celebration of that connection, a look at our intriguing differences and the quiet threads that connect us in ways we don’t always realize,” he says.
Wilson hopes to convey the universality of connection through vibrant cross-cultural romance. “It’s important to see this story from two different perspectives: two people from very different worlds who change each other in unexpected ways,” he says. “We don’t fall in love because our lives are perfect, we fall in love because something breaks and someone sees us clearly in that empty, vulnerable space.”
Wilson also wants audiences to feel the colors, rhythms, energy and majesty of Adelaide and Yogyakarta, not just as exquisite settings, but as two-layered emotional characters never truly fused on screen. “The film is based on quiet human moments, but it’s designed as an epic, global love story,” he says. “It has to be a work that speaks to the heart, celebrates cultural exchange, and reminds us that love in all its forms remains one of cinema’s most universal languages.”
Producer McMahon added: “I was immediately struck by his work in crafting a script that deeply explores the Australia-Indonesia connection, and his clear intention to partner with the right Indonesian creative collaborators to further shape it.”
Director McMahon emphasized the need to strengthen film cooperation between the two countries. “We are neighbors, but our collaboration in cinematic storytelling remains limited,” he says. “It’s time for that to change. This cross-cultural love story between Stella and Aditya offers a real and compelling path forward.”
At JAFF Market, filmmakers connect with Indonesian production companies who are excited to be part of this journey and want to help create films that they believe will resonate with audiences in Indonesia, Australia and around the world. “Participating in the JAFF market to promote Under The Banyan Moon provides us with a rare and valuable opportunity to engage with a wide cross-section of the Asian film industry, but especially in Indonesia, where much of the film is set and where its emotional center is,” say the filmmakers.
With distributors, funders, and creative collaborators, the JAFF Market provides an ideal environment to build partnerships that drive projects forward. “It is also exciting to be part of an initiative supported by leading organizations in South Australia and Indonesia, which reflects a real commitment to strengthening the creative connections between our two countries and the region,” they say.
The project is currently under development. The JAFF Future Project is designed to serve as a development platform and co-creation hub, advancing independent works towards completion and distribution. The initiative will run from November 29th to December. It was held at Yogya Expo Center in Yogyakarta as part of the broader 20th anniversary celebrations of the Yogya Netpac Asian Film Festival.
Wilson’s “Canopy” is a mostly wordless World War II survival drama set in the jungles of Singapore. The film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival and other major film festivals including Toronto, Busan, Rotterdam, and Taipei. His second feature, Little Tornadoes, co-written with acclaimed Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, won the 2022 ADG Award for Best Director for a Narrative Feature Film (Budget Under $1 Million).
