Konfiden and the promotion of Indonesian short films

Abstract

After the New Order stepped down in 1998 and the Department of Information was closed down in 1999, the Indonesian government loosened their control on film regulation. At that time, theatres rarely screened Indonesian films and there had been no film festivals in Indonesia for a long period. Meanwhile, advanced digital technology had provided a digital film camera – for the non‐professional user – that more people could afford. Some young Indonesians believed that lots of Indonesians had a digital film camera and used them to make films, instead of just recording family gatherings. These youngsters – mostly from big cities – came from different backgrounds and usually met at alternative film screenings in foreign cultures centres or the Indonesian Cinematheque. Most were well‐educated and dreamed of watching films from their own country. They therefore organized a film festival in 1999 under name ‘the Indonesia Independent Film‐Video Festival’. They chose a short‐film format for the festival because it was easier for common people to make a short film than a feature film with a digital camera. The organizer of the Indonesia Independent Film‐Video Festival established an organization in early 2000 named Konfiden. After 2000, Konfiden tried to promote Indonesian short films at international short‐film festivals such as the Oberhausen Short Film Festival and Tampere Short Film Festival. After 2002, Konfiden’s festival was not the only short film festival in Indonesia. Several film communities in Java started to organize short film festivals. The Konfiden’s next step is to build a film market, database, and to shape the quality for Indonesia short films.