“Auto-bio Pamphlet,” a Marathi-language film that is both a love story and a rage against class divisions, will open the 18th edition of the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival later this month. The festival will close with the world premiere of spy thriller “13 Bombs in Jakarta.”
JAFF run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.
“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, JAFF program director. The film had its premiere at part of the Berlinale’s Generation 14plus section. Matius said that “13 Bombs” is spectacular and “will give a very exciting cinema experience for the audience.”
The lineup divides into four main sections: competition, Light of Asia, Indonesian Awards contenders and Panorama, a large showcase of the diversity and originality of Asian films.
The competition section includes: Jing Ong’s “Abang Adik” from Malaysia; Nelson Yeo’s “Dreaming and Dying” from Singapore; Long Linyun’s “Growing Apart,” from China; Pham Thien An’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” from Vietnam; Nicole Midori Woodford’s “Last Shadow at First Light from Singapore; Riar Rizal’s “Monism,” from Indonesia; Chia Chee Sum’s “Oasis of Now” from Malaysia; Amanda Nell Yu’s “Tiger Stripes”, also from Malaysia; and Sharukhkhan Chavada’s “Which Colour?” from India.
Panorama program includes “24 Hours With Gaspar” (dir. Yosep Anggi Noen), “Evil Does Not Exist” (dir. Hamaguchi Ryusuke), “Monster” (dir. Kore-eda Hirokzu), “Perfect Days” (dir. Wim Wenders), “Terrestrial Verses” (dirs. Ali Asgari & Alireza Khatami), “Sweet Dreams” (dir. Ena Sendijarevi?), “All Ears” (dir. Liu Jiayin), “Shayda” (dir. Noora Niasari), “Fremont” (dir. Babak Jalali), “The Shadowless Tower” (dir. Lu Zhang), “The Monk and The Gun” (dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji), and “Ryuichi Sakamoto l Opus” (dir. Neo Sora).
The festival will also play a 4K restoration of “The Raid” the 2011 Indonesian action thriller film written, directed and edited by Gareth Evans.
“Asian cinema is gaining popularity and prominence recently. Now is the time for the Asian film industry to be the light to inspire ourselves. Not only for the cinema, but also for its surroundings, especially our environment. Which is what we are doing with this year’s edition of JAFF, to pay more attention to waste issues,” said Ifa Isfansyah, director of the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, explaining this year’s thematic choice – luminescence.
On the sidelines, the festival also operates a significant co-production lab, mylab+@jogja.
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