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AKARTA: The committee chair of the 2010 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI), Niniek L. Karim, announced her resignation Friday night, three days before the festival’s award ceremony.

“I have failed to make the FFI a warm house for the nation’s artists and filmmakers,” she said, as quoted by kompasiana.com.

Niniek said she had met Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik and reported her resignation. She was appointed committee chief by the ministry in August 2009.

Controversy over the nominations for best movie ended in the replacement of seven jury members, including the former jury chief, Jujur Prananto, a script-writer and short story author.

Niniek denied her resignation was due to the controversy, saying that differing opinions were not uncommon in such processes.

The festival’s award ceremony would take place at the Central Park building in West Jakarta and would be aired live on RCTI television station tonight at 7 p.m. — JP