W

em>Watching films today is not as simple as it used to be. Jakarta'€™s cinemas are almost exclusively located in shopping malls, so moviegoers not only have to look for a parking spot, but have to restrain themselves from window shopping and having a fancy lunch.

However, for those tired of Hollywood, here are five locations or events where cineastes can watch alternative movies '€” for free!

Kineforum

Located in the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) arts center in Cikini, Central Jakarta, the Kineforum screens local and foreign films from Friday to Sunday. The non-profit cinema, which has 45 seats, also holds regular film discussions and presents a month of classic films every March for National Film Month. Some films may not be for appropriate for children, so visitors must show proof of age. This forum is organized by the Jakarta Arts Council.

Foreign cultural centers
(Courtesy of Goethe Haus)
If you are into foreign films, cultural centers should be your next stop, as they regularly have movie screenings, schedules of which are published on their websites.

The Arthouse Cinema at the Goethe Haus in Menteng, Central Jakarta, has a collection of German, European and Indonesian films. The cultural center holds a movie screening every second and fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Other cultural centers that hold movie-screening events are the Institut Francais Indonesia (IFI) in Salemba, Central Jakarta, and the Dutch cultural center, the Erasmus Huis in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Dimas Jayasrana, the audiovisual coordinator at the IFI, said the center holds its film program on Saturdays at 1 p.m.

'€œWe do not hold the cinema program in May or June, because we hold the French cultural and art festival, the Printemps Francais,'€ he said in a text message sent to The Jakarta Post.

Meanwhile, K-pop fans who want to watch Korean films can visit the Korean Cultural Center Indonesia, located on the 17th floor of the Equity Tower in SCBD Lot 9 on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta and Japanese film lovers can head to The Japan Foundation on the second floor of the Gedung Summitmas I building on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta.

(JP/Indah Setiawati)Sinematek

Set up by legendary movie maker Misbach Yusa Biran in 1975, Sinematek Indonesia was the first film archive in Southeast Asia. Although the non-profit struggles to preserve Indonesian films in its basement vault, it still provides various services to visitors, including a chance to watch impossible-to-find classic Indonesian movies upon request.

The institution, open from Monday to Friday, occupies part of the H. Usmar Ismail Film Center building, located next to Plaza (formerly Pasar) Festival in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Forum Lenteng

This non-profit has become a place to learn about documentary filmmaking and share the addictive hobby of watching movies. It holds regular movie screenings in its library on Jl. Raya Lenteng Agung No. 34, Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, every Monday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Various foreign movies with Indonesian subtitles are also available in this program.

Film festivals

Held in various venues across the capital city, film festivals are some of the most anticipated events for film lovers. Unfortunately, one of the major film festivals, the Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFEST), has been absent for a few years. Meanwhile, Indonesia International Fantastic Film Festival (INAFFF), which focuses on horror, fantasy, anime, sci-fi and thrillers, was absent for the first time
in 2012.

Nowadays, Jakartans still look forward to the popular Europe on Screen (EoS) film festival, which recently concluded its most recent festival in Indonesia, and the Kids Film Festival, which was held for the fifth time this year. '€” JP