The Japanese action-comedy film, directed by Hideki Takeuchi and starring Mei Nagano and Takeru Satoh, managed to draw plenty of Indonesian cinephiles at the CGV Grand Indonesia, Jakarta.

This sight was particularly peculiar, as Cells at Work! has already been available for viewing on an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service. Such was the demonstration of the platform-crossing power of Japanese films. More importantly, it also demonstrates the enduring appeal of theater-focused film festivals like JFF Indonesia.

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"When you watch together [in a theater], you get to laugh together," Puput observed. "You can experience a more direct emotion, as boosted by your surroundings as well. That alone makes for a different kind of experience. Moreover, we discovered that many people didn't watch the film [Cells at Work!] on OTT streaming services."

Nine cities, 15 films

Unlike last year's edition, JFF Indonesia 2025, organized by The Japan Foundation Jakarta, has added two new cities for its films' theatrical screenings: Padang in West Sumatra, and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, bringing the total to nine cities. The remaining seven cities are Jakarta, Bandung in West Java, Medan in North Sumatra, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Yogyakarta, Palembang in South Sumatra and Surabaya in East Java.

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