Independent cinemas and cultural houses in Jakarta are temporarily closed because of the pandemic.
n Sunday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called on all Indonesians to stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional heads in a number of areas, including in Jakarta, have also temporarily closed schools and public areas in an effort to contain the coronavirus.
The American film industry has been especially affected by the outbreak, with film releases being delayed and major events such as Coachella and the South by Southwest being canceled.
In Indonesia, the release of Tersanjung The Movie has been postponed, making it the first movie delay in the country since the outbreak.
On Monday, production company MVP Pictures made the announcement on Instagram.
"In accordance with the government's call to do social distancing, we regretfully have decided to postpone screening Tersanjung The Movie. Hopefully, we can watch the movie together in cinemas."
As of March 23, cinemas and cultural centers in Jakarta are temporarily closed.
Cinema XXI and CGV theaters in Jakarta are closed from March 23 to April 5, following the Jakarta’s administration declaration of emergency status.
Kineforum
Alternative cinema cafe Kineforum in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta, postponed its National Film Month program, which was originally scheduled to take place in March.
The program was to screen Indonesian films at several venues in Jakarta.
Poetra Rizki, Kineforum's manager, told the Post on Monday that he had canceled all of the scheduled screenings.
Poetra said that prior to the postponement, Kineforum had advised its audience to practice good hygiene at the venue.
“There were [protocols to prevent COVID-19 spread at screenings], but I think they were not yet optimal. We recommended the audience members wash their hands using soap we provided in every venue,” he said.
On Monday, Kineforum posted the announcement on Twitter.
— kineforum DKJ (@kineforum) March 16, 2020
“Due to the recent development imperative to general health and safety, Kineforum has regretfully postponed the 2020 National Film Month starting this week until the unforeseeable future,” the tweet read.
Read also: [UPDATED] List of all postponed concerts in Indonesia so far over COVID-19
Kinosaurus
Microcinema Kinosaurus in Kemang, South Jakarta, has decided to take a break amid the pandemic for general cleaning and sanitizing.
“We are closing the cinema for safety reasons during this situation,” Gayatri Nadya of Kinosaurus told the Post on Monday.
The cinema announced on Instagram on Monday that it has postponed all programs.
"To support public health efforts, we have decided to suspend all screenings and events at Kinosaurus from March 16 to March 25," the caption read.
Inquiries can be sent via email to info@kinosaurusjakarta.com.
The cinema is expected to resume its activities on March 27.
GoetheHaus
GoetheHaus in Jl. Dr. GSSJ Ratulangi, Central Jakarta, has decided to close the building and cancel all programs starting on March 15.
Ranggi Arohmansani, manager of GoetheHaus, said the venue is to be closed for all events until March 29. It includes GoetheHaus' regular film screenings, Arthouse Cinema, that are usually held every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Institut Français Indonesia (IFI)
The Institute Français Indonesia announced on Sunday that the venues on Jl. Wijaya, South Jakarta, and Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, are closed to the public until March 29.
“All programs are canceled,” said Dwi Setyowati, IFI’s media officer, to the Post on Monday.
Europe on Screen
The 2020 Europe on Screen film festival has been postponed
The announcement was posted on Instagram on March 26 with a caption reading: "The health and safety of our audience, partners and teams are of paramount importance to us."
The festival had been scheduled to run from April 9 to 19, showcasing approximately 100 films in nine cities across Indonesia with no entrance fee.
New dates for the festival will be announced in the coming weeks. (wng)
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Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the latest situation.
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