Established in September 2018, the short film festival invites high school and university students from 17 Indonesian cities to enroll in workshops on film production. The independent filmmakers featured in the program will showcase their local cultures to Viu’s audience in 16 countries.

In its two seasons, Viu Shorts! has enlisted 33 directors and 900 content creators from 33 regions in Indonesia.

A Viu project, Miu Mai by Eka Putra Nggalu, was featured at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Short Form Content at the 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards.

“We want to globalize local films,” said the Tourism Ministry’s deputy head of digital economy and creative products, Josua Puji Mulia Simandjuntak, at a press conference on Thursday. “We have the means now, and we just need the content.”

For the new season, the films were produced from August 2019 to March 2020 with a focus on local myths and cultural practices from regions across Indonesian. The regions include West Java’s Majalengka, East Nusa Tenggara’s Atambua, Bali’s Klungkung, Central Java’s Kendal, East Kalimantan’s Sanggata and Central Sulawesi’s Palu.

One of the filmmakers will also be chosen to receive a scholarship to study at the Art Institute of Jakarta and complete an internship with Viu.

Two of the short films aired on Thursday. Memargi Antar explores the Balinese Hindu practice of mepandes that relieves a person of their sins, while Kalang Obong from Kendal focuses on the ceremony of burning a deceased person’s most treasured belongings so their souls can be at peace in the other world.

Mulyani, director of Memargi Antar, said she wished for Balinese culture to be recognized internationally. “I hope the film inspires people to create works based on their own culture,” said Mulyani, who chose to highlight the cultural practices around her in the film.

Suryo of Kalang Obong said the traditional ceremony was almost extinct, as only a small number of Kendal’s younger generation were familiar with the practice. He expressed hope the movie could gain appreciation within his own community.

“It’s okay to be modern,” said Suryo of his peers, who are more in touch with global communities than with their own. “But don’t forget your own culture.”

Viu Shorts! movies are available on Viu’s website as well as on the app. (wng)

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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.