T

he 2014 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) is set to announce the winners of the Citra Awards '€” the nation'€™s most prestigious film awards '€” in a star-studded event that will include President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo at the Palembang Sport and Convention Center in the South Sumatra capital of Palembang on Saturday.

Jokowi will be the first sitting president to ever attend the Citra Awards ceremony since it began in 1955.

The head of the FFI'€™s organizing committee, Kemala Atmojo, said the festival was very happy to welcome the President.

Jokowi, he said, would hand over the Best Picture Citra Award to the winner that evening.

'€œHis attendance would boost the spirit of Indonesian filmmakers and the film industry,'€ Kemala said
on Friday.

The main contenders vying for the Citra Awards are four biographical films: Soekarno, 3 Nafas Likas (Likas'€™ Three Breaths), Sokola Rimba and Cahaya Dari Timur: Beta Maluku (Light from the East, I'€™m Maluku).

Soekarno is a film about Indonesia'€™s first president and Likas highlights the story of the wife of Batak general and Independence War hero Jamin Ginting.

Sokola is based on the memoir of anthropologist, educator and activist Butet Manurung, while Cahaya is based on the story of soccer coach Sani Tawainella who empowered and united Maluku teenagers through the sport.

With 13 nods, Soekarno is the movie that has garnered the most nominations in this year'€™s film festival, followed by 3 Nafas Likas with 10 nominations. Cahaya and Sokola share the third spot with eight nominations each.

All four films are nominated for best picture along with a fifth, Sebelum Pagi Terulang Kembali (Before Morning Returns).

Soekarno, Likas, Sokola and Cahaya are also fighting for Citra awards in other categories.

Nominated for best director are Rako Prijanto for Likas, Hanung Bramantyo for Soekarno, Riri Riza for Sokola Rimba, Adrianto Dewo for Tabula Rasa (Blank Slate) and Lucky Kuswandi for Selamat Pagi, Malam (Good Morning, Night).

The nominees for best actress are Atiqah Hasiholan for Likas, Maudy Koesnaedi for Soekarno, Prisia Nasution for Sokola, Dewi Irawan for Tabula Rasa and Revalina S. Temat for Hijrah Cinta.

Actors up for the Citra are Vino G. Bastian for Likas, Chicco Jerikho for Cahaya, Ario Bayu for Soekarno, Abimana Aryasatya for Haji Backpacker and Herjunot Ali for his role in Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der
Wijck (The Sinking of the Van Der Wijck).

The Citra Awards will be handed out in a total of 14 feature-film categories, short films, animated films and documentaries.

This year'€™s film festival involved a selection panel of 100 people, including directors, cinematographers, scriptwriters, actors and producers.

They considered a total of 386 films, 50 of which were feature films, 81 made-for-TV movies, 138 short films, 32 animated films and 85 documentaries.

A new method for nominating and choosing winners was introduced for the feature-film category, in which nominations were determined by experts in the subject matter. For example, actors chose the nominees for best actor.

The full jury of 85 film practitioners and subject experts and 15 non-cinematic judges will choose the winners in the feature-film arena, while the winners in the short films, animated films and documentaries will continue to be chosen by five-person committees.

Members of the feature-film jury include noted filmmakers and talents, like directors Garin Nugroho, Joko Anwar and Mouly Surya, scriptwriters Jujur Prananto, Salman Aristo and Djenar Maesa Ayu, producers Sheila Timothy, Abduh Aziz and Erwin Arnada, and actors  Alex Komang, Didi Petet, Lukman Sardi, Jajang C. Noer, Dewi Irawan and Ratna Riantiarno.