Courtesy of Ismail Basbeth

Filmmaker Ismail Basbeth may sound unfamiliar to some, but his work has been screened at prestigious international film festivals '€” from Berlin, Busan, Rotterdam, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto to Vladivostok.

For him, a film festival is a forum for presenting his works from which he could also learn about filmmaking.

'€œI like being in film festivals, because those who come are ready to open their minds and watch various kinds of movies that are different from usual cinema,'€ he told The Jakarta Post.

Ismail'€™s road to the film industry began when he volunteered at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) in 2006. At that time, however, he had not for a second thought of making a film of his own.

After meeting many people from the industry, including noted indie-film figure, the late Elida Tamalagi, and renowned filmmaker Ifa Isfansyah, he was keen to get his hands on filmmaking, and in 2008 he made his first short film, titled Hide and Sleep.

'€œI remembered Elida once told me I could understand the bigger picture of film by making one,'€ Ismail said.

Born in Wonosobo, Central Java, the 30-year-old director studied Communications at the Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta.

With no background in filmmaking, he mostly learned about it by having long discussions with friends from various film communities in various cities, watching lots of films and, of course, making one.

He has now made 10 short films, which have featured at many international film festivals.

Earlier this year, he released his first feature film '€” a fantasy drama titled Another Trip To The Moon, which screened at the Tiger Awards Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

His work on experimental projects attracted the attention of noted director Hanung Bramantyo, who asked him to direct a religious family drama Mencari Hilal (Crescent Moon), which Hanung co-produced. The film featured at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Mencari Hilal received a Best Picture nomination at this year'€™s Indonesian Film Festival. It did not win the award, but its leading actor, Deddy Sutomo, did win Best Actor. Despite its achievements, the film managed to sell only 12,000 tickets.

'€œFilm becomes important when it meets the audience, even if it'€™s watched just by one person. Mencari Hilal was designed for cinema, but it turns out that many film communities are still looking for this film even though it is no longer around in regular cinemas,'€ Ismail said.

For his third feature film project, Ismail collaborates again with Hanung in a comedy, Talak Tiga, slated to hit theaters next February.

The diversity of the films he makes is the result of his fondness of learning new things.

'€œI always make a film like it'€™s my first and my last. It is my first because the style is never the same, and my last because I give it my best,'€ said the father of a 2-year-old.

'€œSo, it doesn'€™t matter for me if the movie is commercial or not, as the most important thing is the quality.'€

Despite his busy schedule making films, Ismail still finds time to manage JAFF as program director. JAFF, running in Yogyakarta until Dec. 6, features 153 films from 23 countries in Asia.

'€œI was born from JAFF. When Ifa, the festival'€™s executive director, asked me to become the program director, I was reluctant at first, but soon agreed and became so excited when I realized that the festival'€™s goal was to share knowledge.'€

Ismail is also busy with various projects under the two art-production houses that he founded: Bosan Berisik Lab and Hide Project Films.

'€œBosan Berisik is a creative laboratory that explores the boundaries of cinema and its relationship with the other art forms, becoming a place for sharing knowledge and information among filmmakers and artists to empower them to make creative and experimental work,'€ he said.

Another Trip To The Moon was Bosan Berisik'€™s prototype, as it presented not only film, but also music, installations and later, a book.

Hide Project, he said, focused only on producing alternative films that could resonate easily with viewers.

Ismail has started to pave his own path in the film industry, and he said it was time for him to also think about his future as a film director.

'€œI always want to be an independent director and make everything I want. Don'€™t give me money, but give me freedom so I can produce good films.'€

Popular

Indonesian hotel chain confirms exit from Cuba

Femicide persists as women face systemic neglect 

Health Ministry to push regulation on tobacco plain packaging