Jogja’s inaugural JAFF Market is positioning itself as a connector between Indonesia’s diverse film ecosystem, from independent filmmakers to major studios, according to market chair, noted filmmaker Ifa Isfansyah. Running Dec. 3-5 alongside the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF), the market aims to streamline access to Southeast Asia’s largest film industry.

“We think Indonesia needs this hub. If you want to know about Indonesian film industry, we don’t have an event or hub,” Isfansyah says. “When you want to meet with Indonesian film companies, let’s say you have one week in Jakarta, maybe you can just meet five companies because of traffic. But with this market, I really hope it’s effective for everyone who wants to connect with Indonesian collaborations.”

The market’s programming includes project and content markets, exhibitions, conferences, and company lounges. A key initiative is the Talent Day program, which focuses on discovering new professionals across various film disciplines including directing, editing, and production design. Selected participants undergo two months of online workshops followed by offline sessions during the festival.

While the initial focus is on the Indonesian film industry, the market has attracted companies from across the region with the 92 exhibitors being from Indonesia Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea. Major Indonesian platforms and companies are using the event not just for industry networking but also as a promotional platform to engage with film students and cinephiles.

In addition, the market has some 700 accreditations, representing professionals from France, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Norway, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Global interest is high, with the market featuring an Indonesia-France Film Lab with six projects, and a producer hub initiative with Korea in association with Indonesian producers’ guild APROFI with seven projects. This is in addition to the 10 projects that are part of the JAFF Future Project platform, two of which are Australian co-productions.

“Maybe more than 80% of young people in Indonesia or young filmmakers don’t really have experience in film markets,” Isfansyah notes. “This is also to give experience for film professionals or new filmmakers in terms of project markets or content markets.”

The market’s development has received government backing, with JAFF selected as one of 15 strategic cultural events receiving state support. Government funding comprises approximately 30% of the market’s financing, with additional support from local authorities.

The festival’s location in Yogyakarta, commonly known as Jogja, a university town known for its cultural atmosphere, has proven advantageous. “Everything happens not because of money or business, but because people meet people,” Isfansyah says. “During the festival days, I think the Indonesian film industry moves to Jogja.”

The market emerged organically from JAFF’s 19-year history, as the festival observed increasing industry attendance around 2018-19. “The industry started to come to the festival, looking for stories, looking for talent,” Isfansyah says. “Everyone during that festival just marked their calendar and came to Jogja.”