Indonesia’s film industry took a significant step forward with the launch of JAFF Market 2024, the country’s first large-scale film market, which kicked off Tuesday at the Jogja Expo Center in Yogyakarta, commonly known as Jogja.

The three-day event, running Dec. 3-5 as part of the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF), brings together more than 100 film companies from both domestic and international markets, positioning Indonesia to strengthen its foothold in Southeast Asia’s entertainment sector.

“JAFF Market is a strategic step that brings together over 100 national and international film companies. This participation highlights the industry’s great enthusiasm for strengthening Indonesia’s film ecosystem,” said Culture Minister Dr. Fadly Zon at the opening ceremony.

The market emerges after two years of development, backed by the Ministry of Culture through Dana Indonesiana funding. The initiative gathered momentum through focus group discussions in the post-pandemic period, securing support across the industry spectrum from government entities to production studios.

Netflix has partnered with the market to present two talent development programs: Talent Day and Reel Life Film Camp. The streaming giant’s involvement signals growing international interest in Indonesia’s content creation potential.

The event’s programming spans multiple tracks including JAFF Future Project, Content Market, Partnership Forum, and Market Screening Room. An Indonesia-France Film Lab adds an international co-production angle, while a Network Event offers after-hours networking opportunities.

“The government is committed to supporting the film industry through initiatives like JAFF Market. This event can serve as a platform for collaboration between film companies, copyright holders, filmmakers, and new talents, while also connecting us to the rapidly growing Asian film market,” Zon said.

Market director Linda Gozali, who is also the co-founder of Magma Entertainment, one of Indonesia’s biggest studios, added: “Today, we celebrate more than the official launching of the Indonesian largest film market. We celebrate the energy, the enthusiasm… and the industry that dares to dream big.”

“We celebrate the convergence of the local ingenuity and the global collaborations, as we gather here today, Indonesian cinema is actually making history. We have record-breaking admissions at the box office and [with] the surge of international attention, our stories are actually resonating across the globe, the continents, and this is a testament for us to strive and for us to give more passion from the filmmakers to the audience. The JAFF Market embodies this transformative journey,” Gozali added.