Indonesia's Balinale reveals winners

Indonesia’s Balinale International Film Festival (Oct 4-10) has handed out the top prizes at its closing awards ceremony.

Ifa Isfansyah’s 9 Summers 10 Autumns was awarded best overall film. Based on an autobiography, it is the story of a poor minibus driver in East Java who grew up to become a multinational company director in New York.

Endri Pelita’s Air Mata Terakhir Bunda, about a single mother’s influence on her two sons, won best feature.

 Taiwanese entry Go Grandriders, directed by Hua Tien-hao, won best documentary while New Zealand filmmaker Paora Joseph’s Tatarakihi: The Children Of Parihaka received a special recognition prize.

Brazilian filmmaker Amir Admoni’s Linear won best short.

The seventh edition of the festival screened 48 films from 20 countries, including Indonesian premieres of Don Jon and Richard Curtis’ About Time.

Co-founded by actress Christine Hakim and Deborah Gabinetti of film production support organization Bali Film Center, Balinale is currently Indonesia’s only international film festival. However, the territory is showing signs of growth.

The final day featured preview footage and a panel discussion focusing on Hanung Bramantyo’s upcoming historical epic Soekarno: Indonesia Merdeka, starring Ario Bayu in the title role. Budgeted at approximately $2.5m, Soekarno marks the biggest production in Indonesian history.

Producer Amrit Ram Punjabi of MVP Pictures said: “For Indonesia’s population of 240 million people there should be about 6,000 screens, but there aren’t even 600. But it’s growing. This film is for the people of Indonesia. Internationally,  we’re targeting various countries for festivals and sales.”