Proud! Three Indonesian Films Win Awards at BIFAN 2024
JAKARTA - Three Indonesian films have successfully won awards at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) 2024, which took place from July 4 to 14, 2024. The films are Dancing Gale, Virgin Bash, and The Heirlooms.
Dancing Gale and Virgin Bash received awards at the NAFF Project Market, while The Heirlooms won the Bucheon Awards at the Geodam Campus Pitching.
These three films managed to outshine competitors from various countries. According to information from the official BIFAN website, the evaluation was conducted by considering several aspects such as presentation, production stage, and an engaging and distinctive story.
For instance, the film Dancing Gale stands out for showcasing Indonesian culture. Directed by Sammaria Simanjutak, this film tells the story of the Sigale-Gale puppet from Lake Toba. This puppet is known as a mystical puppet that can move or dance on its own, and this horror genre film highlights the richness of local culture through its locations, music, clothing, traditional houses, and language. Dancing Gale received a prize of five million Won or around Rp58 million.
Sammaria expressed her pride in this achievement and hopes that Dancing Gale can enrich the treasure of Indonesian horror films.
"This award is inseparable from the extraordinary support of the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media (PMM) of the Ministry of Education and Culture and all Indonesian delegates. I hope this film can soon receive full funding, be produced, and add to the wealth of Indonesian horror films on the international stage, and become a pride for all of us,” said Sammaria.
Meanwhile, the film Virgin Bash by Randolph Zaini also received a post-production facility prize worth Rp569 million. This film won the NAFF Project Market BIFAN 2024 with a story about the tragedy that occurs after the festivities of a wedding party.
On the other hand, The Heirlooms, which won the Bucheon Awards at the Geodam Campus Pitching, will participate in the Geodam Residency. The Geodam Residency is an affiliate program of the Geodam Planning & Development Camp. Later, director Devina Sofitanti will be mentored directly by Jenna Ku, a South Korean producer known for successful films like The Running Actress, Little Forest, and Josee, along with two filmmakers from Japan and Taiwan.
In addition to these three films, several other Indonesian films such as Into The Woods, Mad of Madness, and The Hidden Flower also competed at BIFAN 2024.
About BIFAN 2024
In its 28th edition, BIFAN has put Indonesia in the spotlight. The country received attention through various public programs and films competing in the competition as well as pitching and market forums.
According to the Korean Film website, BIFAN is a film festival focused on the fantasy genre. First held in 1997, the festival aims to showcase the latest fantasy, horror, and thriller films from Korea, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
After 20 years, BIFAN continues to grow by adding industry-based programs. Before being known as BIFAN, the festival was called FiFan or Puchon International Fantastic Festival.
BIFAN has received high recognition from audiences and film professionals. Through collaborations with the Yubari Fantastic Film Festival in Japan and the European Fantastic Film Federation, BIFAN is now considered one of the largest film celebrations in Asia.
This prestigious festival is held annually. The 28th BIFAN opened with the film Love Rises Bleeding by Rose Glass and closed with Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In by Soi Cheung.
This year, BIFAN presented a more diverse event, including Carnaval in July, an outdoor festival lasting three days around Sohyang-ro near the Bucheon City Hall. The festival featured various activities such as dance parties, water gun fights, interactive playgrounds, changing rooms, and treasure hunts.[*]