“JAFF began with a simple but urgent desire to create a home for Southeast Asian and Asian cinema, especially independent voices that were often overshadowed on the global stage,” recalls Ifa Isfansyah, festival director of Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF), which returns for its 20th edition.
He describes that first edition in 2006 as “modest in scale, but full of passion”, riding on the momentum of the 250th anniversary of Yogyakarta, the Central Java city also known as Jogja that has always been a cultural capital of Indonesia.
“We wanted a festival that grew from community values rather than commercial ambitions,” he says. “Jogja allows us to remain intimate, grounded, and closely connected to its audiences. It is a place where filmmakers and viewers can meet organically, without hierarchy, and build relationships beyond the screen.”
Jogja was a fertile ground for film communities, alternative screenings and young filmmakers experimenting with new forms long before JAFF was founded by Indonesian auteur Garin Nugroho. More than 70 young film communities lent their support when Garin initiated the first JAFF, which was almost cancelled by the devastating earthquake that shook the city in May 2006.
The first edition kicked off in a stage performance complex with a film selection curated mostly from Netpac and personal networks, and organised by filmmakers, students, and cinephiles who simply wanted to celebrate Asian stories. In those early years, screenings were community-driven and volunteers hand-carried film prints, arranged makeshift subtitles with Powerpoint and created stages from borrowed materials.
“From a small, volunteer-based festival, JAFF has now transformed into one of the most important Asian film festivals in Southeast Asia,” says Ifa. “It has expanded from fewer than 30 titles to around 200 each year and has shifted from a community event to a professionally structured festival with dedicated curators, programmers, and thematic sections.
“Throughout the growth, the spirit has remained the same though. JAFF is still a festival rooted in community, inclusivity, and the desire to create meaningful encounters between films and audiences.”
Long-term mission
Running from November 29 – December 6, this year’s 20th edition will screen 227 films from 47 countries in the Asia Pacific across multiple sections including Asian feature competition, Indonesian Screen Awards, and Jogja Showcase that presents the stories and voices of the city’s filmmakers.
Garin’s musical Opera Jawa, which played in Venice as part of Mozart’s 250th birthday celebrations in 2006, will open the festival in its original 35mm format. It was also the opening film of the first JAFF in that same year, the screening of which remained one of the most iconic moments, with the cinema filled beyond capacity and some audiences sitting on the floor just to experience it, Ifa recalls.
JAFF grew in parallel with the resurgence of Indonesian cinema after 2000. As new filmmakers emerged, JAFF began to showcase their early shorts, debut features, and experimental works. Many acclaimed Indonesian directors such as Yosep Anggi Noen, Kamila Andini, Hanung Bramantyo and Ifa began their journeys at JAFF screenings and community forums.
Audience development is a long-term mission. When local cinemas were dominated by foreign blockbusters, the festival kept the culture of watching Indonesian and Asian films alive, nurturing them through community forums (bringing more than 60 film communities each year to discuss cinema culture), education programmes such as masterclasses, inclusive screenings for visually and hearing-impaired audiences, and affordable ticketing to encourage repeated viewings. “Over time, JAFF has created a loyal audience base that is curious, critical, and eager to discover new perspectives,” says Ifa.
He further points out that Indonesian audiences increasingly appreciate strong storytelling, cultural resonance, and emotional narratives. Films from Asia often resonate deeply because they share similar cultural textures - family dynamics, social realities, spiritual themes, humour and everyday struggles. JAFF’s line-up always mixes independent titles without sales agent representation and A-class film festival selections from the like of Cannes and Venice.
JAFF Market returns
The launch of JAFF Market last year marked a crucial milestone as it hosted 151 exhibition booths and drew 6,732 visitors. “As the Indonesian industry expanded, JAFF’s role deepened: from a festival that screens films to a platform that supports development, networking and industry connections,” says Ifa.
“It was the first structured film market in Indonesia focused on connecting Southeast Asian talents, producers, distributors, and funders. The market formalised something JAFF had done informally for years - becoming a meeting point for collaboration.”
The three-day market returns this year at the Jogja Expo Center (JEC), running parallel to the festival from November 29-December 1. “JAFF Market is not just a commercial hub; it is a curated space that reflects JAFF’s values: discoverability, inclusion, and ecosystem building. It strengthens JAFF’s position as an essential industry gateway in the region,” Ifa continues.
JAFF is supported through a hybrid funding model to sustain growth, including government support from the ministry of culture, ministry of creative economy and the cultural office of Yogjakarta; local and national sponsorships through cinemas, brands, hotels and platforms; ticket sales from screenings; and partnership-driven programmes with Netflix, Vidio, KlikFilm and Asian Film Awards Academy.
Given the lack of multiple large venues in Jogja, limited screening space is one of the ongoing challenges, along with building stable funding to maintain flexibility and artistic independence. There is also the struggle to find early JAFF materials and film prints as the ecosystem lacks solid archiving infrastructure.
“Each challenge pushes us to innovate and adapt,” says Ifa, who foresees that “the next decade will be about deepening JAFF’s roots while expanding its regional influence”. It aims to reinforce itself as a cultural movement, not just an event, and as a guardian of Asian cinema heritage offering better archiving initiatives.
How JAFF grew from a volunteer-based event to one of the most important film festivals in Southeast Asia.
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