Reshaping production practices: European film festivals, new Indonesian cinema, and the creative producer

ABSTRACT

European film festivals pride themselves for their support of cinemas from developing countries by assisting under-resourced filmmakers, and by becoming co-producers through funds, pitching forums, and co-production arrangements. In engaging European film festivals, many filmmakers from ‘developing’ countries have gained exposure, experience, training, support, and critical capital that has helped their productions and careers. To date, festivals have facilitated the auteur model of the filmmaker, relying on the idea of the inspired authorial genius of the director to carry and realise a film project. With the changing operation and organization of festivals and their activities to a more results-oriented industry model underpinned by neoliberal social relations, new demands are placed on filmmakers who engage with festivals. This article argues that these new modes of engagement reveal the role of the creative producer in the film festival-filmmaker relationship, decentering attention from the director-as-auteur model that has shaped engagement and participation to date. Through a discussion of Indonesian film, and in particular, creative producer Meiske Taurisia (BabiButaFilm/Palari Films), this article shows how the producer provides the complementary skills and abilities to support a project and its director, enabling Indonesian films and their makers to participate in global film festivals.

KEYWORDS:

• Film festival
• Indonesia
• auteur
• creative producer
• director

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Films screened included Atheis (1974, Athiest, Sjumandjaja), Gadis Penakluk (1980, Lady Love, Edward Pesta Sirait), Lewat Djam Malam (1954, Past Curfew, Usmar Ismail), Macan Kemajoran (1965, The Tiger of Kemajoran, Wim Umboh), Nopember 1828 (1979, November 1828, Teguh Karya), Para Perintis Kemerdekaan (1977, Pioneers of Freedom, Asrul Sani), Perempuan Dalam Pasungan (1980, Shackled Woman, Ismail Soebardjo), Seputih Hatinya, Semerah Bibirnya (1982, As White As the Heart, As Red As the Lips, Slamet Rahardjo), Usia 18 (1980, Age 18, Teguh Karya), Yuyun Pasien Rumah Sakit Gila (1979, Yuyun, a Mental Hospital Patient, Arifin C. Noor) (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin, 2021).

2. The other three films were: Telegram (2000, Slamet Rahardjo Djarot), Leaf on a Pillow (1998, Daun di Atas Bantal, Garin Nugroho), and Sri (1999, Marselli Sumarno).

3. The idea of the ‘film school’ is attributed to a quote from Mouly Surya (Noh 2015).

4. His more recent work, some of which has been more commercial in orientation, profiles different personalities other than the director.

5. For example, the Non-Fiction Core Application for documentary, which was spearheaded by the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Institute, has now been adopted by Tribeca Film Institute and BritDoc, amongst others (International Documentary Association, n.d.).

6. Garasi (2006, Garage, Agung Sentausa6); Tiga Hari Untuk Selamanya (2007, Three Days to Forever, Riri Riza); The Photograph (2007, Nan Achnas).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas Barker

Thomas Barker is an Honorary Associate Professor with the Humanities Research Centre at the Australian National University. He was previously at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and has held visiting positions at the National Library of Australia, UCLA, and National Chengchi University. He is the author of Indonesian Cinema after the New Order: Going Mainstream, and co-editor of Southeast Asia on Screen: From Independence to Financial Crisis (1945–1997). He has written on Southeast Asian and transnational cinema, regulation, and stardom.