Depok-In the ever-evolving digital landscape, film has become more than just entertainment — it is a powerful medium to convey profound messages. Realizing this great potential, the Vocational Education Program of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) proudly presents the “Vokasi UI Film Festival 2024”. This festival is not only a competition, but also a place for students to bring ideas to life, arouse emotions, and free their imaginations through the art of film.
Vice Director for Education, Research, and Student Affairs, Deni Danial Kesa, Ph.D, emphasized that this festival is a stage for students to showcase their creative work while advancing the creative industry in Indonesia through vocational education. “This opportunity is a valuable moment of collaboration between theoretical and practical abilities, providing students with invaluable skills for their future,” said Deni.
The festival, which will be held on August 12-13, 2024, is a collaboration between the Department of Administration and Applied Business, which oversees the Creative Business study program, with the Department of Applied Social Humanities which includes the Media Production, Tourism Business Management, Public Relations, Multimedia Broadcasting, and Creative Advertising study programs.
(Photo: Discussion session with Teddy Soeriaatmadja)
Deni explained that this cross-study program collaboration not only strengthens the implementation of the festival, but also reflects the synergy in creating quality artwork. With the theme “Kalbu Kelabu”, this festival explores the complexity of unexpected human emotions, poured into a mysterious gray color palette.
Vokasi UI Film Festival 2024 carries various interesting activities, including film competitions, workshops, pitching, talk shows, and film screenings. The main purpose of this entire series of events is to showcase and appreciate the work of students, while encouraging them to continue to develop their talents and potential in the world of film.
The festival kicked off on August 12 with an editing workshop led by leading professionals Sheryn Maulidya and Pieter Anthony from Visinema Studios. In the workshop, participants not only learned editing techniques, such as fine cut and picture lock, but also gained a deep understanding of the importance of a structured and careful editing process.
The pitching session for the Film Proposal Pitching category became a stage for students to present their film ideas in a short but memorable way. Deni called this session a golden opportunity for students to test their concepts and receive constructive feedback from industry experts.
One of the highlight events of the festival is a discussion with renowned director, Teddy Soeriaatmadja, on August 13, 2024. With a track record of works such as The Architecture of Love (2024) and Lovely Man (2011), Teddy shares his experiences and insights on how to create films that are not only technically interesting, but also contain strong and meaningful narratives. This discussion inspires students to better understand and explore the world of film.
(Photo: Atmosphere of the screening film of the Vokasi UI Film Festival 2024)
Not only discussions and workshops, the Vokasi UI Film Festival 2024 also showcases eight selected films, consisting of three documentaries and five short films, in a screening session at the UI Vocational Reading Park. This screening provides an opportunity for students to watch their work on the big screen, and receive appreciation from the audience.
The peak of this event will take place on August 16, 2024, coinciding with the Masa Bimbingan Vokasi (MABIMVOK UI) 2024, where winners from various categories will be announced in the awarding session. Deni expressed his hope that this festival can continue to motivate students to work and innovate in the field of film arts. “We congratulate all participants who have participated. Hopefully this festival will be an inspiration for students who aspire to work in the film industry,” he said.
The winners of the Best Short Film and Best Screenplay categories were “Fate”, directed by Kelvin Hananto and written by Rahma Azzahra. For the Best Documentary category, the award was given to “Baduy: The Silence of Education” which was also directed by Kelvin Hananto. Meanwhile, the Film Proposal Pitching category was won by a group with the proposal title “PT Yak Op” from Orang Film UI.
With the end of the Vokasi UI Film Festival 2024, it is hoped that the enthusiasm and creativity of students will continue to grow, bringing the Indonesian film industry to a higher peak.
