The 11th edition of the Australia-Indonesia Film Festival (FSAI) is returning this year, featuring a curated selection of films designed to strengthen cultural exchange and creative collaboration between Australia and Indonesia.
Event Schedule and Reach
The festival is scheduled to run from May 8 to 23, 2026. It will span 11 Indonesian cities, including Jakarta, Manado, Semarang, Medan, Bogor, Makassar, Surabaya, Kupang, Banjarmasin, Yogyakarta, and Mataram.
This year’s lineup consists of seven contemporary feature films and four short films produced by Australia Awards participants. A key highlight is the “Screen on the Green,” an open-air cinematic experience located in the Bogor Botanical Gardens.
Strategic Goals and Economic Vision
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier stated that the festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to collaborate and strengthens relationships at a people-to-people level.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar emphasized that the partnership extends beyond culture into technical expertise. She urged industry players to move beyond ticket sales and embrace a broader Intellectual Property (IP) ecosystem involving licensing and merchandising.
Spotlight on Indonesian Animation
The festival will feature Jumbo, an animated feature created by Caravan Studio. The film made history as one of Indonesia’s top-grossing films, attracting 10 million viewers in 2025.
Chris Lie, the founder of Caravan Studio and an Australia Awards alumnus, noted that including Jumbo is a strategic effort to engage a younger demographic. This approach may make film festivals more familiar to children from an early age.
Technical Training and Future Outlook
FSAI 2026 will provide technical masterclasses for students, young filmmakers, and the public. These sessions on cinematography and documentary production will be led by cinematographer Andrew Commis and Associate Professor Michelle Johnston from Curtin University.
Looking ahead, enthusiasm for the event is expected to rise as the festival diversifies its content to include documentaries, animation, and horror. Such efforts could lead to the production of collaborative works that achieve global recognition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will FSAI 2026 seize place?
The festival runs from May 8 to 23, 2026, across 11 cities: Jakarta, Manado, Semarang, Medan, Bogor, Makassar, Surabaya, Kupang, Banjarmasin, Yogyakarta, and Mataram.
What is “Screen on the Green”?
It is an open-air cinema experience hosted at the Bogor Botanical Gardens, allowing audiences to watch films in a garden setting.
Who is leading the technical masterclasses?
The masterclasses in cinematography and documentary production will be led by Andrew Commis, the cinematographer of The Force of Nature: The Dry 2, and Associate Professor Michelle Johnston from Curtin University.
How do you think open-air cinema experiences like “Screen on the Green” affect the way audiences connect with film?
