Last year’s inaugural JAFF Market served as an experiment – Indonesia’s first-ever film market testing whether the local industry was ready for such a platform. The answer, according to organizers, was an overwhelming yes.
“We were humbled and grateful for the overwhelming response and engagement by so many different stakeholders in the film industry and realized that JAFF Market is indeed a much-needed platform for the industry to come together, share information and gain new insights, conduct business and expand the dialogue on the future of film in Indonesia and beyond,” says Linda Gozali, JAFF Market director.
For year two, organizers brought on Amar Bank as a sponsor. “We worked to streamline some of the shortcomings from year one, worked to get a sponsor from the finance sector, Amar Bank, to join us in the journey to enable the market to provide better infrastructure and maintained the elements of welcoming warmth of the Indonesian film industry and community,” Gozali says.
The JAFF Market isn’t positioning itself as a rival to established regional platforms like Busan’s Asian Project Market, Hong Kong’s FilMart, the Singapore International Film Festival’s market initiatives, QCinema’s project labs in the Philippines or Taiwan’s TCCF.
“JAFF Market does not aim to compete but to work alongside each other’s initiatives,” says Yulia Evina Bhara, JAFF Market advisor. “We are partnering with Busan’s ACFM, Adelaide Film Festival, Tokyo’s TIFFCOM, Korea’s KOFIC, Malaysia’s FINAS, Asian Film Alliance Network, France’s CNC and more to build more bridges and ties to complement and learn from them.”
“JAFF Market is the new kid on the block but we have a very strong local market that is still growing rapidly and have an appetite for connection, collaboration and new talents so we believe that JAFF Market can be the gateway for Indonesia to work closer within the local ecosystem and connect the international interest in the local markets,” Bhara adds. “As Busan grew alongside with the rise of Korean cinema, JAFF Market wants to be a part of the growth of Indonesian cinema to the world.”
Lorna Tee, JAFF Market advisor, identifies systemic challenges across the region. “Southeast Asia is such a vibrant and diverse geographical and cultural arena, filled with exciting talent in all departments but there are still fundamental gaps in knowledge, the ecosystem and the industry as a whole where areas of talent development, financing, legal, marketing and distribution, audience development, critical film discourse and policy to safeguard and enhance the film industry may be lacking,” Tee says.
“Institutional support is inconsistent as the government in the region has varied interests and agenda but we hope to engage the stakeholders in the region to come together during JAFF Market to work on being collaborative instead of competitive within the region as the market is home to more than 700 million people, a sizeable market filled with a large proportion of young people, and the efforts to connect will enlarge the footprint of the films and filmmakers,” Tee adds.
Gozali notes changing patterns in this year’s submissions. “We are seeing a trend toward more family films, animation, thrillers and new directors infusing more humor and comedy into films as the industry finds ways to attract new audiences and engage on relevant subjects that are hot socio-political themes in the region and possibly globally too,” she says. “Producers understand the need to be ahead of the game and be the ones to shape the appetite of the audience instead of catering the same tired troupes but there is work to be done to pave the way for new genres and voices – convincing the investors, exhibitors and talents – and JAFF Market would also like to enable more programs and events that would enable the producers in that direction.”
The second edition has refined its approach to deal-making. “We are inviting and engaging in a more diverse group of international players that are interested in Indonesia so there are many more new international presence as it is important to not just reach new audiences, but new possibilities in partnerships and deal making,” Bhara says.
“We curated more personalized meetings for our participants, guests and exhibitors. Our content market, project market, talent labs, market conferences, and plaza stage are all structured to cater to different segments of the film industry and we brought on new partnerships to present awards and additional opportunities to engage with local and international partners while utilizing JAFF Market both as a platform for dealmaking but also for promotion and greater engagement with the media and industry as a whole,” she adds.
Tee emphasizes that producers need to arrive properly prepared. “Many producers who are less experienced in the markets arrive expecting deals to be done with just a premise or a proposal but without a clear understanding of the value of the projects in the market, be it for the financing, sales and distribution or festivals, it would be a waste of time,” she says. “Producers need to understand the package that the market requires and not just how they envision the film to be.”
On navigating budget pressures and financing volatility, Gozali sees the market as a connector. “JAFF Market moves alongside all the changes in the global industry by connecting the vibrant Indonesia film industry with each other and with the world,” she says. “There is enough resources in the market but for the right projects and talents and the programs at JAFF Market aims to help shape the right projects with the right target audience.”
“JAFF Market is working closely with all the different government agencies from Indonesia and abroad, to enhance the understanding by the agencies and organizations tasked to support the film industry but ultimately, the policy must look at long term and sustainable infrastructure for all programs and not be ad hoc on the support mechanism,” Gozali adds. “We are also engaging with the corporate, finance and high net worth individuals to bring in new perspectives on financing. And we are focused on pushing further beyond just producing films, but how can the films reach an audience, locally and globally, onto as many distribution channels as possible.”
Bhara credits Yogyakarta’s atmosphere as an asset. “Jogja provides a casual and artistic landscape that allows for business to happen in a less frantic manner,” she says. “JAFF Festival also has built a strong following over the past 20 years and the attraction of being at the festival is an appeal we will continue to cherish.”
Gozali sees year two’s attendance increases as a vote of confidence. “Year two has seen increases in both the number of exhibitors, accreditation, media attendance, and more enquiries by different sectors to be involved in the JAFF Market – and we are excited to not just see the numbers increase, but the trust and faith placed by the film industry with their enthusiasm, participation and contribution,” she says. “We can only project long term vision if we have a long term support by the industry and the authorities where we can connect the national and international, corporate and community and filling in the gaps that are present in the industry so that JAFF Market becomes a solid platform for business of films and more.”
Bhara outlines the obstacles ahead. “The biggest challenges of the market stem from the lack of long term institutional support, a year round dedicated experienced and enabled team, and the ability to engage with all the different stakeholders locally and internationally to encapsulate as many aspects of the film ecosystem as possible,” she says. “The JAFF Market management is aware of areas where we can further develop and enhance the effectiveness to be a practical, rewarding and fun platform for all our partners, sponsors, exhibitors, filmmakers, producers, talent and the media to enable everyone to benefit fully in their time here – we are working round the clock with a dedicated team to ensure the best experience for all.”
Tee acknowledges geographical constraints while emphasizing steady development. “As a film market, we can only develop alongside the growth and potential of what the industry, and the city of where it is located,” she says. “Yogyakarta is not easily accessible to international flights and connections so it remains a hurdle to attract the international industry – as we are still taking baby steps to fine tune the role and positioning of JAFF Market, we are more focused on building a strong foundation for JAFF Market alongside the festival.”
For now, the market remains film-focused. “We must admit that we have yet to explore much beyond films but it is something we would definitely welcome for the future programs of JAFF Market,” Tee says.
The JAFF Market takes place alongside the 20th Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF).