Two Indonesian short films were among the winners at the 2020 SeaShorts Film Festival that was held virtually from Sept. 12 to 20.

One of the films, BURA (2019), was recognized in three categories, namely Jury Awards, Best Sound and Best Cinematography. Helmed and penned by Eden Junjung, the 12-minute film set in the Tapal Kuda region of East Java amid the country’s political transition in 1998 follows pesantren (Islamic boarding school) students who are determined to protect their teachers from mysterious murderers by taking guard duties at night. However, their plan is interrupted after one student leaves his post to meet his lover.

The festival’s jury panel praised the film as “courageous and important” in highlighting a critical chapter in Indonesia’s history. They also considered the film’s sound design and mixing quality to be “crisp and balanced”, and described the cinematography as “intricately mounted” to help the story evolve and display the characters’ emotions.

“The camerawork is riveting, invoking the audience to quietly contemplate on their inner guilt as they have their expectations subverted,” said the jury panel in a statement.

Candra Aditya’s Evening Stroll (2019) (Jalan-Jalan Sore), meanwhile, received an award for Best Screenplay. Set in Jakarta, the 16-minute film is about a couple who rediscover the beauty of their love after losing their wallets during a picnic.

The judges applauded the film for having an elaborate dialogue and writing, resulting in naturally developed scenes.

A total of seven Indonesian short films were selected to participate in the annual competition.

The event, which featured various virtual activities from masterclasses and online forums to interactive sessions and film screenings, attracted around 600 online viewers during the weeklong period.

“In a time when physical barriers are mandatory, there was an opportunity to widen the reach and get more eyes on the inventive storytelling found around our shores. We thank the filmmakers and our partners for helping us to continue to showcase Southeast Asian stories and inspire further industry growth,” SeaShorts Film Festival co-director Nicholas Chee said in the statement.

Since its first installment in 2017, the SeaShorts Film Festival has aimed to celebrate Southeast Asian short films and has showcased 375 of such works. Among the filmmakers who have been members of the jury panel are Indonesian producer Mira Lesmana, Thai filmmaker Pimpaka Towira and Cambodian documentary director Rithy Panh. (wir/kes)

Below is the complete list of winners at the 2020 SeaShorts Film Festival:

• SeaShorts Award for Best Film: Peon by June Wong, Shaiful Yahya and Syaz Zainal (Malaysia)
• Next New Wave Award for Best Malaysian Film: Peon by June Wong, Shaiful Yahya, and Syaz Zainal (Malaysia)
• Best Direction Award: Stay Awake, Be Ready by Pham Thien An (Vietnam)
• Best Screenplay Award: Evening Stroll by Candra Aditya (Indonesia)
• Best Cinematography Award: BURA by Eden Junjung (Indonesia)
• Best Sound Award: BURA by Eden Junjung (Indonesia)
• Best Editing Award: Peon by June Wong, Shaiful Yahya, and Syaz Zainal (Malaysia)
• Best Performance Award: The Cloud Is Still There by Mickey Lai Loke Yee (Malaysia)
• Jury Award: BURA by Eden Junjung (Indonesia)
• Special Mention: Elsa by Lim Jen Nee (Singapore)
• Audience Award: Stay Awake, Be Ready by Pham Thien An (Vietnam)

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