The 2025 Indonesian Film Festival Award Night Highlights The Surge In Spectators And Domination Of Local Films

Fadli Zon at the 2025 Indonesian Film Festival. (doc. Kemenbud)

JAKARTA - The peak night of the 2025 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) took place at the Jakarta Theater, Taman Ismail Marzuki, on Thursday, November 20, marked the end of a series of national film judgings that had been going on since early September.

Carrying the theme Puspawarna Sinema Indonesia', this year's event highlights various creative perspectives and diversity of genres that enrich the landscape of Indonesian cinema.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon assessed the diversity of works that are included in the judging as an important development in the industry. He emphasized that films that highlight the history and inspiring figures have a big role in strengthening the nation's identity and growing appreciation of the younger generation for the value of heroism.

In his report, Fadli also conveyed an overview of the condition of the Indonesian film industry. As of November 2025, the number of Indonesian film viewers was recorded at more than 75 million, while local films controlled around 70 percent of the market share. According to him, this achievement is the result of working with industry players who continue to adapt and innovate.

He added that the direction of cultural policy under President Prabowo Subianto's administration focused on utilizing cultural heritage as a source of identity as well as social glue, in the hope of being able to make a wider contribution to global cultural regulations.

The chairman of the 2024 FFI Committee, Ario Bayu, also emphasized that the theme Puspawarna Sinema Indonesia depicts Indonesian portraits of diversity through the film medium. For him, film workers not only work to entertain, but also play an important role in preserving culture, maintaining human values, and opening spaces for social criticism.

The event was also attended by a number of state officials and film leaders, including Deputy Minister of Culture Giring Ganesha, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Chairman of the Naswardi LSF, Deputy Governor of DKI Rano Karno, and French Ambassador Fabien Penone.

FFI 2025 uses a layered judging process involving 80 members of the Citra Academy, 13 professional associations, and the Final Jury. This year has its own meaning because it marks the age of 70 years FFI, which continues to grow into a more professional and credible national film assessment reference.