JAKARTA - The Indonesian creative industry has once again confirmed its existence on the global stage. The Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) is expanding its diplomatic reach through two prestigious world events in North America: the International Festival of Films on Art (LeFIFA) in Canada and South by Southwest (SXSW) in the United States.
The founder and director of the Balinale Festival, Deborah Gabinetti, was officially appointed as a judge for the international competition in the feature film category at the 44th LeFIFA. This prestigious event is scheduled to take place from March 12-22, 2026 in Montreal, Canada.
Not stopping there, in the same period, Deborah was also appointed as a film and television industry mentor at the giant cross-industry event, SXSW, which was held in Austin, Texas, USA.
The Bridge to the Oscars Stage
Balinale's presence on the international stage is now getting stronger, especially after becoming the first film festival in Indonesia to qualify for the Academy Awards® in 2025.
One of the tangible proofs of this success is the film Retirement Plan, winner of the Balinale 2025 Short Animation category, which successfully entered the 2026 Oscar® nomination. The announcement of the gold trophy winner is highly anticipated on March 15.
Deborah Gabinetti emphasized that this series of achievements is a concrete step to bring local filmmakers to a higher level.
"This appointment is a form of global recognition of the industry standards we have built. Through collaboration with LeFIFA and SXSW, Balinale is committed to being an incubator for Indonesian talent to connect directly with the leaders of the world's film industry," said Deborah in an official statement.
19 Years of Balinale Commitment
Entering its 19th year, Balinale 2026 which will be held on June 1-7 in Sanur, Bali, is further clarifying its vision as a driving force for national cinema. Through the Bali Film Forum program, this festival will bring together local story writers with key international film players.
For filmmakers who want to show off on the world stage, film registration for the 2026 edition is still open through the FilmFreeway platform until the deadline of March 15, 2026.
Short Info Balinale 2026:
Time: 1–7 June 2026
Location: ICON Bali Mall, Cinema XXI, & The Meru Sanur
Categories: Feature, Short Narrative, Documentary, and Animation
Fully supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Creative Economy, Balinale is ready to prove that the works of the nation's children are able to compete competitively in the global market. The appointment of Deborah Gabinetti and the success of Balinale films at the Oscars are important records in the history of the country's film industry.
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