JAKARTA - The commemoration of Indonesian Children's Day 2026 is an important momentum to strengthen children's creativity through the positive and productive use of digital technology. One of the efforts carried out is through the implementation of the Southeast Asia Video Festival for Children (SEAVFC) or ASEAN Children's Video Festival which encourages children to produce creative works while introducing Indonesian culture to the world.
The momentum is even more special after Indonesia was entrusted to host the SEAVFC 2027, an annual event that brings together the best works of children from ASEAN countries and becomes a platform for the development of the creative talents of the younger generation.
Director General of Development, Utilization, and Cultural Development of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Ahmad Mahendra, emphasized that children's creativity needs to continue to be supported as a long-term investment to produce a generation that is able to master technology while raising the values of national culture.
According to him, audiovisual media can be an effective means for children to express themselves, innovate, and introduce the richness of Indonesian culture to the international community.
Support for the development of children's creativity is realized through collaboration with the Ministry of Culture in socialization activities, workshops, mentoring, to the curation process of the participants' works involving schools, communities, educational institutions, and creative industry players in various regions.
Television broadcasting practitioner and children's program observer, Liza Maria, said Indonesian Children's Day should be a momentum to provide a wider space for children to develop their talents and creativity.
"In the digital era like now, children not only need formal education, but also creative skills such as writing stories, making videos, photography, editing, to storytelling. These abilities are important supplies so that they are able to compete in the era of globalization," he said.
According to Liza, video is now a medium that is very close to children's lives so that it can be used as a means of learning, working, and conveying ideas.
"We want children not only to be spectators, but to be creators who are able to produce positive, creative, and proud Indonesian works," he said.
Indonesia to Host ASEAN Children's Video Festival 2027
SEAVFC is a children's video festival initiated by the Anak TV Foundation of the Philippines and was first held in 2017 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.
The festival, which is held every November 20 in the context of World Children's Day, is not only a competition, but also a platform for collaboration between ASEAN countries to strengthen friendship, strengthen cultural identity, and encourage the birth of creative and innovative young generations.
Indonesia has actively participated since the first time through the coordination of the Indonesian Board Member, Niniek L. Karim. After previously being held in the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand, Indonesia was finally entrusted to host the SEAVFC in 2027.
The implementation of SEAVFC 2027 will carry the theme "Hear My Voice", which invites children to convey their voices, hopes, concerns, and views on various issues of life through video works.
"Through the theme Hear My Voice, we want children to have the courage to express their views. Parents, teachers, and the community also need to provide space to hear children's voices as part of their growth and development process," said Liza, who also serves as Assistant Board of Indonesia.
Indonesia Prints Achievements at SEAVFC
Indonesia's participation in SEAVFC continues to produce a proud achievement. At the 2024 SEAVFC in Malaysia with the theme Friendship in Diversity, Indonesia won the I Champion in the Professional Fiction Category for the 13-17 age group through the film "Tayan Tutu Anakku Satu" produced by Indonesiana TV.
This achievement continued at SEAVFC 2025 in Thailand with the theme of Magic of Peace. Indonesia again won the I Champion in the Professional Fiction Age 8-12 Category through the film "Cipak Cipuk" by Studio Amara Kupang.
The enthusiasm of the participants is also increasing. In 2024, the committee received more than 200 video works from various regions in Indonesia, while in 2025 around 100 works followed the national selection process.
Ahead of Indonesia hosting in 2027, the committee targets at least 300 to 400 video works from across Indonesia. Through this festival, Indonesia hopes to build an ecosystem that can produce a generation of creatives in the fields of videography, animation, directing, script writing, video editing, and digital content production.
The momentum of Indonesian Children's Day 2026 is expected to further strengthen the commitment of all stakeholders in providing a wide space for Indonesian children to work, innovate, and contribute to the Golden Indonesia 2045.
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