Senior actress Christine Hakim and the co-founder of the Balinale International Film Festival, Deborah Gabinetti, shed more light on the forthcoming film festival at a press conference in Jakarta, this week.
In the absence of an international film festival in Indonesia, the Balinale has become the leading film event in the country. Held for the 6th year, the Balinale 2012 will be on from 22 to 28 October 2012 at the new Beachwalk cinema on Kuta beach, Bali.
For the opening film, the festival is featuring the latest movie by director Salman Aristo, Jakarta Heart. Like the previous film from Salman, Jakarta Maghrib, the film consists of six short stories about the city of Jakarta from different perspectives.
Supported by top actors and actresses such as Slamet Rahardjo, Didi Petet, Jajang C. Noer, Roy Marten, Asmirandah and Surya Saputra, the movie will be released in cinemas nationwide on November 8 and is one of the most anticipated local films of the year. “In just a few minutes, the audience will realise that this is a great film,” said event director Deborah Gabinetti.
In addition to being the first film festival that plays Jakarta Heart, Balinale is also honoured to have the international world premiere of the film Alex Cross from director Rob Cohen. Cohen is well known for box office hits such as the Fast and the Furious, xXx (Triple X), and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This crime thriller features some important scenes shot in Karangasem, Bali.
Alex Cross is not the first successful Hollywood film shot in Bali. Previously, Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts was partly filmed in Bali as well as being the opening movie in the Balinale 2010. “It is our mission to showcase films that demonstrate Indonesia’s natural wealth,” said the actress Christine Hakim, who also is one of the founders of the Balinale.
In total, there will be 34 films from 34 countries screened this year. The genres vary, featuring both mainstream and independent films, as well as documentaries and short films.
During the event there will be a number of workshops and seminars held, and a competition to make a short film using a mobile phone. Leo Shi Young, executive producer and screenwriter of The Flowers of War, directed by Zhang Yimou, will also be present at the festival.
Through the Balinale, Christine Hakim hopes Indonesia and especially Bali will become one of the centres of the Asian film industry. “We’ve already seen when Julia Roberts was shooting the movie Eat Pray Love in Bali in 2010, the many benefits we received from that. To begin with more than 300 people were employed on the film, there was a great transfer of knowledge, and it’s estimated that tourism grew by 30%.
Hopefully, with the Balinale event, Bali or Indonesia could become an even bigger gateway in the future, “said the actress. The natural beauty of Indonesia could be the selling point to the movie world. “What isn’t there in our country? It’s all here. The natural locations, the natural beauty, the resources, cultural heritage, human resources, and we even have the largest population after China and India, “she told reporters.
