IF/Then Southeast Asia 2018
In collaboration with the Indonesian Agency for Creative Economy and In-Docs, IF/Then Shorts is cultivating new documentary talents in Southeast Asia and is generating funding, exposure, and distribution opportunities for short documentary films from this region.
Earlier in 2018, 17 short documentary projects focusing on Southeast Asia were selected to participate in the IF/Then Story Development Lab in Jakarta, May 4-6, 2018. In Jakarta, 10 of these projects were selected as "finalists" to receive development grants & to participate in the Docs By The Sea Lab (August 2-5, 2018) and Pitching Forum (August 7-9, 2018) in Bali. These finalists had one-on-one meetings with key decision-makers including broadcasters, film fund organizations, and film festival programmers. They also pitched their stories at the IF/Then Shorts pitch competition on August 8, 2018 in Bali for these coveted prizes:
- A total cash prize of IDR 400,000,000 for 4 projects to be used for the completion of the films and an opportunity to participate in Tribeca Film Institute's year-long distribution initiative.
- Full funding of 1 project by Al Jazeera English for broadcast on Witness, the channel's flagship character-driven doc strand, and an opportunity to participate in Tribeca Film Institute's year-long distribution initiative.
The winners were selected by a professional jury consisting of:
- Amy Hobby, Executive Director of Tribeca Film Institute
- Aloke Devichand, Al Jazeera
- Chloe Gbai, POV
- Patrick Hurley, Sheffield Doc Fest
- Don Edkins, Independent Filmmaker
The Jury chose "Bullet-Laced Dreams", "Songbirds of Aceh", "How Far I'll Go", and "Diary of Cattle" as the competition winners and Al Jazeera English selected "Touch the Colour" to receive a commission for their Witness strand.
Bullet-Laced Dreams
Children of indigenous tribes in Mindanao fight for their right to education as the government militarizes their schools to quell rebel conflicts.
Diary of Cattle
This film is a tragic comedy about a 24-hour-life cycle of a herd of cows that have different life experiences, but share the same home at a landfill site in Indonesia.
How Far I'll Go
Two blind childhood friends—Andrea and Salsabila— are now teenage girls living with their blindness in two different continents—USA and Indonesia. They share the same idea of the future: to gain independence so they can prepare themselves for a better life!
The Songbirds of Aceh
In one of the strictest Muslim states in the world, an all-female teenage Muslim choir tackles gender inequality and Islamic extremism using nothing more than their voices in song.
Touch the Colour
Two Filipina sisters in Manila are serving life in prison for kidnapping a young boy. Now, as they enter their 19th year in prison, they are offered parole on one condition -- the boy’s mother must forgive them.
Winners were selected from ten finalists:
DANCING QUEEN (Thailand)
Director: Watcharee Rattanakree
Producer: Appichon Rattanapayon
GOLEK GARWO (Indonesia)
Director: Wahyu Utami Wati
Producer: Damar Ardi
HOME (Indonesia)
Director: Arunaya Gondhowiardjo
Producer: Firman Widyasmara
SWALLOWS TRAPPED IN TWILIGHT (Thailand)
Director & Producer: Komtouch Napattaloong
Producer: Nontawat Numbenchapol
UNDER THE STARS (formerly THE LEGEND OF THE FISH) (The Philippines)
Director: Venice Atienza
The 7 additional projects participating in the Jakarta workshop were:
IF I CAN DREAM (Indonesia)
Director: Ratih Prebatasari
MILLION BAHTS BABIES (Thailand)
Director & Producer: Rungroj Rojanachotikul
PRETTY ALMA (Indonesia)
Director: Bani Nasution
Producer: Yogi A. Fuad
SOUND OF SOIL (Indonesia)
Director: Ika Yuliana
THE ACT OF FORGIVING (Indonesia)
Director: Kurnia Yudha Fitranto & Teguh Hari
Producer: Amerta Kusuma
THE EMBER (Indonesia)
Director: Arfan Sabran
THE SALT TRAILS OF ULU PAPAR (Malaysia)
Director: Nadira Ilana
Producer: Martin Potter
