It’s Official! Sundance Film Festival: Asia is Coming to Indonesia

On 15 March 2021, IDN Media, in collaboration with XRM Media, officially announced that they would bring the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: Asia to Jakarta, Indonesia. This collaboration aims to support, connect, promote and celebrate the independent film community in Asia, including Indonesia, while showcasing a selection of independent films from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, curated by Sundance Institute.

Sundance Film Festival: Asia is an expansion of Sundance Institute’s programming in the region, further championing and promoting visibility for independent storytelling before a wider global audience. Through unique programs such as labs, grant funding, and special projects undertaken with key partners, Sundance Institute itself serves as a leading advocate for the independent filmmaking community.  

To commemorate IDN Media’s commitment to the film industry, the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: Asia will be crafted to recognize, promote, and celebrate Asian filmmakers, including prominent and rising Indonesian filmmakers, in local and regional communities. The festival will present a number of programs to deepen and democratize artistic exchange and, hopefully, ignite new ideas with original voices and share it on a global stage.

Tabitha Jackson, Director of Sundance Film Festival: “We have long wanted to deepen our connection to the bold and vibrant energy of Asian independent filmmaking. The opportunity to work more closely with the community of filmmakers and audiences in Indonesia with XRM Media and IDN Media makes this first year of Sundance Film Festival: Asia a very exciting prospect.”

Michael Y. Chow, Co-Founder, XRM Media: “Through this alliance, we are excited to work together with IDN Media and The Institute to strengthen collaboration, unity, and inclusiveness within Indonesia and across Asia with the rest of the indie filmmaking world.”

Winston Utomo, CEO IDN Media: “We are very excited to bring the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: Asia for the first time to Indonesia. We truly believe that this historic festival would be an important momentum for the film industry in Asia, especially for filmmakers and film enthusiasts in Indonesia, to connect and collaborate with filmmakers around the world. ”