Our Mentawai documentary film, “Mentawai: Soul of the Forest,” directed by Joo Peter and produced in collaboration with the Yayasan Pendidikan Budaya Mentawai (YPBM), has won the Special Jury Award at the Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival (KIIFF) 2024. The festival, held from August 22 to 24, 2024, in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, is a prominent platform dedicated to showcasing films that address indigenous issues and give voice to Indigenous Peoples.
This year’s KIIFF coincided with the celebration of International Indigenous Peoples Day, themed ‘Empower. Embrace. Elevate: Honoring the Strength of Indigenous People.’ The theme reflects the festival’s mission to empower, embrace, elevate, and celebrate the strength of indigenous communities worldwide. In addition to film screenings, the event featured international seminars, panel discussions, workshops, art exhibitions, live music and cultural performances. The festival attracted a diverse audience, including filmmakers, cultural practitioners, academics, NGOs, and local enterprises.
Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival (KIIFF) is part of a larger initiative known as the International Indigenous Film Festival (IIFF). Founded by the Ranu Welum Foundation who are based in Central Kalimantan, IIFF aims to support and advance social documentary filmmaking within the context of traditional values. Since its inception in 2015, IIFF has grown from a local event to an international festival with thousands of live-streamed viewers annually. Showcasing 510 films and engaging 213 indigenous filmmakers from 37 countries / Indigenous communities, including from the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, IIFF has also hosted 58 screenings in various countries, including Australia, Europe, the United States, and Peru.
Mentawai’s Martison Siritoitet, a representative of the YPBM, initiator and co-collaborator of film “Mentawai: Soul of the Forest,” attended this year’s KIIFF on behalf of Suku Mentawai. In addition to representing their film, Martison was invited as a guest speaker on a panel discussion titled “Media Advocacy: Video and Film for Social Change.” During the panel, he discussed how film-video and social media can serve as powerful tools for amplifying indigenous voices and preserving cultural heritage, emphasizing the role of modern technology in supporting the struggles for, and preservation of, traditional cultures.
Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival (KIIFF) 2024 underscored its commitment to building robust networks among indigenous communities, cultural practitioners, and filmmakers both on-site and online. The festival has inspired participants to share experiences, connect with other communities, empower and appreciate collective efforts in advocating for indigenous rights. KIIFF 2024 was not just a film festival but a celebration and recognition of indigenous cultural wealth and collective efforts to preserve it. The outcome of this being that KIFF participants are able to support and collaborate in global efforts to safeguard indigenous cultures and rights.
Click HERE to learn more about the festival program, winners and KIIFF
Masura’ Bagatta, Thank You!
