On this day, 75 years ago, an important momentum happened in Indonesia. March 30, 1950 was the day Umar Ismail started shooting a film titled “Darah dan Doa”. This film was the first film ever produced and directed by Indonesians. Since then, the National Film Council established March 30 as the National Film Day and has been commemorated every year.
The local film industry has evolved better through the years. Many amazing films created by Indonesians are screened internationally and successfully brought home numerous awards. For instance, a film titled “Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak (2017)” by Mouly Surya. This local film has been screened in various prestigious international film festivals, namely Cannes Film Festival, New Zealand International Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. Proud achievements also came from a local film titled “Sekala Niskala (2018)” by Kamila Andini. This film has been awarded in many events, including the Best Youth Feature Film at Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury at Berlin International Film Festival, and scored the Silver Screen Award at Singapore International Film Festival.
National Film Day is a day to reflect and respect the local film industry through the years. The special celebration day is to boost self-confidence and motivate all film-activists in Indonesia to keep creating amazing works. Therefore, the local film industry can keep scoring achievements that can develop Indonesian films in the eyes of regional, national, even international. Happy National Film Day to all film creators in Indonesia and local film supporters! (Ed)