Becoming Human, directed by Cambodian filmmaker Polen Ly, has been awarded the Golden Hanoman, the top prize of the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) 2025, marking a powerful conclusion to the festival’s landmark 20th anniversary edition.
This year’s JAFF proved historic on multiple fronts. The festival welcomed more than 30,000 visitors, continuing a consistent growth trend and officially becoming its largest and most monumental edition yet. Festival Director Ifa Isfansyah emphasized that JAFF’s two-decade milestone reflects a collective effort rooted in togetherness, celebration, and trust — while acknowledging emerging challenges in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. He underscored the urgency of strengthening film archiving initiatives and rethinking the sustainability of the Asian film ecosystem moving forward.
Across eight days, the festival showcased 227 titles from 43 countries — including 27 world premieres and 87 Indonesian premieres — accompanied by 47 discussions and public forums, many continuing late into the night with overwhelming audience engagement. JAFF Program Director Alexander Matius praised the vitality of this year’s dialogues, citing the festival as an increasingly essential space for cinematic exchange.
Looking toward the future, Executive Director Ajish Dibyo highlighted JAFF’s enduring roots as a volunteer-driven movement and noted growing youth involvement as a key to its sustainability. Environmental responsibility also remained a priority, with this year’s waste management efforts reaching more than 1,500 kilograms.
MAIN COMPETITION JURY
Eric Khoo | Suryana Paramita | Tumpal Tampubolon
MAIN COMPETITION – GOLDEN HANOMAN
BECOMING HUMAN – dir. Polen Ly
MAIN COMPETITION – SILVER HANOMAN
A USEFUL GHOST – dir. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
JURY SPECIAL MENTION FOR MAIN COMPETITION
SUNSHINE – dir. Antoinette Jadaone
BLENCONG AWARD JURY
Henry Foundation | Khozy Rizal | Mary Pansanga
BLENCONG AWARD
WATER SPORTS – dir. Whammy Alcazaren
JURY SPECIAL MENTION FOR LIGHT OF ASIA
HYENA – dir. Altay Ulan Yang
INDONESIAN SCREEN AWARDS JURY
Amir Muhammad | Antoinette Jadaone | Puiyee Leong
BEST FILM
BETTER OFF DEAD / TINGGAL MENINGGAL – dir. Kristo Immanuel
BEST DIRECTOR
Kristo Immanuel – “Better Off Dead / Tinggal Meninggal”
BEST SCREENPLAY
Kristo Immanuel & Jessica Tjiu – “Better Off Dead / Tinggal Meninggal”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Vera Lestafa – “Dopamine”
BEST PERFORMANCE
1️⃣ Omara Esteghlal – “Better Off Dead / Tinggal Meninggal”
2️⃣ Afiqa Kirana – “The Period of Her”
BEST EDITING
Ryan Purwoko – “Better Off Dead / Tinggal Meninggal”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Ahmad Zulkarnaen (Production Designer) & Wahyu Efata (Art Director) – “Ikatan Darah”
BEST MUSIC
Anto Hoed, Melly Goeslaw – “Rangga & Cinta”
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Sound Designers: Pramudya Adhy Wardhana, Ridho Fachri, Renaldy Lomo, Alexandrie Dolly
Sound Recordists: Luthfi AG, Iqbal ‘Encik’ Marekan, Halid Ilham, Ikhsan Nugroho
– “The Period of Her”
BEST POSTER
Evan Wijaya (Poster Designer) & Jozz Felix (Poster Photographer)
– “Sore: A Wife from the Future / Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan”
NETPAC AWARD JURY
Bunga Siagian | Herman Van Eyken | Marissa Anita
NETPAC AWARD
BECOMING HUMAN – dir. Polen Ly
GEBER AWARD JURY
Dennis Adishwara | Iam Murda | Siska Raharja
GEBER AWARD
SUNSHINE – dir. Antoinette Jadaone
STUDENTS AWARD JURY
Adrienne Adelia | Ramadhani Meautia Iffa | Dimas Putro Utomo | Janssen Ewaldo | Fada Ramadhan Dhiya
STUDENTS AWARD
WATER SPORTS – dir. Whammy Alcazaren
A New Era for JAFF
As JAFF prepares for its 21st edition next year, the festival reinforces its role not just as a showcase for Asian cinema, but as a crucial platform for conversation, experimentation, and long-term ecosystem sustainability. Consistency, regeneration, and openness to change, organizers say, will define JAFF’s next decade.