Minikino Film Week #7, Bali International Short Movie Festival

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Who doesn’t love a good movie? We know we do. With Netflix and the kinds scattering all over the internet these days, it’s only getting easier and easier to find a movie you would enjoy watching; but admit it, don’t you just miss the experience of watching movies in the theater, with actual people around you instead of just your pets or significant other, even if you love them so much? Again, we do.

 

If you do too, then join us in the sadness of missing out the Minikino Short Film Festival that has just had their curtains closed for this year’s event. Well, at least we have something to look forward to for 2022, right? Anyway, is it just us, or is everybody having a harder time watching a long movie? Suddenly, watching movies feels like too much of a strain, and sagas are just out of the question. Well, if you feel that way too, then short movies will be perfect for us. Not too much episodes to watch, and not too many minutes spent on watching them; which makes us even sadder about missing out on this festival, to be honest.

 

Let’s talk about the festival itself, though. The MFW – Bali International Short Film Festival, founded in 2015 as a unique and out of ordinary International Short Film Festival in Bali, reaching out the daily life of the local community. Screens are arranged to provide opportunities for people to re-experiencing the collective film viewing, furthermore to build a space to discuss about their experiences, promoting critical thinking of what they have just watched. Larger screen, viewing the screening together, stimulating and encouraging social awareness. Through Bali International Short Film Festival, MFW is in the works to rebuild the cinema culture in Bali.

 

MFW live screenings is an open and free entry for public. Yes, you read that right. These free movies can be safely enjoyed by everybody, especially with the  age rating guides provided by the MFW team. This offers responsibility to the society, to choose and sort out what might be appropriate to watch for their own.

 

MFW involves a variety of Micro Cinema & Pop-Up Cinema venues around the island, proposes accessibility for locals in Bali, as well as offering a compelling and unique exposure, for those who want to visit and get to experience Bali more intimately.

 

The first Minikino Film Week was held on October 12–17, 2015. The festival was joined by six different partner venues in various locations in Bali – (Denpasar, Gianyar, Seminyak, Lovina-Singaraja). However, on their 6th event, the MFW schedule is moved to September, every year.

 

Minikino Film Week International Short Film Festival reaffirms that short films are cultural products with cultural and social values from the artists who live in that society. The short film presents artistic achievements in a contemporary product that describes the latest cultural, aesthetic and social trends.

 

If you are more on the makers side than the rest of us, then you have a whole year to work on some films and have them sent to the folks over at Minikino headquarter to see if they’re good enough for the screenings. From what we heard, the team is very wonderful to work with; some film-makers even deemed them the best film festivals they have ever been participating in. Praises come from all over the world, taking notes on how good the team’s communication skill was. As the world is facing a global pandemic and travelling is not like what it used to do, many film-makers could not make it to attend the festival in person; however, the Minikino team’s warm hospitality has made them feel truly involved in the whole process.

 

MFW 7 presented the selected international short films programs and will also comprised of:

  • Annual Short film programs exchange of Indonesia “Indonesia Raja 2021” Edition
  • Annual Short film programs exchange of Southeast Asia “S-Express 2021” Edition
  • Annual National Competition (for Indonesia’s id/passport holders only) The Begadang Filmmaking Competition 2021
  • Other featuring program from 2021 international collaborations and network.
  • MFW7 will also has SHORT FILM MARKET sub-events, with exhibitions, talks & seminars, workshops and the short film library.

 

MFW 7 aims to build and strengthen the network of short film screening venues in Bali, Indonesia. Providing spaces to screen the these carefully selected short films to their audiences, which might be difficult to be seen elsewhere.

 

MFW committees consist of professionals, artists and film enthusiasts who work professionally as staffs, part-timers and volunteers. The festival is a non-profit organization run under Yayasan Kino Media (Kino Media Foundation). The running cost is covered by private donations, sponsors, and also occasional government funds. Most of the support is in-kind, in the form of facilities, permits and all helping hands to support various festival’s activities.

 

MFW7 was and will always be a physical festival, with a projection screen and audience attending the venues. Due to the unpredictable global crisis situation, dates  might have had to be changed, yet they certainly didn’t cancel.

 

So, are you just as bummed as we are about missing out on this amazing festival? Well, worry not, they will come again next year. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay alive!

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