The festival
Founded in 2006 by Indonesian auteur Garin Nugroho, JAFF has grown from a grassroots, volunteer-driven event into one of Indonesia’s leading platforms for Asian cinema. It has partnered with NETPAC since its first edition and is recognized as a key home for Southeast Asian independent film; its 20th edition in 2025 screened well over 200 films.
Worth knowing
The inaugural 2006 edition nearly fell through after a major earthquake struck Yogyakarta, but organizers pressed on — an origin story that became part of the festival’s identity. Its activities now include the JAFF Market and JAFF Archive.
How to attend
The public buys screening tickets online; recent editions have sold tickets through the TIX.ID platform, with sales opening shortly before the festival begins.
Awards & submissions
JAFF’s main competition awards the Golden Hanoman, its most prestigious prize, to the best film, alongside a NETPAC Award reflecting the festival’s long partnership with the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema, plus Indonesian Screen Awards recognizing local work. Founded in 2006 by auteur Garin Nugroho, the festival has grown into one of Indonesia’s leading platforms for Asian cinema; its 20th edition in 2025 presented well over 200 films from dozens of countries. Its activities now extend to the JAFF Market and JAFF Archive. The festival runs for about eight days in late November and early December, centred on the Empire XXI cinema in Yogyakarta. Filmmakers can submit through the festival’s channels, including FilmFreeway; the public buys screening tickets online, with recent editions selling through local ticketing platforms shortly before the festival opens.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.