Cinema has always been about the best of times and the worst of times. While the earthquake in May has been a tragic event, the province of Jogjakarta is also celebrating its 250th anniversary since its founding in 1755. In many ways, cinema is also about the spirit of people and the 1st Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (Aug 5-12) celebrates the spirit of the Jogja people and the peoples of Asia, who have been under tremendous trials in recent years.

Since 1999, Indonesian independent cinema has been crossing borders regionally and internationally and South-east Asia as a region is now a global cinema trend. Since 1994, NETPAC or the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema has been creating various platforms for Asian film. Jogjakarta was chosen as the site for the 1st Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) for its historic significance and as Indonesia’s centre for culture and the arts. As Asian film increases its influence, we in Asia believe that it must be shared with local communities.

Already, there are many local festivals across Indonesia and the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival will enrich the scene with a greater exposure to the cinematic richness of Asian film and by fostering interaction with Asian directors in attendance. With 50 films (both features and shorts) in selection, many special events will highlight this year’s festival:
- the 1st JAFF Best Asian and Best Indonesian FilmAward
- Seminar on Cinema in the Midst of Crisis
- Focus on Children in Cinema (Workshop and Screening Films for Children)
- Spotlight on Young Independent Indonesian Shorts

- Outdoor  Cinema for Earthquake’s victims

More Info : http://jaff2006.jogja.com