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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

'Laut Bercerita' to compete in BIFF 2026 main competition

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Laut Bercerita, directed by Yosep Anggi Noen and produced by Pal8 Pictures, will have its world premiere at BIFF 2026 from October 6 to 15.
  • The film, adapted from Leila S. Chudori’s bestselling novel, will compete for the festival’s Best Film award before its Indonesian theatrical release on October 29.
  • Changes to Academy Awards eligibility rules could allow the BIFF Best Film winner to enter consideration for the Best International Feature Film category outside the standard national-entry process.

Laut Bercerita will make Indonesian film history at the 2026 Busan International Film Festival, becoming the first Indonesian title selected for the festival’s main competition.

Directed by Yosep Anggi Noen and produced by Pal8 Pictures, the film will compete for BIFF’s Best Film award alongside international titles. It will also have its world premiere at the festival, which runs in Busan from October 6 to 15, before opening in Indonesian cinemas on October 29.

We are grateful that Laut Bercerita, adapted from a novel that is very popular in Indonesia, has received recognition from such an important event as the 2026 Busan International Film Festival. We look forward to bringing the film to audiences in Indonesia. See you on October 29.

— Budi SetyarsoThe Pal8 Pictures director welcomed the film’s selection and its upcoming Indonesian release.

Producer Budi Setyarso called the selection important recognition for a film adapted from a popular Indonesian novel. Producer Gita Fara said Busan offered a fitting platform for an international debut and expressed hope that the screening would encourage wider discussion in Asia about the story.

A film carrying a story about Indonesia will be watched by Asian and international cinema audiences. We hope its screening in Busan can also spark broader conversations across Asia about why this story is important to tell.

— Gita FaraThe producer described the festival as a platform for the film’s international debut.

The festival also carries personal meaning for Noen. He first attended a workshop for emerging filmmakers there 19 years ago. He described Busan as an important festival for Asian and world cinema, and said the film brings a story that deserves to be shared internationally.

Laut Bercerita is adapted from Leila S. Chudori’s bestselling novel of the same name. The cast includes Reza Rahadian, Yunita Siregar, Eva Celia and Christine Hakim. BIFF’s 2026 edition follows revised Academy Awards eligibility rules, under which the festival’s Best Film winner can be submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category outside the usual official national-entry mechanism.

Busan is an important film festival for Asian and world cinema. Being in the main competition, Laut Bercerita brings a story that is important to share with the world.

— Yosep Anggi NoenThe director discussed the film’s competition selection and his connection to the festival.
About this summary

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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