France Deepens Indonesian Cinema Partnership Through Expanded Film Lab, Festival Initiatives: ‘A Lot of Stories to Tell’ (EXCLUSIVE)

France and Indonesia are strengthening their strategic cultural partnership through an expanded suite of cinema initiatives, as the France-Indonesia Film Lab returns for its second edition at JAFF Market.

Indonesia is a key priority for the French government, and culture is at the heart of the strategic partnership, according to Fabien Penone, French ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN. The partnership recognizes that both countries have important and dynamic cultural industries covering different sectors, especially cinema, he says.

The collaboration builds on high-level governmental commitments, including state visits by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Prabowo Subianto. In July, the French culture minister welcomed Indonesian counterparts to Paris, where they adopted a cultural roadmap with particular emphasis on cinema, Penone says.

The France-Indonesia Film Lab, running Nov. 27 through Dec. 1 in Yogyakarta, has scaled up significantly from its inaugural 2024 edition. “We are identifying emerging talents in Indonesia, and we are following them, mentoring them,” Penone tells Variety at the JAFF Market. “This year, we have identified six Indonesian teams, producer and film directors who are in the process of developing their first or second feature film. The objective is basically to pave the way for future Indonesia-France co-productions.”

The lab has been reinforced with two key components. “First, cinema scriptwriting, with the support of CNC cinema agency,” Penone says. “We are mentoring those young talents for them to get the tools to be in capacity to meet our producers to pitch.” The second component is an industry lab designed to help filmmakers better understand the French ecosystem, including financing options and institutional support.

Looking ahead, “in 2026, we will organize co-production meetings not only for Indonesia, but some other Southeast Asian countries, and then they will have the opportunity to meet our producers,” he says.

Five French experts are participating in this year’s lab, including Thomas Rosso, the general coordinator from Cannes Critics’ Week, and four producers already working in Southeast Asia. “The lab is longer than last year, so we have much more time to accompany these young talents,” Penone notes.

Beyond the lab, France is launching multiple initiatives to elevate Indonesian cinema’s international profile. The French Cinematheque will host a retrospective of Indonesian cinema beginning Dec. 10 in Paris, showcasing major Indonesian films from independence to present day and providing visibility for Indonesian cinema to French audiences and industry professionals, Penone says.

Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon will attend and meet with French Culture Minister Rachida Dati to discuss further operationalization of the July roadmap.

In 2026, Indonesian filmmakers will gain visibility at specialized French festivals. Gérardmer Film Festival will spotlight Indonesia for the first time, with filmmaker Joko Anwar as guest of honor, Penone says. The ambassador notes this creates opportunities to screen Anwar’s work, describing him as among Indonesia’s most talented horror and fantasy filmmakers.

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival will also feature Indonesian short films. “We think there are many opportunities for young Indonesian filmmakers because the short movies here are very creative, very interesting. We want to showcase the dynamism of Indonesian cinema,” Penone says.

Cannes Critics’ Week has announced Next Step Studio Indonesia, a short film co-creation program for emerging Indonesian directors launching in May 2026.

The partnership emphasizes reciprocal learning. “This is real partnership,” Penone says. “We are co-financing all our programs, co-defining the objectives, and co-implementing all the initiatives. We have a lot to learn and gain from our partnership with Indonesia. We consider that both countries are creative with a lot of stories to tell, with a lot of talents. We want to merge our soft power.”

The collaboration operates on principles outlined in the Borobudur Declaration between the two presidents. France is working with Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Creative Economy and regional governments including Jakarta and Central Java.

While France and Indonesia have not formalized a co-production treaty, Penone emphasizes results over bureaucracy. “We want to be very operational. You can sign many papers. What we want is concrete results, and this is the way we are working,” he says. The strategic framework exists through presidential declarations and ministerial roadmaps, with a clear goal to develop co-production through concrete projects rather than just agreements on paper.

JAFF Market, Indonesia’s first large-scale film market, is emerging as a key platform. “We consider JAFF Market as very strategic. The market is growing. It is beginning to be one of the most important cinema markets in Asia, and for sure, in Southeast Asia,” Penone says.

The French Embassy has organized Festival Sinema Prancis in Indonesia for 26 years, with this year’s 27th edition coinciding with the Indonesia-France Film Lab at JAFF Market.