Semarang aims to become a cinema city through LOFF festival

The Semarang city government is working to establish the city as a prominent cinema hub in Indonesia through the Lawang Sewu Short Film (LOFF) festival. Now in its second year, the event aims to foster a robust film ecosystem by encouraging young filmmakers to produce high-quality short films.

Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti stated that the vision for a cinema city extends beyond film production and talent development to include supporting infrastructure such as production houses and the integration of the film industry with the local hospitality and tourism sectors. The festival received 38 short film proposals this year, highlighting the need for sustainable financing models to support production.

Renowned director Hanung Bramantyo, serving as a judge, praised the high quality of the finalist works, particularly noting the impressive creativity and technical skill demonstrated by high school students in the student category.