Polen Ly’s “Becoming Human” has claimed the Golden Hanoman, the top prize at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF), which closed its milestone 20th anniversary edition in Yogyakarta on Dec. 6.

“Captivating us with lyrical visual poetry and a tender meditation on memory, loss, and the fragile spaces that hold our shared stories, this film becomes a love letter to cinema itself,” the jury said in awarding the Golden Hanoman to “Becoming Human,” which debuted at Venice. The main competition jury comprised Eric Khoo, Suryana Paramita and Tumpal Tampubolon.

Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s Cannes winner “A Useful Ghost” won the Silver Hanoman, with the jury praising its “audacious blend of absurd humor, emotional depth, and sharp social insight.” Antoinette Jadaone’s “Sunshine” received a special jury mention for its “poignant and unflinching commitment to standing beside women whose lives are circumscribed by state controls and societal judgment.”

In the Indonesian Screen Awards, Kristo Immanuel’s “Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal” dominated with five wins including best film, best director and best screenplay (co-written with Jessica Tjiu). Omara Esteghlal won best performance for his work in the film, while Afiqa Kirana also received best performance honors for “The Period of Her.”

The festival drew more than 30,000 visitors over eight days, marking its largest and most significant edition to date. The event presented 227 films from 43 countries, including 27 world premieres and 87 Indonesian premieres, alongside 47 discussions, forums and public lectures.

Festival director Ifa Isfansyah emphasized the ongoing challenges facing the film ecosystem. “Moving forward, the challenges will only grow — particularly in how we think about the sustainability of the film ecosystem amid rapid changes in media and digital landscapes,” he said, highlighting the urgency of film archiving initiatives.

“Two decades of JAFF are about togetherness, celebration, and mutual trust,” Isfansyah added, noting that colleagues from international festivals have reached out to collaborate on concrete archiving steps.

The festival showcased works by 34 debut directors and 63 female directors, reinforcing its commitment to emerging talent and women filmmakers. The event was supported by 78 partners and collaborators.

Program director Alexander Matius highlighted the enthusiastic audience engagement throughout the festival. “Many discussions took place, including Q&A sessions with filmmakers that lasted well into the early hours of the morning and were attended enthusiastically by almost the entire audience,” he said.

Executive director Ajish Dibyo noted the festival’s environmental initiatives, including waste management efforts that processed more than 1,500 kilograms of waste this year. He also emphasized the growing involvement of younger generations within the organizing team as a positive sign for JAFF’s future sustainability.

Other winners included Whammy Alcazaren’s “Water Sports,” which won both the Blencong Award and the Students Award for its innovative approach to climate change themes. “Becoming Human” also received the Netpac Award, while “Sunshine” claimed the Geber Award.

The festival’s industry component JAFF Market concluded earlier in the week.

JAFF 2025 Winners

MAIN COMPETITION Golden Hanoman: “Becoming Human” (Polen Ly) Silver Hanoman: “A Useful Ghost” (Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke) Jury Special Mention: “Sunshine” (Antoinette Jadaone)

BLENCONG AWARD Winner: “Water Sports” (Whammy Alcazaren) Jury Special Mention for Light of Asia: “Hyena” (Altay Ulan Yang)

INDONESIAN SCREEN AWARDS Best Film: “Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal” (Kristo Immanuel) Best Director: Kristo Immanuel (“Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal”) Best Screenplay: Kristo Immanuel and Jessica Tjiu (“Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal”) Best Cinematography: Vera Lestafa (“Dopamine”) Best Performance: Omara Esteghlal (“Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal”), Afiqa Kirana (“The Period of Her”) Best Editing: Ryan Purwoko (“Better Off Dead/Tinggal Meninggal”) Best Production Design: Ahmad Zulkarnaen and Wahyu Efata (“Ikatan Darah”) Best Music: Anto Hoed, Melly Goeslaw (“Rangga & Cinta”) Best Sound Design: Pramudya Adhy Wardhana, Ridho Fachri, Renaldy Lomo, Alexandrie Dolly (“The Period of Her”) Best Poster Evan Wijaya and Jozz Felix (“Sore: A Wife From the Future/Sore: Istri Dari Masa Depan”)

NETPAC AWARD “Becoming Human” (Polen Ly)

GEBER AWARD “Sunshine” (Antoinette Jadaone)

STUDENTS AWARD “Water Sports” (Whammy Alcazaren)