Jakarta World Cinema Expands: Palme d'Or Winner 'Fjord' Opens Bandung and Malang Editions

Cristian Mungiu's "Fjord," this year's Palme d'Or winner at Cannes, opened the inaugural Bandung World Cinema and Malang World Cinema on Nov. 14. It's the first time Jakarta World Cinema (JWC) has taken its festival beyond the Indonesian capital, with both city editions running through Nov. 21.

The simultaneous launch targets two cities with large student populations and active creative scenes. Bandung's screenings take place at CGV Paris Van Java; Malang's run at Cinépolis Malang Town Square. According to the festival, the expansion answers demand from audiences who have tracked the Jakarta event from elsewhere in the country for years.

What's on the slate?

The Bandung edition programs 203 international titles from 69 countries. Beyond Mungiu's opener, the lineup stacks up festival laureates from the past two seasons:

• Beth de Araujo's "Josephine," which took both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in Sundance's U.S. Dramatic Competition in 2026
• Marine Atlan's "La Gradiva," winner of the AMI Paris Grand Prize at this year's Cannes Critics' Week
• Sandra Wollner's "Everytime," the Un Certain Regard Prize winner at Cannes
• Kurosawa Kiyoshi's "The Samurai and the Prisoner," a Cannes Premiere selection

The festival's online program, also available until Nov. 21, adds two more prize winners: Ildiko Enyedi's "Silent Friend," which won the Fipresci Prize at Venice in 2025, and Ilker Çatak's "Yellow Letters," this year's Golden Bear winner at the Berlinale.

What does this change for audiences outside Jakarta?

In short: the same programming, without the trip. Frederica, executive director of Bandung World Cinema, said organizers had noticed keen interest from cinephiles beyond Jakarta for years. "Bringing the Jakarta World Cinema experience to Bandung and Malang for the first time has been a long time coming," she said. "Over the next eight days, audiences in both cities will experience the exact same caliber of bold, thought-provoking, and celebrated global cinema that defines JWC."

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan attended the opening night at CGV Paris Van Java and framed the festival in civic terms. "Bandung World Cinema gives the local audience an unprecedented opportunity to watch alternative cinema outside of the mainstream Hollywood films that dominate the theaters," Farhan said. "The hope is that this festival will foster a greater local appreciation for film, become a source of inspiration for cinephiles, and encourage aspiring filmmakers to pursue their dreams."

A free closing under the open sky

Unlike the Jakarta event, the Bandung edition wraps on Nov. 21 with a free open-air screening for the general public. The outdoor program pairs work by students at Bandung universities and winners of the KlikFilm Short Movie Competition with a restored version of "Lewat Djam Malam" ("After the Curfew"), Usmar Ismail's 1954 Indonesian classic.

That closing choice signals the festival's local ambitions. A Palme d'Or winner opens the week; a restored national landmark ends it.