A STILL FROM Preman, directed by Randolph Zaini, one of two international award winners.
MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival announced the second pair of winners of the American-Indonesian Cultural & Educational Foundation (AICEF) Prize for Cross-Cultural Filmmaking as part of its relationship with Indonesia’s highly regarded Bali International Film Festival.
The AICEF Prize is presented to a pair of first or second-time feature filmmakers whose work robustly embraces cross-cultural themes in the narrative or documentary genre.
One Indonesian filmmaker has been selected by the Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) to present their work at the 8th Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival (MNFF), and one American filmmaker has been selected by MNFF to present their work both at MNFF8 and at the 2023 Bali International Film Festival next June. All the funding for this exchange of filmmakers is provided through a generous grant from the AICEF.
The selected films tackle a subject that crosses cultural lines and advances our understanding of the issues, challenges, and realities that people face in living in countries, communities, or cultures unfamiliar or resistant to them.
The Bali International Film Festival selected Preman as its second AICEF Prize winner. Directed by Randolph Zaini, a first-time feature director, Preman tells the story of Sandi, a deaf thug who works for a gang disguised as a non-government organization. Nominated for eight awards at Festival Film Indonesia, winning two, Preman speaks eloquently to issues of class across the Indonesian culture.
Preman will screen at MNFF8 on Friday, August 26 at 11:30 a.m., at Town Hall Theater, as the first of two films celebrating the winners of the AICEF Prize. Mr. Zaini will attend that screening and participate in the Q&A that follows. Additionally, a delegation from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, based in New York, will attend the screening.
The American winner of the AICEF Prize for Cross-Cultural Filmmaking is Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest. Directed by Nancy Svendsen, a first-time feature filmmaker, the documentary tells the remarkable story of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the indigenous trailblazer who battled racism, gender discrimination, and political opposition in her quest to become the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest.
Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest will screen at MNFF8 on Friday, August 26 at 2 p.m., at Town Hall Theater, as the second of two films celebrating the winners of the AICEF Prize. Ms. Svendsen will attend the screening and participate in the Q&A that will follow.
AICEF is a New York City-based 501[c][3] not-for-profit corporation founded in 1971. The Foundation is devoted to fostering closer cultural and educational ties between the people of the United States and the Republic of Indonesia.
As part of its mission to bridge this cultural gap, AICEF supports film screenings, music performances, art exhibitions, and symposiums by organizations of distinction whose programs benefit and appeal to a wide range of audiences. The AICEF provides overseas research grants in addition to its cultural grants. More information about the organization can be found at http://www.aicef.org/.
The 8th Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival will take place August 24-28, 2022, in Middlebury, Vermont. Information about the Festival is available at https://middfilmfest.org/. MNFF is a 501[c][3] non-profit organization. The 16th Annual Bali International Film Festival will take place in June 2023, and information is available at https://www.balinale.com/.
