Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW Media Group, announced 16 short films of Viu Shorts! by students from 16 cities and districts throughout Indonesia.
Now in its second season with the spirit of National Children’s Day, the Viu Shorts! initiative aims to cultivate the interests and talent of young Indonesian film creators and bring their short story works to a global stage.
With the support of Wardah, a leading cosmetic brand in Indonesia, Viu Shorts! Season 2 was held in 16 cities for eight months, running from August 2019 through March 2020. The Viu Shorts! team witnessed the enthusiasm, creativity and pride of the local students, the majority of whom were 14 to 19 years old.
Viu Shorts! workshops always begin with a session that aims to foster students’ love of their homeland and local experiences. For example, in the city of Palu, Central Sulawesi, the participating students, all of whom are victims of the 2018 tsunami, were able to translate their trauma into stories.
In Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, the workshop started with basic computer training. While in Magelang Regency, Central Java, a regency known for its pesantrens (Muslim boarding schools), all participants were students of those schools (santri) and therefore have their own special stories to tell.
16 amazing stories were successfully produced into 16 short films by nearly 700 students and local talent from 16 cities and regencies from across Indonesia. Some examples of the short films include:
G-Rain by students in Batu, East Java. The film was shot with the beautiful Batu mountain landscape in the background and tells the story of Tengger tribe’s ritual to attempt to manage the frequency and volume of rain.
Melaiq by students of Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, and shot with the beach landscape as its background, refers to the local Sasak tribe culture of a man kidnapping a woman he will propose to in order to show his determination.
Another stunning short film is Kanak Kembar, created by the students of Sangatta, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. It features the local belief of the Dayak Kenyah tribe, that every baby was born with a crocodile as a twin.
These films are expected to follow the success of the Viu Shorts! Season 1 which scored a number of important achievements. Viu Shorts! Season 1 was officially screened during the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and one short film by students of Maumere, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, titled Miu Mai, was awarded regional winner for Best Short Form Content category by the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019.
Each year, one of the most talented students from the Viu Shorts! initiative receives a scholarship to study Cinematography at the Jakarta Institute of Arts for four years and at the same time receives an opportunity to work professionally as part of the Viu Original team in Indonesia.
Viu Shorts! Season 2 short films can be enjoyed on the Viu app, which can be downloaded for free on the App Store, Google Play, and selected smart TVs, as well as at viu.com.
