Europe on Screen 2025: Celebrating 25 Years of Cinematic Exchange

Indonesia’s Longest-Running Foreign Film Festival Reaches a Milestone

Jakarta, 28 May 2025 – The annual European Union (EU) film festival, Europe on Screen (EoS), returns for its 25th edition from 13–22 June 2025, with screenings in seven cities: Jakarta, Bandung, Denpasar, Medan, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Yogyakarta. This silver anniversary marks a major cultural milestone for the festival, reaffirming its position as Indonesia’s longest-running foreign film event.

This year’s festival features 55 curated films from 27 European countries, alongside a special Indonesian retrospective programme, further highlighting the festival’s commitment to intercultural dialogue through films.

“The 25th edition of Europe on Screen is a cultural milestone – not only for the EU and its Member States but also for our deepening ties with Indonesia,” said H.E. Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Indonesia. “We are proud to showcase a selection of films that celebrate diverse European narratives while strengthening the bridge between European and Indonesian film sector.”

Opening and Closing Films: Stories That Resonate

Opening the festival is Circusboy – Zirkuskind (Germany, 2025, 85 min), a heartwarming children’s docu-drama directed by Julia Lemke and Anna Koch. The film tells the story of Santino, a boy from a travelling circus family and his nomadic adventures. Circusboy received the Special Mention Prize for Best Film in the Generation Kplus category at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025, also in Official Selection for the World Showcase programme at Hot Docs 2025.

Closing the festival is the emotionally powerful drama The Boy with Pink Pants – Il Ragazzo dai Pantaloni Rosa (Italy, 2024, 114 min), directed by Margherita Ferri. Based on a true story, the film follows 15-year-old Andrea Spezzacatena who has been a victim of bullying in his school. This feature film was a box-office hit in Italy, and was part of the Official Selection at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024. The film also received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s highest film honour, in 2025.

A Platform for Inclusive Cinema

EoS 2025 presents a bold and inclusive selection, with over 50% of films directed by women –many of them first-time filmmakers– underscoring the festival’s support for underrepresented voices.

“This year, EoS offers a vibrant platform for female filmmakers,” said Meninaputri Wismurti, EoS 2025 Festival Co-Director. “Approximately 30 of the 55 films are directed by women, reflecting the dynamic diversity of European cinema and an important representation of the world cinema industry nowadays.”

A standout addition to this year’s lineup is ‘From Locarno to Venice’, a retrospective programme featuring five Indonesian short films that have gained international recognition by premiering – and in some cases, winning awards – at two prestigious European film festivals:

1. Maryam by Sidi Saleh (Venice Film Festival 2014. Winner: Best Short Film, Orizzonti Award)

2. Kado by Aditya Ahmad (Venice Film Festival 2018. Winner: Best Short Film, Orizzonti Award)

3. On the Origin of Fear by Bayu Prihantoro Filemon (Venice Film Festival 2016)

4. Dear to Me by Monika Vanesa Tedja (Locarno Film Festival 2021)

5. Dancing Colors by Mohammad Reza Fahriyansyah (Locarno Film Festival 2022)

“As Dear to Me screened in Open Doors programme at Locarno Film Festival, not only the film met international audiences, it also has given me the opportunity to networking and sharing experiences with filmmakers around the world,” said Monika Vanesa Tedja, who also received Citra Award for Best Short Documentary for My Therapist Said I Am Full of Sadness in Festival Film Indonesia (Indonesian Academy Awards) in 2024.

Supporting Emerging Talent: The EoS Short Film Pitching Project

Returning for 2025, the Short Film Pitching Project (SFPP) – a competition that provides funding support for short films–continues to support emerging filmmakers.

“This year we had a record-breaking submission, an 86% increase from last year’s 197 submissions to this year’s 373 submissions. Around 20% of the submission this year came from countries outside Indonesia, proving the growing recognition of this programme for emerging filmmakers worldwide,” said Nauval Yazid, Festival Co-Director of EoS 2025. “This proves that the spirit to make short films with limitless imagination and unique storytelling remains alive, especially among Indonesian filmmakers.”

The ten finalists of the EoS 2025 SFPP are:

1. Nina OTW Ngatta by Rahmi Salsabila and Nurul Ghaliyah Gunawan (Makassar)

2. Sang Penjaga (Echoes of The Universe) by Sesarini and Lyza Anggraheni (Yogyakarta)

3. Pool Party by Aisyah Aulia and Adrian Fauzi (Sumedang)

4. Ready, Set, Go by Aaron Pratama and Kathleen Tio (Jakarta)

5. Salam, Maryam by Beny Kristia and Fathur Syahnuron (Malang)

6. Kabar Berlaut by Diva Bulan Satria and Gabril Hamala Wahyan (Pekanbaru)

7. In The Name of Me by Teresa Katarina and Jonathan Gradiyan (Jakarta)

8. Waktu Indonesia Bagian Pasifik by Dicky Karunia Abdi and M. Ilham Mustain Murda (Jayapura)

9. Pejantan Tangguh by M. Ghalib Firdaus and Aditya R. Sulistyo (Surakarta)

10. Kala Pada Suatu Kala by Ayara Bhanukusuma and Ahmad Kamil (Jakarta)

What’s New in EoS 2025

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, EoS introduces several new elements:

• A new screening venue at the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel in Jakarta, a timeless landmark that offers a welcoming setting for cinephiles.

• A new venue at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, in collaboration with the newly established EU Centre.

• For the first time since the pandemic, the Opening Night returns to a cinema, promising a grand cinematic celebration on Thursday, 12 June 2025.

Since February 2025, EoS has engaged audiences through its ‘Road to EoS 2025’ programme, with a series of Instagram Live sessions featuring European and Indonesian film professionals discussing filmmaking, film festival management, funding and distribution, and cinema’s role in society. These have been complemented by offline screenings of past EoS favourites at cultural institutions and universities such as UPI Bandung, ISI Yogyakarta, ISI Denpasar and SAE Jakarta.

Free and Open to the Public

All EoS 2025 screenings are free of charge and open to everyone.

For the full programme, schedule, film synopses and venue details, visit www.europeonscreen.org or follow EoS on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube.