Film is one of pleasures that all people on many levels can get. Either short or long, film has series of images and sound that give different even remarkable effects for various audiences, and not to mention the scope of issues in the film. In the last decade, the development of Indonesian films has progressed. Through a lot of new technologies that can be used to access information and technology developments in the digital world, a lot of new generation of filmmakers in the all regions can emerge and make their works renowned.
Departing from the concept of film as a medium to create a public discussion, Buttonijo was born in the realm of Indonesian cinema. Buttonijo founded in 2010 as a film production company that grows organically with a specific field that is alternative film aligned with technological developments and socio-culture film industry in Asia. The people behind Buttonijo are Amir Pohan (producer, director, and editor), Myrna Paramita (Creative Director), and Suryo Wiyogo (producers, distributors), each has been in the film industry in the long term. On March 21st, 2015 at GoetheHaus Jakarta, Buttonijo will present themselves and their projects in detail.
A film will not be ready to be displayed if it does not have preferred specifications. Moreover Suryo said, “A film has two important things to be expected as strong references to the sustainability of the film itself and production houses that produce them, namely storytelling and production values. When a film has beautiful visuals to look, it is still consider have a lack of power, if it is not supported by the right dialogues and logical story. However, if we put it the other way around, a film also can not tell a story eloquently if it does not fit with the production values. Both of these references can be achieved if the producer, director, writer and all people who are involved can synergize well into the film project.”
Buttonijo as alternative film production house curate various Indonesian films that stand out in both references, so there will be a lot of young Indonesian alternative filmmakers in the making. Buttonijo is meant to be a place where filmmakers can distribute their works both online and offline, because distribution has an important role in the sustainability of a work, in this case is the age of a film. Buttonijo as an alternative distribution channel will extend the existence of those films. For online distribution, Buttonijo using streaming and downloadable digital system while the offline system using the exhibition system via USB, where individuals and communities can order a USB that is loaded with film and can display it to alternative screens. Through these systems, all films under the auspices of Buttonijo have the opportunity to play in varied art houses, also international and national film festivals.
Each year, Buttonijo will hold a grant program, which there will be three short films and one feature-length alternative film made in Indonesian filmmakers that will be produced and distributed. The idea was come out from a condition whereas sometimes experienced alternative filmmakers do not have a specific budget for producing and distributing the film when the distribution strategy should be designed at the pre-production phase. Moreover about the distribution of films, Myrna added, “Buttonijo wants to remind that now people can watch films with high quality very easily, and does not have to go cinema. However, Buttonijo also wants to offer an alternative so there will be many communities who took the initiative to conduct a screening and dialogue about Indonesian alternative films.”
Buttonijo is here not only to photograph, support and documenting the development of Indonesian films, but also wants to be a trigger for thriving Indonesian alternative films that can compete with other films from all countries in the world. They produce what they like. For more information about Buttonijo and the upcoming event of Film Musik Makan, feel free to visit their official site through several links above. For those of you who have a spare time on the weekend, feel free to come to GoetheHaus Jakarta as they will present a lot of Indonesian films and food provided by Tabula Rasa film.