Indonesia at the Oscars: A Long Road to Recognition
The Academy Awards' Best International Feature Film category (formerly Best Foreign Language Film) represents the highest global recognition a non-English-language film can receive. Indonesia has been submitting films for consideration since the 1980s, and while a nomination has remained elusive, the journey tells a fascinating story about the country's evolving cinematic ambitions.
How the Submission Process Works
Each country selects one film per year to submit to the Academy for consideration. A special committee reviews submissions and selects a shortlist of around 15 films before narrowing down to 5 nominees. For a country like Indonesia, simply making the shortlist would represent a historic achievement.
Milestone Submissions
Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (2019)
Joko Anwar's horror masterpiece was Indonesia's submission for the 93rd Academy Awards. The film had already proven its international credentials with a strong reception at the Sundance Film Festival. While it did not make the final shortlist, its submission marked a moment where Indonesian cinema was genuinely competitive on the world stage.
Yuni (2021)
Kamila Andini's intimate coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl navigating marriage pressure in rural Java was Indonesia's submission for the 94th Academy Awards. The film had won major awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, and its submission reflected Indonesia's growing confidence in putting forward artistically ambitious work.
Autobiography (2022)
Makbul Mubarak's debut feature — a tense, slow-burn political thriller about a young man working for a retired general — was Indonesia's submission for the 95th Academy Awards. The film won the NETPAC Award at Venice and received widespread critical acclaim, representing perhaps Indonesia's strongest Oscar-calibre submission to date.
The Broader Context
Indonesia's Oscar journey reflects a broader truth about the global film landscape: the Academy has historically favoured European cinema in this category, though recent years have seen a welcome diversification with wins for South Korea (Parasite), Japan, and other Asian nations.
- South Korea broke barriers with Parasite winning Best Picture in 2020.
- Japan has won the category multiple times, most recently with Drive My Car.
- Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam have all received nominations in recent decades.
What Indonesia Needs for a Nomination
Industry observers suggest several factors would increase Indonesia's chances:
- Strong festival presence before the submission — Cannes, Venice, and Toronto selections carry enormous weight.
- International co-productions that bring marketing resources and Academy voter exposure.
- A compelling, universal story that connects with voters unfamiliar with Indonesian culture.
- Strategic campaigning — the Oscars, like any awards, involve active outreach to voters.
The Future Looks Promising
With a new generation of internationally educated Indonesian filmmakers, growing festival presence, and Netflix-backed productions reaching global audiences, Indonesia's first Oscar nomination feels less like a dream and more like an inevitability. When it happens, it will be a landmark moment for Southeast Asian cinema as a whole.