Bringing Cinema Into School Free Periods on a Mission to Cultivate the Next Generation
- Arina Chuuriyyah Herawati
- Ailsa Luthfia Indrasari Laksana Putri
Yogyakarta, July 16, 2026 — Fifty students packed into a screening room to watch four films under the banner “The Sweet Intoxication of Love.” The newly launched program from Sewon Screening offered a welcome breath of fresh air for students weary from the daily grind. They threw themselves into Layar Jamkos with visible enthusiasm, channeling exactly the kind of youthful energy Sewon Screening had hoped to spark.
Named “Layar Jamkos”, a nod to the free periods, or “jam kosong,” that dot the Indonesian school schedule, the event, held at IFI Yogyakarta (Institut Français d’Indonésie), set out to become a remedy and a breathing space from the monotony of school life. Sewon Screening built that breathing space by coordinating with several schools to carve out free time in students’ schedules, giving them a chance to step away from their mounting workload and return to class recharged. That idea, turning students’ free periods into an opportunity, is the very origin of the Layar Jamkos concept.
Aflah, the event’s Festival Director and moderator, said the idea for Layar Jamkos grew out of his own experience: back in his school days, he used to spend his free periods watching films. Building on that personal experience, Sewon Screening set out to explore the vital role students play in driving film culture forward, from watching movies to making them. That’s the reasoning behind Layar Jamkos: to draw student audiences, particularly high schoolers, into the fold.
“We see high school students as an audience we need to reach, because we’re seeing real momentum in the short films coming out of high schools, despite the limitations these young filmmakers face, whether in technical resources or creative references. That’s where Sewon Screening wants to step in, offering a source of inspiration through the films we screen and building a community for high school filmmakers to grow in. We also want to show students the many different forms a short film can take, with no limits on how personal a story can be,” said Virgi, the event’s Program Director.
In service of that mission to nurture the next generation of high school filmmakers, Layar Jamkos screened four films united by the event’s theme: “The Sweet Intoxication of Love.” Together, the films explored every shade of love, reaching far beyond romance alone. That afternoon, student representatives from seven different high schools filled the audience seats, their white-and-grey uniforms blending into a single wash of color beneath the glow of the projector as the films played.
To fully commit to the program’s school-inspired concept, the organizing committee even adopted a dress code of their own: high school uniforms, or at least white-and-grey attire. It was a deliberate touch, meant to bring to life the spirit of Layar Jamkos, a film screening for that stretch of time when there’s no teacher in the classroom.
“We also wanted to break down barriers with the students who came, and open the door to Sewon Screening as a space that’s genuinely inclusive,” Virgi added.
The audience’s enthusiasm never let up, lasting right through to the end of the event. Several students engaged closely with the films, peppering the filmmakers with questions. And that energy didn’t fade once the credits rolled, students kept the momentum going well after the program wrapped, laughing and posing for photos in front of the Layar Jamkos backdrop and picking up Sewon Screening merchandise on their way out.
Editor Ailsa Luthfia Indrasari Laksana Putri
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