Not Just Film Communities, This Year, We Meet New Audiences

Sewon, 2025 — Sewon Screening returns this year with the familiar breeze of renewal and transformation. Known for taking bold new steps each year, the film festival continues its evolution with fresh ideas and deeper purpose. For its eleventh edition, Sewon Screening introduces the theme “Resistance” responding to the challenges emerging both within society and the creative industries.

In this new decade, Sewon Screening 11 asserts its commitment to reaching a broader audience. A wider audience base opens up fresh opportunities for filmmakers, expands accessibility to the films presented, and ultimately strengthens the fabric of existing film communities. This expansion fosters more collaboration, dialogue, and exchange of ideas between filmmakers and newly engaged viewers.

Programs That Broaden Audience Reach

Since its inception, Sewon Screening has consistently pioneered innovative ways to grow its audience. These breakthroughs are reflected in a variety of programs from pre-event initiatives such as Layar Tandang, Layar Institut, Layar Tancap, and Grebek Komunitas, to main event highlights like Opening and Closing Screens, Community Screens, and Focus On segments.

These programs create deeper spaces for cinematic exploration while also opening doors for new voices to share fresh perspectives within the film industry. By stepping beyond traditional venues and formats, the festival helps bridge connections between filmmakers and diverse communities.

Can Wider Reach Lead to a More Critical Film Community?

This presents a significant challenge for Sewon Screening 11. By engaging individuals from diverse backgrounds, the festival naturally invites a wide spectrum of opinions and interpretations. Each audience member’s unique experiences and perspectives will inevitably shape how they perceive and critique a film.

With “Resistance” as its central theme, Sewon Screening 11 raises an important question: can the complex issues embedded in these films truly resonate with such a broad audience? To ensure that the messages are clearly conveyed and meaningfully received, the festival must not only showcase high-quality films, but also provide critical guidance such as involving film critics or facilitators to help foster more thoughtful public discourse.

Equally important is the need to maintain spaces for in-depth dialogue and reflection. Through this process, audiences move beyond passive viewership and become active participants in meaningful conversations that explore the critical themes reflected in these works. In doing so, Sewon Screening can become more than a film festival it becomes a platform for cultural engagement and social impact on a larger scale.