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

– 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 , 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 the festival is Circusboy – Zirkuskind (Germany, 2025, 85 min), a heartwarming children’s docu-drama directed by and . 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 . 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.

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 , 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:

“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 , 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.

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 , 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:

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

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.

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

For the full programme, schedule, film synopses and venue details, visit or follow EoS on , , Facebook, and YouTube.