Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW Media Group announced 16 short films of Viu Shorts! by students from 16 cities and districts throughout Indonesia. Now in its second season with the spirit of National Children’s Day, the Viu Shorts! initiative aims to cultivate the interests and talent of young Indonesian film creators and bring their short story works to a global stage.

With the support of Wardah, a leading cosmetic brand in Indonesia, Viu Shorts! Season 2 was held in 16 cities for eight months, running from August 2019 through March 2020. The Viu Shorts! team witnessed the enthusiasm, creativity, and pride of the local students, the majority of whom were 14 to 19 years old.

Viu Shorts! workshops always begin with a session that aims to foster students’ love of their homeland and local experiences. For example, in the city of Palu, Central Sulawesi, the participating students, all of whom are victims of the 2018 tsunami, were able to translate their trauma into stories. In Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, the workshop started with basic computer training. While in Magelang Regency, Central Java, a regency known for its pesantrens (moslem boarding schools), all participants were students of those schools (santri) and therefore have their own special stories to tell.

A total of 16 amazing stories were successfully produced into short films by nearly 700 students and local talent from 16 cities and regencies from across Indonesia. Some examples of the short films include:

• G-Rain by students in Batu, East Java. The film was shot with the beautiful Batu mountain landscape in the background and tells the story of the Tengger tribe’s ritual to attempt to manage the frequency and volume of rain.
• Melaiq by students of Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, and shot with the beach landscape as its background, refers to the local Sasak tribe culture of a man kidnapping a woman he will propose to in order to show his determination.
• Another stunning short film is Kanak Kembar, created by the students of Sangatta, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. It features the local belief of the Dayak Kenyah tribe, that every baby was born with a crocodile as a twin.

The full list of 16 short films of Viu Shorts! Season 2 includes: Mepandes (Klungkung), Kalang Obong (Kendal), Penari Larangan (Majalengka), Kakaluk Fulan Fehan (Atambua), Dawuk (Cilacap), Danau Pengantin (Tangerang), Bulu Mata (Jakarta Selatan), Melaiq (Mataram), Ikan Merah (Magelang), Kelar Kelor (Kulon Progo), Limo Wasto (Surakarta), Pohon Pengantin (Salatiga), G-Rain (Batu), Lae Pandaroh (Dairi), Kanak Kembar (Sangatta) and La Love (Palu).

These films are expected to follow the success of the Viu Shorts! Season 1 which scored a number of important achievements. Viu Shorts! Season 1 was officially screened during the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and one short film by students of Maumere, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, titled Miu Mai, was awarded the regional winner for Best Short Form Content category by the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019.

Each year, one of the most talented students from the Viu Shorts! initiative receives a scholarship to study Cinematography at the Jakarta Institute of Arts for four years and at the same time receives an opportunity to work professionally as part of the Viu Original team in Indonesia.

Mr. Varun Mehta, Country Head of Viu Indonesia, said, “Viu is committed to Indonesia not only to entertain, but also to support the creative industry by empowering talent across Indonesia. Not only have we proudly received an international award, but more importantly the two seasons of Viu Shorts! have produced 33 young talented directors and more than 900 young creators in the content industry from 33 cities and regencies across Indonesia. This will play a very important role in the future of the Indonesian creative economy industry. Keeping our high commitment to build an ecosystem that supports the sustainability of the content industry in Indonesia, Viu will continue to bring Indonesian talent and stories to the global stage.”

Mr. Salman Subakat, CEO of PT. Paragon Technology & Innovation, said, “Wardah supports Viu Shorts! initiative and we share the same vision with Viu to make meaningful change for Indonesia. We have extraordinary talent in various parts of the country and we believe they must receive an equal opportunity to contribute significantly to the growth of the local economy. We are really proud to see how Viu, through the Viu Shorts! initiative, is bringing local content to the global stage. We hope to see Viu Shorts! continued success. We believe Viu Shorts! will be a motivation as well as an inspiration to other students across Indonesia.”

Viu Shorts! Season 2 short films can be enjoyed on the Viu app, which can be downloaded for free on the App Store, Google Play, and selected smart TVs, as well as at www.viu.com.