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Starting this year, the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) committee is implementing a layered judging system in which the hundreds of submissions for the 2026 FFI Citra Awards are curated by select members of a screening team into a long list of 25 movies.
These are then screened by movie associations to produce a short list of 15 nominees, out of which the finalists are determined by select members of festival organizer Citra Academy.
This means movies that fail to make the top 15 are no longer eligible for nomination, including audience favorites like Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku and the Indonesian remake of the 1997 Iranian sleeper hit, Children of Heaven.
Nevertheless, Joko Anwar’s supernatural comedy horror movie, Ghost in the Cell, and Ryan Adriandhy’s musical adaptation of popular children’s book Na Willa, fared well during the early selection process. Each movie sold over 1 million tickets during its theatrical run and earned nominations in multiple award categories this year, including Best Picture.
They are joined by the crime comedy hit, Operasi Pesta Copet, which sold over 500,000 tickets, and box office sleepers like Para Perasuk and Dopamine.
Among the five nominees, only Ghost in the Cell and Para Perasuk have gained international exposure through screenings at major film festivals, including the Berlinale and Sundance.
(Courtesy of Rekata Studios)
Recent releases like Kamila Andini’s Empat Musim Pertiwi (Four Seasons in Java) and Yosep Anggie Noen’s Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name), adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Leila S. Chudori, will be eligible for next year’s awards.
But what determines the best movie? Is it box office success, measured by millions of tickets sold? Or does a movie need to screen at international film festivals and earn recognition on the global stage?
I spoke to Jakarta-based cinephiles with a robust following on their social media accounts about this year’s nominations, favorites and snubs. Here’s what they had to say.
Aria, Cine Crib: FFI gets better every year
Aria has been reviewing movies since 2016 on his YouTube channel Cine Crib, which has more than 300,000 subscribers. Each year, Aria shares his early predictions on which nominated movies or actors will come away with a Citra Award, months before the award night.
When asked for his take on this year's FFI, he replied: “I think every year, the festival keeps getting better. They fix what we often complain about.”
Aria notes at least two things the festival committee fixed this year. One is making sure that all nominated movies had been shown in regular cinemas.
The committee typically allows movies to be considered for the award even if they have not been released to the general public. Both the Golden Globes and the Oscars also allow movies to receive nominations before they hit theaters, provided the movies meet specific early screening requirements.
The 2024 Citra Awards had two Best Picture nominees that had not been released to the public: Garin Nugroho’s black-and-white Samsara and Tumpal Tampubolon’s Crocodile Tears. The latter was just released in cinemas on May 7 this year.
The other fix Aria has noticed is the technical regulation for Best Original Song. Last year’s winner was not a song specifically written for a movie. This year, the committee has restricted eligibility to original songs written for the movies in which they feature.
Seeing this year’s lineup, Aria is especially excited about the supporting actor category, particularly Kristo Immanuel and Kawai Labiba from Operasi Pesta Copet.
(Courtesy of Imajinari)
The movie, which tells the story of four friends who pull off a pickpocketing heist at one of the country’s largest music festivals, has seven nominations in total.
However, Aria still considers the layered curation process problematic. Some actors could have been nominated in one or two categories but were unfortunately passed over because their movies failed to make the shortlist. In his opinion, acclaimed actor and director Teuku Rifnu Wikana should have earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his role in Suka Duka Tawa (Comedy Buddy), helmed by Aco Tenriyagelli in his directing debut.
Among his disappointments, Luisa Adreena stands out as one talent whose recognition this year might be particularly gratifying. Her breakout role in Na Willa has clearly made an impression, and Aria’s not the only one who thinks so.
Sabrina, Nataplayar: Rooting for ‘Na Willa’, ‘Para Perasuk’
Sabrina is a cohost of Nataplayar, a community and content channel focusing on movies and entertainment that has garnered quite a significant following since its 2024 inception.
Like Aria, she also has a strong opinion about Na Willa, especially for Luisa Adreena: “I think she portrays the role with honesty,” Sabrina says.
Beyond Luisa’s potential recognition in the Best Actress category, Sabrina is also delighted to see Na Willa nominated for Best Picture.
Adapted from Reda Gaudiamo’s beloved book, the movie tells a story from the perspective of a young child. It has nine nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Ryan Adriandhy.
Para Perasuk is another of Sabrina’s favorites this year, and she is especially happy to see it nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Written and directed by Wregas Bhanuteja, Para Perasuk centers on a village whose trance ritual is threatened by urban development. It received nine nominations, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Wregas Bhanuteja.
Among the Best Picture nominees, Sabrina questions whether Dopamine belongs in the lineup.
“I don’t feel challenged enough by the script,” she said.
Written and directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja, Dopamine tells the story of a married couple who accidentally comes upon a large sum of money belonging to drug dealers. They decide to use the money, and soon find themselves in grave danger.
(Courtesy of Starvision)
It is nominated for six awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Shenina Cinamon.
Among the Best Picture nominees, Ghost in the Cell has come out on top with 13 nominations, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Joko.
In the directing category, Sabrina is thrilled to see newcomer Bernadus Raka nominated for his work on Nobody Loves Kay, though she regrets that the movie did not make the Best Picture lineup.
She is not alone.
Film Indo Source: ‘Nobody Loves Kay’ should get more love
Created by a community of moviegoers, Film Indo Source has a modest yet anchoring presence on social media, often covering local productions premiering at international festivals.
While the community is happy to see Bernadus get a Best Director nod, it is disappointed that Bima Azriel, a young actor who has been nominated multiple times for best child actor and audience’s favorite actor throughout his career, did not make the Best Actor cut at this year’s Citra Awards for his role in Nobody Loves Kay.
The movie tells the story of a high school student beautifully portrayed by Bima, who is also a passionate gamer dreaming of one day becoming a professional esport player.
Nobody Loves Kay, adapted from a short film also directed by Bernadus, received three nominations, including Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay.
As award season observers, Film Indo Source noted that the top 15 at the 2026 Citra Awards indicates a preference for original screenplays over adaptations, only four of which made it to the final selection. The community said this left movies like Children of Heaven and Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku ineligible for consideration in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Notably, it also acknowledged that Jared Ali, who won outstanding lead actor at the Bandung Film Festival, was snubbed in the same category at the FFI due to the movie’s ineligibility.
Looking at the contenders, Film Indo Source believes that movies like Para Perasuk and Ghost in the Cell have better odds of winning a Citra Award this year. However, it believes Na Willa should take home the Best Picture prize.
And while Meriam Bellina and other veterans could win Best Actress, it feels that Na Willa’s Luisa should win instead.
(Courtesy of Jonathan Satriyo)
The community also favors comedian turned serious actor Ardit Erwandha over other Best Actor nominees and Kawai Labiba over other Supporting Actress contenders.
Aside from favorites and snubs, Film Indo Source also questions who will receive the Antemas Award, a special award given to the highest-grossing movie of the year.
The top grossers usually make it into the final cut, but this year’s highest-grossing movie, Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku, did not. Will the award then be given to the runner-up, Ghost in the Cell?
This leads me back to the question at the heart of this piece: What is the fairest way to ensure that the winners of Indonesia’s most prestigious film awards are actually deserving of that recognition?
Perhaps we may never know, since award seasons are always filled with controversies, tears of joy and slight disappointments over those who didn’t make the cut.
Yet one thing I would like to leave you with is this: Indonesia’s movie scene is becoming more diverse and more creative, and new talents are emerging everywhere. If anything, that’s something worth celebrating together at this year’s Citra Awards on Nov. 20.
