“Chemo”, “About A Woman” win top prizes at Balinale Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Chemo” by Polish director Bartosz Prokopowicz was named as the best international film at the Balinale festival in Bali, Indonesia. The best local film was “About A Woman,” by Teddy Soeriaatmadja, Variety reports.

Awards were decided by a public vote during the week-long festival (Sept. 24-30) which took ‘Face of Diversity’ as its running theme. “Cambodian Son,” directed by Masahiro Sugano earned the diversity prize.

In its ninth edition, the festival this year relocated to the Lippo Mall Kuta, and the newly opened Cinemaxx theaters. Leading local conglomerate Lippo is building a chain of Cinemaxx multiplexes in a deliberate attempt to break the near monopoly control of the country’s theatrical market by the 21 Group and to capitalize on the growing affluence of Indonesia’s expanding middle class.

The festival too expanded, with the number of titles screened rising from 60 in 2014 to 106 this time. That included 26 Indonesian movies.