In 2024, a cross-cultural collaboration between Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF) and Yayasan Kino Media (Minikino) brought together filmmakers and programmers from Scotland and Indonesia through the Bali Glasgow Filmmaker and Programme Exchange. Supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme, the initiative aimed to open dialogue, share curatorial practices, and explore new ways of building inclusive and sustainable film ecosystems.
Through residencies, screenings, and festival participation in both Bali and Glasgow, the exchange created space for learning, reflection, and unexpected connections extending beyond the participating organisations to inspire wider communities.
BC (British Council): How did the project go, and how did the partnership unfold?
Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF): The Bali–Glasgow Filmmaker and Programme Exchange proved to be a great success—not only in terms of its initial aims and for those directly involved, but also in the many unexpected ways it resonated beyond the project itself.
Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF) and Yayasan Kino Media (Minikino) came together with a simple intention: to open dialogue and share experiences, both in person and through film. While the benefits for our organisations and the participating filmmakers were clear from the outset, what we did not anticipate was how widely the project would inspire others.
It sparked new conversations and invited different ways of thinking about cinematic expression, organisational resilience, and the development of sustainable artistic ecosystems within cities
BC: What is the main message or new understanding you gained from this project?
GSFF: GSFF and Minikino share a long-standing alignment in their commitment to inclusion and social change. In practice, this means prioritising accessibility, film education, and inclusive audience development without compromising curatorial quality.
The exchange allowed each festival to witness these values in action and take away practical examples. One particularly strong example came from Minikino’s collaboration with visually impaired communities to create audio descriptions for films in the programme.
By involving these communities creatively, the festival enabled a sense of authorship and agency that goes far beyond conventional accessibility efforts. It demonstrated how inclusion can be meaningful, participatory, and transformative.
BC: Were there any changes or challenges during the project?
GSFF: The collaboration faced several challenges, some anticipated and others unexpected. Time differences and cost disparities between the UK and Indonesia were ongoing considerations. In addition, a sudden venue closure in Glasgow meant that GSFF had to scale down its programme, particularly its industry events. As a result, we were unable to organise formal discussions related to the exchange or involve Indonesian filmmaker Haris Yuliyanto in workshops or educational activities.
Budget constraints also affected accommodation, limiting Minikino representative Fransiska Prihadi’s stay in Glasgow to six nights. However, these limitations were balanced during the Bali phase, where GSFF representative Matt Lloyd was able to stay for the full ten-day duration of the festival and actively participate in discussions and workshops.
BC: Share an anecdote or highlight from your journey.
GSFF: From our perspective, one of the most striking highlights was the energy and enthusiasm of Indonesian filmmakers and festival programmers at Minikino Film Week. The openness, curiosity, and creative drive within the community made a strong impression and reinforced the importance of continued exchange.
