Eddie Cahyono’s film Ibuku (My Mother) has been selected for the Competition program, or main competition, of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), taking place on 6–15 October 2026 in Busan, South Korea.

This Indonesian-Japanese co-production will have its world premiere at BIFF and compete alongside 13 other films from various Asian countries.

Ibuku (My Mother) follows Sumiati (Christine Hakim), a mother struggling to meet her daughter, Sri (Ayushita), who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia after being accused of killing her employer.

Photo: Core Communication

Behind this journey, the film explores a mother-and-child relationship carrying the wounds of the past, as well as issues concerning migrant workers, women, and human rights.

Eddie has been developing the film project since 2015, when it was selected for the Asian Project Market in Busan and received the ARTE Kino International Award. Production was only realized in 2024 after Tika Bravani joined as producer through ANP Talenta Media. The project was subsequently presented again at JAFF Market and the Bangkok International Content Market.

For Tika, the story of Ibuku (My Mother) has emotional resonance. “A mother is something very personal, but also very universal for everyone,” Tika said.

One artistic decision that has drawn attention is the use of 16 mm celluloid, a format that is now rarely used in Indonesian feature film production. According to Tika, this was Eddie’s decision to translate memory through images with a visual character that feels both clear and vague, like the way humans remember.

Photo: Core Communication

The challenges of analog film processing were also eased by the availability of analog film processing facilities at Movie Studio Bali. Previously, a similar process had to be carried out by sending film rolls to Japan or Taiwan.

Christine Hakim has been an important part of the project from the beginning. Eddie is said to have required the senior actress to play Sumiati. The film also stars Ayushita and Landung Simatupang.

Ibuku (My Mother) is Tika Bravani’s first production project after previously being known as an actress. She described working with Eddie, who previously directed Siti (2014), as an intensive learning experience in entering the world of production and international film festivals.

At BIFF 2026, Indonesia is also represented by Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name) by Yosep Anggi Noen in the Competition, Empat Musim Pertiwi by Kamila Andini in A Window on Asian Cinema, and the short film αLPα by Dhiwangkara Seta.

BIFF 2026 also marks an important edition after the festival received A-list status recognition from FIAPF, joining a number of other international film festivals with the same status.

For Tika, Ibuku (My Mother)’s participation in BIFF’s main competition marks a new chapter in the film’s journey and in her career as a producer. (Henry)