PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan, welcomed the implementation of Bandung Creative Week through Bandung World Cinema (BWC) 2026 which was held at the Bandung City Hall, Monday (5/10/2026).

The festival is considered an important part of strengthening the film ecosystem while encouraging the growth of the creative economy subsector in Bandung City.

Farhan said that Bandung World Cinema 2026 was the result of ideas and discussions that had been initiated since about a year ago with Pidi Baiq.

After various discussions and explorations, the film festival was finally realized in 2026 through collaboration between various parties.

"This is the result of a discussion with Pidi Baiq a year ago. We went around looking for various alternatives, and finally, in 2026, this was realized thanks to a collaboration between Falcon and Panas Dalam," said Farhan.

According to him, the Bandung City Government has a role to ensure that the film ecosystem in Bandung City can grow and run well.

This ecosystem, said Farhan, does not only talk about organizing festivals, but also includes the presence of industry players, infrastructure, superstructure, and community support.

"The perpetrators already exist. The city government is just a regulator; it doesn't need to be the perpetrator. Next comes the infrastructure, the superstructure, and finally, of course, the community," he said.

Farhan hopes that the presence of Bandung World Cinema 2026 can further strengthen the film ecosystem that has been developing in the city of Bandung.

The film festival is also expected to be a space for the public to obtain entertainment and broaden their horizons through film works from various countries.

He believes that the high level of appreciation of films by the people of Bandung is an important asset in building a sustainable film industry.

"When BWC 2026 comes around, it's not just about entertainment or being a window into the world, but also about ensuring that Bandung residents' level of appreciation for film remains high," he said.

In addition to the cultural and entertainment aspects, Farhan emphasized that the film industry has great economic potential, especially in creating jobs in the creative economy sector.

According to him, film production involves a lot of workers from various fields so that its economic impact can be felt widely by society.

"If we start from the economic side, the most important thing is providing jobs in the creative industry, particularly in the film subsector. We know its absorption capacity is quite high. A single film can't have just a dozen workers; it can have dozens, and the impact can be hundreds of people getting jobs," said Farhan.

Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of Bandung World Cinema 2026, Pidi Baiq, said that the holding of this festival is expected to increase the choice of film festivals in the city of Bandung.

According to him, Bandung has a strong history and ecosystem in the development of art and film, so the presence of BWC is expected to provide benefits to the community and industry players.

Bandung World Cinema 2026 also provides a space for young filmmakers to develop.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of BWC 2026, Federica, stated that the series of activities not only featured international films but also provided space for short films by filmmakers from Bandung.

During the event, there were films shown through the CGV cinema network and online.

In addition, there are a number of short films, including three works by Bandung filmmakers, which are included in the BWC 2026 program series.

The program is expected to be part of the regeneration process of filmmakers in the city of Bandung.

The short films produced by young filmmakers are also aimed at becoming a stepping stone towards producing longer-form films.

"We really want to see a generation of filmmakers from the current generation to become a generation that can make feature films," said Federica.

On the same occasion, CGV's Head of Content Acquisition and Distribution, Adhizeza Nandra, hoped that Bandung World Cinema would encourage more people to enjoy quality films and open up opportunities for the development of a cinema network in Bandung. He also hoped that BWC 2026 would not be measured solely by audience numbers.

Federica said that public enthusiasm, reviews, euphoria, and community involvement were important indicators of the success of the festival in this first edition.

In addition to film screenings, the series of activities also features a talk show program and an In Conversation With session that brings together industry players with the public and film communities.

Through Bandung World Cinema 2026, the Bandung City Government hopes to further develop the film industry, foster new talent, and contribute to the growth of the creative economy and job creation in the city. (Bandung City Communications and Information Office/rka)