TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) will be held on November 11 in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The FFI 2017 chairman Leni Lolang said that the city has been chosen since Indonesian films have featured the country’s diverse culture. He told a press conference yesterday that the capital city is no longer the center of the film industry.

In the main event of FFI 2017, 21 awards will be given plus a lifetime achievement in memoriam award. “Under the supervision of the judging panel [led by the director] Riri Riza, we hope that it could reflect the best work in each category,” Leni added.

Riri Riza said that becoming a judge will be a challenging task since the previous editions of FFI were mired in judging controversies.

He explained that judges will take into account three criteria: ideas and theme, technical qualities and aesthetics, and professionalism.

Moreover, the FFI 2017 will involve 75 judges from professional associations, local festival organizers and film communities through internal and voting processes.

“Hopefully, the judging will be more objective, participative and produce winners who are accepted by all parties,” Riri said.

ANTARA