The Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ) will again hold competitions from three committees in 2024, namely Film, Literature, and Theatre.

To encourage the birth of a new generation of drama scriptwriters, literary and film critics

The announcement of the competition has been open since March 30, 2024, via DKJ's social media channels aimed at arts activists, students, and the general public to express thoughts, analysis, and creative works in the fields of film, literature, and theater.

DKJ Chairman, Bambang Prihadi said that holding the three competitions initiated by DKJ since the 1970s is a tradition of maintaining and growing the ecosystem of thought in the arts, especially literature, theater, and film.

"The competition was held to encourage the birth of a new generation of drama scriptwriters, literary and film critics. More than that, it is part of DKJ's strategy to strengthen the arts ecosystem in Indonesia," he expressed, Tuesday (5/21).

He explained the literary criticism competition which would only be held twice in 2024 had the theme, 'Satirism of A.A. Navis'. This theme was chosen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of A.A. Navis.

"This time, DKJ collaborates with the Language Agency for the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Literature Committee, intends to highlight the character of A.A. Navis, who through his works is able to present a strong local Minangkabau nuance while depicting the dilemmas and challenges faced by humans universally," he explained.

DKJ Literature Committee Chair, Anton Kurnia explained the literary criticism competition, which is continuously maintained by the Jakarta Arts Council, is important to foster critical and clear analysis of literary works, especially the works of A.S. Navis, as one of the cornerstones of satirism in Indonesian literature.

"The Literary Criticism Competition has the theme 'Satirism A.A. Navis' will enable researchers, critics, and readers to better understand the deep messages contained in a bid to appreciate thoughts that are valuable for the Indonesian nation," he explained.

DKJ Film Committee Chairman, Sugar Nadia explained the second competition, namely film criticism, was held to provide space for Indonesian film critics and observers to express their ideas.

"The film criticism competition was held to find talented film critics, as an opportunity for new writers and returning old writers to display analytical skills and interact with professionals in the field of film," he added.

Then DKJ Theater Committee Chairman, Agus Setiawan, added that the theater script competition was held to continue the importance of scriptwriting in creating performances as something independent.

"Hopefully, the theater ecosystem itself can be maintained and produce new writers in the future," he stated.