Students from Universitas Indonesia (UI) have once again achieved international recognition. A team from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, has earned a prestigious accolade at the 2025 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards (SFFA) with their documentary film Tanah Kitai (Our Land). The film, which documents the journey of Ekskursi 2024: Iban, has been shortlisted in the Non-Fiction category of the highly regarded global competition. The film is one of only 30 selected worldwide in this category.
The 2025 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards shortlist was selected from over 11,750 film submissions by more than 7,500 filmmakers from 158 countries and territories.
The official shortlist announcement was recently made through the event organizer’s official Instagram channel. The awards ceremony took place on June 5, 2025, in Los Angeles, where all shortlisted participants were invited to attend in person. Tanah Kitai (Our Land) successfully placed among the Top 10 in the Non-Fiction category.
The FTUI student team is recognized as the youngest group of participants and the sole representative from Southeast Asia. They are also the first Indonesian team to break into this prestigious competition.
In addition to attending the awards night, two team representatives — Shaquille Zaki Nathandra and Quina Qaumitaquna Mirxela — had the unforgettable opportunity to visit Sony Pictures Studios. They took part in an intensive program that included workshops with Sony executives, inspirational panel discussions, a tour of the legendary studio, exclusive film screenings, and Q&A sessions with film industry professionals.
“Representing Indonesia and Universitas Indonesia on a global stage through the film is an incredible honour. Being selected as the first Southeast Asian non-fiction finalist at the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards shows that young filmmakers from Southeast Asia are capable of competing globally. This recognition marks the beginning of my career in filmmaking and a valuable opportunity to connect with international film industry professionals. I hope this can inspire more young filmmakers from Indonesia,” said Shaquille.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., stated, “This achievement proves that the creative works of young Indonesians can compete and convey meaningful messages on a global level. I hope this marks the start of a journey filled with storytelling — especially about local narratives that often go unnoticed. With the exposure from this event, I also hope that the struggles of indigenous communities like the Iban people are seen not only as a fight to preserve tradition, but also to protect their land rights, identities, and futures.”
Tanah Kitai (Our Land) is a short documentary film and a part of the Ekskursi 2024: Iban program. The film tells the story of the Iban people, who live deep within the tropical rainforests of Kalimantan. The Iban have evolved into a resilient community, bound by a profound connection to their land, rivers, and deeply revered traditions.
Through their struggles, the Iban youth discover strength within themselves and their identity — in what is not just a fight for survival, but also a fight for dignity and the preservation of a rapidly disappearing way of life.
Ekskursi is an annual program organized by the Department of Architecture, FTUI, as part of its commitment to preserving Indonesia’s vernacular architecture. Ekskursi 2024: Iban was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Ir. Toga H. Panjaitan A.A. Grad. Dipl., Prof. Ir. Evawani Ellisa, M.Eng., Ph.D., and Dr. Rini Suryantini, S.T., M.Sc. The program took place in July–August 2024 in Dusun Sungai Pelaik, Melemba Village, and Dusun Sungai Utik, Batu Lintang Village, West Kalimantan — both settlements of the Dayak Iban people, who are known for maintaining their cultural heritage and ancestral traditions.
The film was submitted in the Non-Fiction category, which focuses on documentaries with unique approaches to reality. This category is designed to spotlight true stories, social, cultural, or environmental issues in an original and in-depth manner.
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards is a platform aimed at significantly boosting the careers of emerging filmmakers while providing a global stage for their creative works.
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Public Communications Office
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
