Balinale

Balinale is a film festival held in Bali each year and brings together local and international film industry players and film lovers everywhere.

Balinale offers local filmmakers the chance to showcase their work to a broader international audience and allows international filmmakers to display their work in a unique location.

Balinale prides itself on showing films worldwide, including short films, documentaries, and feature films. These artistic pieces come from over 30 countries, and Balinale offers new up-and-coming artists the opportunity to display their work in special preview sessions.

Balinale as an Academy Award Qualifying Festival, “the winner of the Balinale Short Film category can be eligible to be considered as a participant in the Best Short Film in the Oscar competition”.

The other benefit of Balinale is that many producers come to Bali to scout for film locations, increasing Bali’s international profile and injecting large sums of money into the Indonesian economy.

Many films are displayed in Cinépolis, a state-of-the-art theatre that exhibits 2D and 3D films. Cinépolis cinemas are located at Sidewalk Jimbaran and Plaza Renon.

In 2024 (17th edition), Balinale screened 60 films representing 25 countries with winners selected from 24 films entered in the competition.

Balinale also offers workshops to aspiring student filmmakers throughout the year. Those who produce work as part of these sessions may be able to present their work at the festival. A dedicated children’s program and Indonesian Cinema are also targeted to a local audience.

Started in 2007, the annual Bali International Film Festival, known as Balinale, enjoys international recognition for its diverse programming of independent fiction, documentary, feature, and short films that represent compelling stories from Indonesia and different parts of the world.

The festival is notable for its professional industry forums that bring together filmmakers to collaborate and share, and for establishing affiliations that create programs that foster cultural exchange, support essential community development, and inspire the next generation of creatives.