News
Meet our Festival Guest
Zar Donato & Damian McCann
We are excited to welcome our special festival guests to this year’s festival. We’re honored to have them join us as part of our cinematic journey
Lead Actress of Maricel (Cyprus)
| Date | Time | Venue |
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 16.30 WIB | SAE Indonesia, Jakarta – post screening Q&A |
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 18.45 WIB | SAE Indonesia, Jakarta – Film Talk: On Acting |
| Friday, June 12, 2026 | 18.30 WIB | IFI Thamrin, Jakarta – post screening Q&A |
Zar Donato
Zar Donato is a Filipina actress known for her work in Philippine independent cinema. She rose to prominence with her lead role in Billie & Emma (2018), a coming-of-age drama exploring identity, rebellion, and gender themes. She has since appeared in projects such as Fluid (2020) and the long-running TV anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya (1991), often taking on roles that highlight youth and socially relevant stories. Maricel (2025) is her recent work as a lead actress.
Donato will be present for Maricel post screening Q&A sessions with audiences in Jakarta, as well as speaking at Film Talk: On Acting at SAE Indonesia, Jakarta.
Zar Donato adalah pemeran dari Filipina yang dikenal atas karyanya di perfilman independen Filipina. Ia mulai dikenal luas dengan perannya di Billie & Emma (2018), sebuah drama masa remaja yang mengeksplor identitas, pemberontakan dan tema gender. Ia juga muncul bergabung dalam beberapa proyek seperti Fluid (2020) dan antologi TV Maalaala Mo Kaya (1991) yang sudah lama tayang, ia sering mengambil peran yang menyoroti kaum muda dan cerita-cerita sosial yang relevan. Maricel (2025) merupakan karya terbarunya sebagai pemeran utama.
Donato akan hadir dalam sesi tanya jawab bersama penonton di Jakarta, dan juga akan berbicara di Film Talk: On Acting di SAE Indonesia, Jakarta.
Director of Aontas (Ireland)
| Date | Time | Venue |
| Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 17.00 WIB | SAE Indonesia, Jakarta – post screening Q&A |
| Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 18.45 WIB | SAE Indonesia, Jakarta – Film Talk: Creating Effective Thriller |
| Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 18.30 WIB | IFI Thamrin, Jakarta – post screening Q&A |
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 19.00 WIB | IFI Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta – post screening Q&A |
| Friday, June 12, 2026 | 19.30 WITA | MASH, Denpasar – post screening Q&A |
Damian McCann
Damian McCann is an award-winning Belfast-based director. He has been making documentaries in his native Irish language for almost twenty years, including four feature docs, most recently Iarsmaí (Remains, 2024), featuring Irish institutions wrestling with the decolonisation of historical collections acquired during the British colonial period. His feature drama, Doineann (Hurricane, 2021), won a Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama. Premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2025, Aontas (Union) is his second feature drama.
McCann will be present for Aontas post screening Q&A sessions with audiences in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali, as well as speaking at Film Talk: Creating Effective Thriller at SAE Indonesia, Jakarta.
Damian McCann adalah seorang sutradara dari Belfast yang telah memenangkan beberapa penghargaan. Ia membuat beberapa film dokumenter dalam bahasa Irlandia selama hampir 20 tahun, yaitu termasuk 4 dokumenter panjang, yang terbaru adalah Iarsmaí (Remains, 2024), yang menceritakan tentang institusi Irlandia yang bergulat dengan dekolonisasi koleksi-koleksi bersejarah selama jaman kolonial Inggris. Film panjang fiksi pertamanya, Doineann (Hurricane, 2021), memenangkan penghargaan Film Drama Terbaik. Film panjang fiksi keduanya, Aontas (Union), ditayangkan secara perdana di festival film Galway pada tahun 2025.
McCann akan hadir dalam sesi tanya jawab bersama penonton di Jakarta, Yogyakarta dan Bali, dan juga akan berbicara di Film Talk: Creating Effective Thriller di SAE Indonesia, Jakarta.