Ifa Isfansyah

2.1. Early Life and Education

Ifa Isfansyah was born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on December 16, 1979. He spent his early years growing up in a small village, where he developed an affinity for soccer. He initially played with a team sponsored by Muhammadiyah, and later served as a reserve player in junior high school. During his high school years, he also engaged in basketball and played the bass. After completing high school, Isfansyah pursued higher education at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, where he specialized in the Television Department, completing his studies in 2007.

2.2. Early Career in Filmmaking

In 2001, Ifa Isfansyah became a co-founder of Fourcolors Films, an independent film community actively involved in producing short films. His first short film, Air Mata Surga_{Heaven's Tears}^Indonesian, which he co-directed with Eddie Cahyono, was released in 2002 and was notably invited as the opening film at the Indonesian Film-Video Festival. The same year, he directed another short film titled Mayar. This film garnered the SET Award for Best Cameraman and Best Artistic Director at the Indonesian Independent Film-Video Festival in 2002 and was screened at several international film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Hamburg International Film Festival. Beyond short films, Isfansyah also directed various commercials and television programs in his early career.

In 2006, he directed Harap Tenang, Ada Ujian!_{Please Be Quiet, There are Tests!}^Indonesian, a short film that drew parallels between the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the devastating 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake. This film received significant recognition, winning awards at several key festivals in Indonesia, including Best Short Film at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Konfiden Short Film Festival, and the Indonesian Film Festival 2006. It was also featured in the international competition session of the Short Shorts Film Festival 2007 in Tokyo, Japan, the Alamaty Film Festival in Kazakhstan, and the Three Eyes Film Festival in Mumbai. That same year, Isfansyah was selected to participate in the Asian Film Academy at the Busan International Film Festival 2006, where he earned a scholarship. He subsequently studied film at the Im Kwon Taek Film School at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea, remaining there until December 2008. In 2007, he directed and produced another short film, Setengah Sendok Teh_{Half a Teaspoonful}^Indonesian.

3.1. Directorial Career

Ifa Isfansyah made his feature film debut with Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda on My Chest), released on June 18, 2009. This film follows a young boy's dream of playing in the Indonesian football league.

His second feature film, Sang Penari (The Dancer), released on November 10, 2011, was the culmination of three years of production. The film is based on Ahmad Tohari's trilogy Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk_{Ronggeng of Paruk Hamlet}^Indonesian, depicting the life of a young ronggeng (traditional dancer) in Banyumas, Central Java. Critically, the film courageously tackles the sensitive subject of the 1965-1966 communist purge, offering a poignant reflection on the human cost of political violence and societal upheaval. Its powerful narrative and historical context earned it four Citra Awards at the 2011 Indonesian Film Festival, including Best Picture and Best Director for Isfansyah himself. Sang Penari was also selected as Indonesia's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, though it did not make the final shortlist.

Other notable films directed by Isfansyah include Belkibolang (2010), a segment titled "Percakapan Ini," and Ambilkan Bulan (2012). He also directed 9 Summers 10 Autumns (2013), and Pendekar Tongkat Emas (2014), a martial arts film where he contributed to both the story and screenplay. His later directorial works include Pesantren Impian (2016), Catatan Dodol Calon Dokter (2016), Hoax (2018), which was previously titled Rumah dan Musim Hujan, and Koki-Koki Cilik (2018). In 2021, he co-directed Losmen Bu Broto with Eddie Cahyono, also contributing to character development. His most recent directorial work is Layar (2023), an original KlikFilm production.

3.2. Production Activities

Beyond his directorial pursuits, Ifa Isfansyah has played a pivotal role as a producer, supporting films that often resonate with social commentary and artistic innovation.

In 2014, he produced and served as executive producer for Siti, a film that explores the complexities of gender roles and economic hardship in contemporary Indonesia, which went on to win Best Feature Film at the 2015 Indonesian Film Festival. He also co-produced Masked Monkey - The Evolution of Darwin's Theory in 2014.

His commitment to socially conscious cinema continued with Turah (2016), which he produced. This film garnered significant international recognition, including the NETPAC Award and Geber Award at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2016, and a Special Mention Award at the Singapore International Film Festival. Turah sensitively depicts the lives of a marginalized community, highlighting issues of poverty and human dignity.

In 2017, Isfansyah co-produced The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala), a poignant film that tackles themes of grief and spiritual connection. This film won the Golden Hanoman Award at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2017 and was nominated for Best Youth Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

His production work further includes Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) (2018), a film that boldly addresses themes of gender identity and self-discovery in a traditional Indonesian context. This film received the UNESCO Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and won Best Feature Film at the 2019 Indonesian Film Festival and the Film Pilihan Tempo at the Festival Film Tempo 2018, underscoring its significant cultural impact. Other films he produced include Isyarat (2013), Petualangan Menangkap Petir (2018), Mountain Song (2019), and Abracadabra (2020).

Isfansyah's producing efforts extended to Yuni (2021), a critically acclaimed film that tackles issues of child marriage and female agency in Indonesia. Yuni was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 2021 Indonesian Film Festival and won Best Feature Film at the Piala Maya 2021, Best Film (Drama Genre) at the Indonesian Film Journalists Festival 2022, and Film Terpuji at the Bandung Film Festival 2022. He also produced Before, Now & Then (Nana) in 2022, which won Best Feature Film at the 2022 Indonesian Film Festival. In 2020, he contributed as a screenwriter for the "Cook Book" segment of Quarantine Tales.