Balinale 2025 Targets 8,000 Guests with 60 Films from 35 Nations

TheIndonesia.co - The 18th Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) is set to return from June 1st–7th, 2025, at Icon Mall in Bali, targeting between 6,000 to 8,000 visitors for this year’s screenings.

“We’re hoping to reach six to eight thousand attendees for this year’s film screenings,” said Balinale Founder and Director Deborah Gabinetti on Saturday in Denpasar, according to Antara News Agency.

That target reflects growing interest in the festival, which drew 5,600 attendees over one week last year.

Visitors at Icon Mall Bali will have access to around 60 curated films, scheduled to be announced on May 10th, 2025. These include a diverse mix of short films and documentaries.

“The selection is based on the storyline, structure, message, and the film’s overall impact,” Deborah explained.

As of now, over 1,500 films from 35 countries have been submitted for curation. Entry requirements are intentionally kept simple, with a key criterion being a connection or interest in Indonesia—especially Bali.

Over the years, Balinale has consistently had a significant impact on tourism in Bali, often encouraging more visits to the island through the global reach of featured films.

Gabinetti highlighted the ripple effect of cinema, citing the film Eat, Pray, Love as an example of how storytelling continues to draw people to Bali long after a film’s release.

“The impact is huge—it affects connected industries. Take Eat, Pray, Love: it was released in 2010 but continues to inspire visits to Bali. Film creates a powerful ripple effect,” she said.

Made Artana, Advisor to the Governor of Bali for Creative and Digital Economy, agreed that Balinale brings substantial value to the island. He emphasized how important it is not to let such opportunities go to waste.

International film festivals like Balinale, he added, align with the provincial government’s strategy to shift from a tourism-dominant economy to one that includes strong creative and digital sectors.

“We should be proud that Bali has maintained this initiative for over a decade. Many other regions dream of hosting an international film festival,” Artana said.

He believes Balinale helps put Bali on the world stage and stressed that the next challenge is ensuring the festival also strengthens the local film industry and creative economy.