Based on a Surrounding Phenomenon, UMN Film and Animation Students’ Work “Semesta” Won a National Award

The “Semesta” crew (Doc. UMN)

Tangerang – Students of the Film and Animation Study Program at Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) made an achievement through the Ciputra Film Festival 2023 held in Surabaya, East Java. The short film titled “Semesta,” produced by Cathouse Production in collaboration with Lokatara Pictures and Two Thrds, won the Favorite Non-Competition Film Category Award.

The movie “Semesta” tells the story of Kinanti, a woman who loses direction in her life after her son dies. She tries to find meaning in her life but can’t find it. Kinanti has no family besides Herman, her only brother, who migrates to the capital city. Until one day, Kinanti meets a group that promises to restore her long-lost happiness. However, she must choose and sacrifice something more valuable to get it.

Director Vincent Tion Hudaya got his initial inspiration from the phenomenon of spam messages that people get that often lure people with large amounts of money.

“Usually, there is a message that says ‘Congratulations, you won 500 million’, but to get it, you have to pay first. We’re sure it’s a lie or a scam. However, for those who are at the lowest point of their lives, they will believe it. Well, this ‘Semesta’ is like a cult. To restore something lost, of course you must sacrifice something valuable,” Tion said.

The short film titled “Semesta” won the Favorite Non-Competition Favorite Film Category Award (Doc. UMN)

The film “Semesta” started pre-production in December 2022, then continued the production process in January 2023. After passing the initial selection, the movie “Semesta” was screened on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Then, six representatives from the production house attended the awarding night in June at Ciputra University Surabaya.

Director of Photography (DoP) William Andy Senjaya said that the movie “Semesta” was merely a fun project to make a movie that could be submitted for a work-based final project.

“We wanted to make a movie with a low budget. Some acquaintances also helped us during the filming process. So, from the camera division itself, we didn’t spend too much budget,” Andy said.

“Even though the budget is not too high, our movie can be in the same class as other movies and make our parents proud,” said Producer Kelvin Lolinhandary.

Kelvin also added that the filming locations were mostly in his own house. The actors and actresses are people they know and can quickly master the script.

The movie “Semesta” stars Chryncentia Maharani, Taufik Kurniwan, Hanky Purnama, and Duncan Nicholas.

“Semesta” can be watched on the Maxstream streaming app for three months. The next target of “Semesta” is to win awards at other film festivals, both nationally and internationally.

According to Tion, the production process of “Semesta” gave him a good impression. Tion advised him to enjoy the movie production.

Andy agreed. “If you have a story idea, just shoot it. College years are a time for learning and exploration. It’s okay to be wrong.”

by Annisa Dyah Novia | UMN News Service

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. www.umn.ac.id