Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) and Ministry of Culture (Kemenbud) are collaborating on the Santri Film Festival (Sanffest) 2025, themed “Santri Memandang Dunia Melalui Lensa Budaya.” The event highlights pesantren as dynamic cultural spaces beyond religious education. Film registration opens on November 10, 2025.
The Santri Film Festival 2025 provides a platform for santri across Indonesia to channel their creativity through short films exploring pesantren values, Islamic perspectives, and national identity. Festival Director Fadhli Sapawie said, “Gerakan sinema santri ini adalah bagian dari kebangkitan kebudayaan berbasis nilai Islam dan kearifan lokal. Kami ingin memastikan pesantren turut menjadi pelaku aktif dalam ekosistem perfilman nasional.” This was stated during a meeting at the Direktur Pesantren Kemenag office in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/10/2025).
The collaboration strengthens synergy between religious education and national cultural development. Kemenag's Direktorat Pesantren facilitates nationwide pesantren networks and encourages young santri filmmakers. The event kicks off with Ta’aruf Film featuring figures like Habiburrahman El Shirazy, Deddy Mizwar, Asma Nadia, and Ustadz Erick Yusuf, who will provide guidance on sharia values in filmmaking and production based on values and local wisdom.
A national online workshop runs from October 25 to November 9, 2025, covering scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and sound design. Participants' films will be curated by a professional team of filmmakers, pesantren academics, and cultural practitioners. Film registration is from November 10 to 29, 2025, via https://sanffest.com, culminating in the Awarding Night on December 14, 2025.
Direktur Pesantren Kemenag Basnang Said emphasized, “Film adalah medium dakwah kultural yang sangat efektif di era digital. Melalui Sanffest, para santri belajar mengemas nilai-nilai Islam, kearifan lokal, dan pesan kemanusiaan universal dalam bahasa visual yang dapat diterima oleh masyarakat luas.” He hopes the festival will foster sustainable creative ecosystems in pesantren and position santri as key players in national and global cultural dialogues.