At a glance

• Award: Special Jury Award, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)
• Festival edition: 31st
• Date won: Thursday, October 15, 2026
• Indonesian films in Main Competition: 2

A mother walks toward her son, and the whole film is about whether she will reach him in time. That is the heart of Ibuku (My Mother), the Indonesian-Japanese film that just won a major prize in South Korea.

Ibuku, directed by Eddie Cahyono, won the Special Jury Award at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. No prize amount has been reported. The film competed in the festival’s Main Competition, where two Indonesian films were selected.

What Is the Ibuku Film About?

Ibuku follows a mother who travels to see her son, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. He is accused of killing his employer.

Christine Hakim plays the mother, Sumiati. Ayushita plays Sri. The poster shows Hakim’s face up close: sun-lit, lined, and dusty, with trees behind her. It looks like a woman who has walked a long way already.

The film is built on the bond between mother and child. Through that story, it also raises bigger issues: Indonesian migrant workers, the situation of women, and human rights.

Why Does This Win Matter for Indonesian Cinema?

Busan is one of Asia’s best-known film festivals. Getting into the Main Competition is already a achievement. Winning a jury prize there puts an Indonesian story in front of film buyers, critics, and festival programmers across the region.

Here is the part worth sharing: Ibuku is not a big, flashy production. It is a quiet film about one family. Yet it caught the eye of an international jury. Small stories can travel far.

Ibuku was not Indonesia’s only film in the race. Laut Bercerita, directed by Yosep Anggie Noen, was also in Main Competition. Two films from one country in the same section shows how strong Indonesian directors are right now.

Who Is Behind Ibuku?

Eddie Cahyono directed the film. The poster also lists Landung Simatupang in the cast, alongside Hakim and Ayushita. The production side credits several companies, including Yasa Buana Films and Knockonwood. When he received the award, Cahyono dedicated the film to Indonesian migrant workers and the families they leave behind. That dedication says a lot about why he made it.