Yogyakarta, June 29, 2026 — The Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta has once again reaffirmed its role as an arts university actively promoting the development of knowledge, creativity, and cultural preservation through the organization of the International Djogja Earthsound Fest 2026 (#IDEF 2026). Under the theme “Sacred Sounds, Shared Earth,” this event offers creative documentary filmmakers the opportunity to participate in documenting ritual music, ecology, and cultural practices across the Indonesian archipelago.
The Documenter Call Program is an important part of IDEF 2026, which will be held on July 24, 2026, at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta (Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta). Through this program, ISI Yogyakarta invites documentary filmmakers, visual creators, film activists, students, and the creative community to record and re-present the richness of sounds, traditions, and human relationships with nature through the medium of documentary film.
Registration is open until July 17, 2026, via the link https://bit.ly/regristationdocumentaryfilmidef2026. There is no registration fee for participants. For more information, please contact Apfia at +62 821-3533-3345.
IDEF 2026 positions music not only as an artistic expression but also as living cultural knowledge within society. The theme “Sacred Sounds, Shared Earth” affirms the importance of understanding sacred sounds, ritual music, and traditional soundscapes as integral parts of cultural heritage and ecological reflection. Through this festival, ISI Yogyakarta provides a space for the convergence of art, research, documentation, and environmental awareness.
The documentary film sub-themes to be presented at IDEF 2026 include four main focuses. First, Ritual Music and Nusantara Cosmology, which highlights music within Nusantara cosmological rituals, such as ruwatan, sedekah bumi, labuh, Hindu-Balinese rituals, Islamic traditions, local religions, and customary rituals of the communities in Papua, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.
Second, Sacred Soundscapes and the Environment, which draws attention to the music and sounds of nature in ritual practices, such as the sounds of water, wind, forests, mountains, agricultural rituals, sea offerings, nature conservation, and ritual soundscapes in open spaces. This subtheme indicates that nature is not merely a backdrop, but an integral part of people's musical and spiritual experiences.
Third, Sacred Music in the Ecological Crisis, which invites documentarians to examine how ritual music and local traditions confront the challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and the threat of cultural extinction. In this context, music is understood as a medium for reflection, resistance, and ecological activism.
Fourth, Knowledge Transmission and Cultural Preservation, which focuses on the intergenerational transmission process of ritual music, digital archiving of traditional ritual music, and the revitalization of nearly extinct ritual music. This subtheme aligns with the needs of the times to present cultural preservation strategies through documentation, technology, and arts education approaches.
Through IDEF 2026, ISI Yogyakarta strengthens its position as a center for higher art education that not only produces artists and academics, but also develops a culture-based knowledge ecosystem. This festival becomes a strategic space to bring together artistic practice, research, documentation technology, and environmental sustainability issues.
The presence of the Call for Documentaries also serves as a form of support for the creation of strong, reflective, and impactful cultural documentation. Documentary films play a vital role in recording living traditional art practices in communities, expanding public access to cultural knowledge, and strengthening the visual archive of Nusantara's ritual music heritage.
With the organization of IDEF 2026, ISI Yogyakarta demonstrates its commitment to developing art as part of humanitarian work, environmental preservation, and cultural diplomacy. This event also serves as a momentum to expand the role of art higher education institutions in addressing the challenges of the times through creativity, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Creative documentarians with an interest in music, culture, environment, rituals, and the preservation of traditions are invited to participate in this program. Through documentary works, IDEF 2026 aims to present new narratives about the relationship between humans, sacred sounds, and the earth as a shared living space.
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