Fall in New York City is film festival season. Film screenings of various genres are held across all boroughs, from the Bronx to Staten Island. This fall, several Indonesian films were featured at various local New York festivals, such as Forbidden Door (by Joko Anwar) at the Psychic Reader Horror Festival in Brooklyn, Soul Trip (Namirah Zihniah) and The Sea Between Us (Anne Yasmine) at the New York Short Film Festival in Manhattan.. 

However, what is particularly noteworthy is the screening of Indonesian Short Home, Almost, a short film that had its world premiere at the 30th Urbanworld Film Festival in New York. Directed by acclaimed Indonesian filmmaker Tumpal Tampubolon, whose short film The Sea Calls for Me won the Sonje Award at the 26th Busan International Film Festival. 

“I started working on the script with my co-writer, Kenneth Lisungan, in early March 2026. We spent about a month in pre-production before shooting at the end of April. The shoot took three days, and we spent most of May editing. So, from the first draft to the final cut, the whole process took around three months”, explained Tumpal to thecreativetalk.com. 

The film follows Darren, an amateur MMA fighter whose journey home with his father and younger sibling develops into a deeply personal family conflict. Through intense fight sequences and emotional storytelling, Home, Almost explores racism issues, cultural identity, and intergenerational relationships within a Chinese and Indonesian family.

The film main cast is Azka Corbuzier, a talented Indonesian actor, content creator, and martial artist whose work spans film, digital media, entertainment, and sports. Growing up in the public eye, Azka has developed his own path by exploring different creative fields while continuing to pursue his interests both on and off camera. 

“Honestly, the most challenging part wasn't the fighting. I've been training in martial arts for years, so even though fighting for the camera is very different from actual combat, that part still felt familiar to me. The real challenge was acting”, said Azka who got a spotlight from film enthusiasts at the Urbanworld Film Fest.

“This was my very first film, and I quickly realized that acting isn't just about memorizing lines or showing emotions. It's about making people believe that the person they're watching is real, going through real experiences and real feelings”, added Azka who came into this film knowing how to fight and wanting to learn more about how to act. The 18-minute film marks the acting debut of Azka Corbuzier, who steps into a challenging role that goes beyond his martial arts background.

The short film succeeded in attracting the attention of local filmmakers, film distributors and film fans because, in addition to its good filmmaking, it also features a combination of visceral action, cultural identity, and emotionally charged family drama. “We're currently planning a feature film. It won't be exactly the same story, but we want to explore similar territory, a coming of age story with martial arts elements. It's still in the early stages, but we're excited to see where it goes!”, added Tumpal after the film screening.

For readers who want to learn more about the film, its actors, and its director, you can check out https://azkacorbuzier.com/  and IG @azkacorbuzier / @lapmut 

Written by Naratama / October 2026