Bond alumna Mouly Surya has been named Australian Alumni of the Year for 2017 at a prestigious awards night and “welcome home” gala event hosted by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
As an award-winning writer, producer, and film director Mouly founded film production company Cinesurya on her return to Indonesia from Australia. Mouly’s films Fiksi and What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love have received acclaim in Indonesia and around the world – bringing Indonesian stories and perspectives to international audiences.
In 2013, Mouly’s second film - What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love - was the first Indonesian film to be in the Sundance International Film Festival. The film had its European Premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at the same festival.
It also won the Best New Director award at the Las Palmas Film Festival, and has been show at 50 film festivals all over the world. Nationally, it was nominated for four Indonesian Film Academy Awards and won three for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film.
Mouly said she decided to be a filmmaker when she was in Australia. She studied her Masters of Film & TV at Bond University, graduating in 2004.
“I learned to be more critical in Australia and I learned how to express myself more freely. I believe these traits have become my strengths in working in the field I’m in,” she said.
Her advice for newly graduated Australian alumni was to reach out to, and create a network with, other alumni and work together as well as support each other.
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson said that Australia is immensely proud of its alumni and celebrating their achievements inspires all those in our alumni community (known as #OzAlum).
“Everywhere I go, I meet talented alumni making significant contributions to their organisations and communities. This is also been reflected in the number of high-calibre Alumni Award nominations we have received,” Ambassador Grigson said.
To hear more from Mouly, you can view her video here.