MAARIJ REKA NEST AWARD: ISI STUDENT WINS IN SAN SEBASTIáN
Maarij Reka Nest Award: an ISI Yogyakarta student won at San Sebastián 2026 with “Erased from the Map”. Here is the story and why it matters.
At a glance
- Entries: 503 short films from 232 film schools in 61 countries
- Selected for Nest 2026: 14 films
- Film length: 17 minutes
- Festival: 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, 18–26 September 2026
Out of 503 short films, only 14 made it into the program. One of those 14 was made by a student in Yogyakarta, and it walked away with the prize.
Who is Maarij Reka and what did he win?
Maarij Reka is a film student at Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta who won the Tabakalera Film and Audiovisual Laboratory–Nest Award 2026. He won it for his 17-minute short film “Dihapus dari Peta” (Erased from the Map). The award was given at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF) in Spain, held on 18–26 September 2026. The film beat 503 entries from 232 film schools across 61 countries. The announcements we reviewed do not mention a cash prize.
Maarij studies in the Film and Television Study Program, Faculty of Recorded Media Arts, at ISI Yogyakarta. He wrote and directed the film himself.
View this post on Instagram
What is “Dihapus dari Peta” about?
The film follows a young man who goes back to the house and village where he grew up. That place is about to change because of the construction of a new national capital.
Maarij does not tell this through big speeches. He uses family photos, relatives, and memories that the main character tries to rebuild piece by piece. In the clip shared by the festival, the screen is grey and grainy, and a hand rests flat against a wall as if it is trying to hold the place in position.
View this post on Instagram
Why is the Maarij Reka Nest Award win a big deal?
Look at the numbers again. Only 14 of 503 films were selected for Nest 2026. That is about 2.8 percent.
Nest is the festival’s program for student short films, and the winner is chosen by the festival, not by the audience. The award is named after Tabakalera, the Basque cultural center that backs the prize.
Here is the part worth sharing. Maarij did not win with a big-budget story about a faraway place. He won with a film about something many Indonesians recognize at home: a neighborhood that changes faster than the people living in it. A very local story turned out to be very easy to understand in Spain.
What does this mean for Indonesian film students?
For ISI Yogyakarta, this is a clear sign that a campus film can compete directly with schools from 61 countries. For other students, the lesson is practical. The jury did not pick the most polished film in the world. It picked a film with a specific place, a specific family, and a specific loss.
The festival’s own photo from the ceremony shows the Nest group on stage under the pink SSIFF 74 backdrop. Maarij is kneeling in the front row, holding his certificate.
Where can you learn more?
The official details are on the San Sebastián Festival website and on the ISI Yogyakarta site. Maarij also shares updates on his Instagram, @maarijreka. We will update this article if the film gets a public screening in Indonesia.
