Monica Vanesa Tedja
Monica Vanesa Tedja | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 September 1991 Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
Monica Vanesa Tedja (born 8 September 1991) is an Indonesian filmmaker. Their film, My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness won the Citra Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival.
Career
Tedja graduated from the Multimedia Nusantara University in 2013, majoring in Visual Communication and Design.[1] Their short film How to Make a Perfect X'Mas Eve won the Best Film presented by the Indonesian Film Directors Club at the 2013 XXI Short Film Festival.[2] In 2015, their short film Sleep Tight, Maria, which explores the topic of women's masturbation, won the Best Short Film award at Festival Sinema Prancis, held by the Institut Français.[3] In 2016, they directed a short film The Bird and the Bee, which earned a Special Mention in the Best Drama/Comedy Short Film category at the XXI Short Film Festival.[4]
Tedja moved to Berlin to pursue an Master of Arts in Film Directing at the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg. Their thesis short film Dear to Me, starring Jourdy Pranata and Jerome Kurnia, was screened at the Open Doors: Shorts program at the 74th Locarno Film Festival in 2021.[5] It received a nomination for the Best Live Action Short Film at the 2021 Indonesian Film Festival.[6]
In 2024, they directed a documentary short film My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness, which had its world premiere at the Dok Leipzig. It won the Best Documentary Short Film at the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival.[7] They created and directed a Netflix original series Night Shift for Cuties, set to release in 2026.[8]
Tedja is developing their feature-length debut film, Dear Family. The project participated at the 2021 Southeast Asia Film Lab.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | How to Make a Perfect X'Mas Eve | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 2012 | The Camouflage | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 2015 | Sleep Tight, Maria | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 2015 | The Flower and the Bee | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 2019 | The Void in Between | Yes | No | Short |
| 2021 | Dear to Me | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 2024 | My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness | Yes | Yes | Short |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Night Shift for Cuties | Yes | Yes | Netflix | 8 episodes |
References
- ^ "On the radar: Newcomer Monica Tedja takes on social taboos in award-winning short". The Jakarta Post. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ Sekarjati, Amalia (25 March 2013). "Wan An Raih Tiga Penghargaan di XXI Short Film Festival". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Yuliastuti, Dian (7 December 2015). "Gara-gara Fantasi Anak SMA, Monica Vanessa Rebut Tiket ke Paris". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "Daftar Lengkap Para Pemenang XXI Short Film Festival 2016". 21 Cineplex. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Fathurrozak (3 August 2021). "Dear To Me dari Sutradara Monica Tedja Tayang di Festival Film Locarno". Media Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Yuniar, Nanien (10 October 2021). "Daftar nominasi Piala Citra Festival Film Indonesia 2021". Antara (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Jasmine, Adinda (21 November 2024). "Daftar Lengkap Peraih Piala Citra 2024, JESEDEF Borong 7 Penghargaan". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "Monica Vanesa Tedja Jelajah Dunia K-pop Lewat Serial Perdana Night Shift for Cuties". Cantika (in Indonesian). 17 February 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (1 December 2021). "Indonesia's Monica Vanesa Tedja Explores Rebellion in Southeast Asia Film Lab Project 'Dear Family' – Singapore". Variety. Retrieved 1 March 2026.