Bali, one of over 17,000 islands across archipelago, currently renown as ‘Island of The Gods’. The award-winning island destination, a home for approximately 4 million people, got a new title now: Island of Love, thanks to author Elizabeth Gilbert and Julia Roberts’ film team.

The film production of Eat, Pray, Love (EPL) starring Julia Roberts has given Bali a new title, Island of Love. The movie, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir tells about the author’s journey for self-discovery to three countries: Italy (Eat), India (Pray) and Indonesia (Love). In Ubud, Bali, the author rediscovered the combination of Eat, Pray and found she could Love once more. Hence the new Bali title, Island of Love.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has no qualm about it. “We have to be thankful, because the presence of the Hollywood movie star has given birth to Bali’s new title, Island of Love, which will of course support our tourism,” said him in Denpasar on Saturday (7 November 2009).

[via Indonesia Travel]

The new Information and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring showed a good sample on how to engage Indonesian people directly: by tweeting. The good thing is he tweeted by himself –instead of by his staff like VP Boediono did — and responded to their followers. No wonder he got more than 22,000 followers so far. He even already created two lists (kontenkreatifindonesia and media) so far. Bravo, Pak Menteri!

Adding a slight twist to movie soundtrack “Garuda Di Dadaku” (Garuda in My Heart), which his band sang for a recently released family entertainment film, Bagus – along with composer Fariz R.M. and singer Once – states his support for the currently troubled Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

[via The Jakarta Post]

Sang Pemimpi (The Dreamer) is the sequel of box office Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warrior) directed by Riri Riza. The brand new movie has been selected to be the opening movie in the upcoming Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) 2009 on Desember 4, 2009 — the first Indonesian film to be screened as the opening movie since the first JiFFest in 1999. Based on Andrea Hirata’s second tetralogy, the coming-of-age tale tells of the adventure of Ikal and his cousin, Arai, as well as their friends and will be screened in the country’s theatres on December 17.

Riri graduated in 1993 from the Jakarta Arts Institute, where he majored in film directing. His final film project, Sonata Kampung Bata, won third place in the 1994 Oberhausen short film festival. From May 19 through June 10 this year, he attended the touring event “Indonesian Film Festival: Focus on Riri Riza” was held in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Germany.

I watched the first sequel, Laskar Pelangi, last year in Jakarta and I can’t hardly wait to enjoy the sequel. As I learned from some earlier reviews and the trailer, looks like Sang Pemimpi is really worth watching.

Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Yunus have been invited to attend the 29th World Peace Day commemoration ceremony in Ambon this month, according to the chairman Djuyoto Suntani. According to Djuyoto, the committee itself is still waiting for confirmations from the Nobel Laureates.