Jakarta, August 12, 2024 – After the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of Indonesian moviegoers continues to surge, reaching 55 million viewers in 2023. Although the numbers continue to increase, the market share of Indonesian movies is still considered very limited, especially considering the large number of local films that must compete at the same time. This inevitably affects the lack of genre variety in the Indonesian film industry.
At the end of the day, the choice to produce horror films is often motivated by the assumption that this genre is the best-selling and most popular among Indonesians. To illustrate this point further, there are at least 258 local feature film productions in the horror genre within the past decade. In the last two years, the title of the highest grossing local feature film is also held by those of the horror genre; KKN di Desa Penari (2022) with 4.62 million viewers and Sewu Dino (2023) with 4.89 million viewers.
This situation was presented by Edwin Nazir, a film producer and Chairman of the Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI) to open the Timeout! Episode 4 discussion, “Redefining Indonesian Film Genre: Between Money Making Movies vs Idealism” on Saturday (10/08) at the Asian Creative and Digital Economy Youth Summit (ACE-YS) Secretariat office, Central Jakarta. Two other Indonesian film professionals were also present as speakers at this event; Alexander Matius, Program Director of Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival – JAFF, and Lukman Sardi, actor and Chief Creative Officer of Adhya Pictures.
Following Edwin’s statement, Alexander Matius added that financial factors play a crucial role in the consideration surrounding movie production. “This industry does not only look at the aesthetic scale, but also economic products and processes. We must realize that film is an economic product that costs money. When we talk about genre exploration, we often think immediately, ‘Is this genre profitable?’” he said.
Meanwhile, instead of worrying about genre, Edwin emphasizes that the most important thing to prioritize is the quality of the film production itself. “The success of a movie is unpredictable. It’s true that horror movies are produced the most because they are considered the safest, but that doesn’t mean they will always be successful. Instead of thinking about genre, the most important thing is the quality. I encourage filmmakers to make good and quality movies that are worth remembering,” said the man who is also the producer of the movie DreadOut.
In Indonesia, horror films are closely related to traditions and beliefs in people’s daily lives. Lukman Sardi, who is an important member of the production house that often manages film production funding, explained that investment and funding still often prioritize what is seen as a reflection of public taste.
“However, it is important to emphasize that audiences who like genres other than horror must also be accommodated. In this regard, the film industry has a responsibility to fulfill the needs of other markets. We shouldn’t keep focusing on capitalistic opportunism or using the philosophy of Kecuanan Yang Maha Esa (belief in money as the one and only god),” the actor added, jesting with a pun of Indonesia’s first Pancasila principle, Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa. His remarks were spontaneously greeted with laughter and nods of agreement from the participants.
©2024 ACE-YS/Gani Amin
Moderated by Naomi Hitanayri, Project Management Officer of Pancaran Sinema, Timeout! Episode 4 then gave the chance for participants to ask questions or express their opinions. One of the 50 participants selected to attend the discussion was Ajeng Adinda Putri, a corporate communication officer at a local movie theater chain. In the Q&A session, Ajeng raised the issue surrounding the demand for more family movies. The speakers agreed that an open attitude to the issue at hand is necessary. There should also be more open discussion spaces supported by various stakeholders, including the government.
As one example of such discussion spaces, Timeout! aims to provide a place for young creatives to take a break and exchange ideas, connect, and explore various perspectives with industry experts and practitioners. The discussion, which is part of the ACE-YS event series, explores issues in various sectors of the creative economy. In the previous three episodes, Timeout! discussed artificial intelligence (AI), games, and intellectual property.
Closing the discussion, the three speakers emphasized the importance of synergy between idealism and market schemes, so that there could be opportunities for other genres to step up. They also urged the public to support the sustainability of the Indonesian film industry in the future by continuing to watch local films with varied genres and avoiding piracy.
Writer: Ramos M. Y. Siahaan
Editor: K. Langit Rinesti
