Indonesia’s Mandela Pictures and South Korea and Los Angeles-based Desert Bloom Pictures have developed a four-film development plan, and the agreement was announced at Yogyakarta’s JAFF Market.
The partnership will establish a pipeline of projects aimed at bridging the Indonesian, Korean and Hollywood markets, combining Desert Bloom’s track record in Korean blockbusters with Mandela’s intellectual property and establishing a position in Southeast Asia’s largest theatrical market.
Desert Bloom is led by executives Jenice Lee, Hugh Cha and Hyun-jin Park, whose credits include Korean box office hits “Exhuma” and “Along with God,” as well as experience at Studio Dragon, Dexter Studios and Lotte Culture Works. The Seoul and Los Angeles operations develop cross-cultural content targeting Asian and American audiences.
Jakarta-based Mandela Pictures, run by the Samtani brothers (Manoj, Deepak and Ravesh), is expanding its lineup of genre and commercial titles while growing its film library and presence in theaters and streaming in Indonesia.
The initial stage consists of four projects. The Ugly Duckling (tentative title) is being developed as a co-production between Indonesia and South Korea and is described as a drama aimed at Indonesian audiences that examines themes of image, identity, and reinvention in the age of social media. The two additions, set in Indonesia, adapt U.S. or Korean IPs for local audiences and reimagine existing properties with Indonesian settings and cultural elements. The untitled Korean horror feature is based on a title from Mandela’s newly launched genre label BN13 and is being developed primarily for Korean theatrical release and overseas genre buyers.
“We didn’t want a one-off collaboration. We wanted a real clean slate,” said Mandela Pictures chief operating officer Ravesh Samtani. “Starting with ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and our genre label’s key horror titles, our goal is to grow stories rooted in Indonesia that feel at home in Jakarta, Seoul and Los Angeles.”
“Indonesia is one of the most exciting growth markets in the region,” added Jenice Lee, CEO of Desert Bloom Pictures. “We believe that combining Mandela’s IP and local insights with our Korean and Hollywood IP and networks presents an opportunity to build a long-term cross-border studio ecosystem together.”
The partnership includes a talent exchange element, with plans to invite Korean writers, directors and creative executives to collaborate with Indonesian teams in the writers’ room and on set, creating opportunities for Indonesian talent to work on hybrid productions with Korean productions.
Creative attachments, casting and production schedule for the project will be revealed as development progresses.
