As Variety recently reported, Indonesian films have achieved a notable market reversal, and local films are now leading the box office, which is more dominant than Hollywood imports. But behind these statistics is the more complex narrative of creative evolution, strategic risk-taking, and the industry that learns to balance local reliability with global ambitions.
The architect of this transformation – Indonesian producers – is working on how to navigate everything from the fight for censorship to the challenge of serving 400 ready-release films through a distribution system that can only process 150 a year.
The numbers are below the shift scale. From the beginning of 2025, the number of local films to enter the total is 89.2 million, compared to 55.8 million (market share 63%) imports of 33.4 million (37%). This is based on 2024 admissions of 126 million people and Indonesian Film Cine Points forecast, with an annual entry of 100 million people expected by 2026, with overall growth of 10% per year. Film output is expected to rise to 200 by 2028 from 152 titles in 2024, with a screen count of 2,200 currently forecast to reach 2,700 by 2030.
“I think the key lies in the quality of storytelling and production value, regardless of the genre,” says Edwin Nazil, chairman of the association of Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI). “Over the past few years, the release of high-quality Indonesian films has increased. These films have appealed to a wider audience due to the quality and genre variations of storytelling, including animations such as horror comedy and drama action and genre films.”
Shanty Harmayn, a member of the Aprofi Advisory Board and head of base entertainment, points to films like the animated hit “Jumbo” and the science fiction love story “Painful” as proof that audiences want more than formula. “There are films for many types of viewers, but most importantly, there are some films that offer new things and push boundaries,” she says. She also emphasizes careful release management. “You need to be aware of the number of films released in the same week, as each film gives you the best chance to win audiences.”
The horror cycle, a staple food in Indonesian films, continues, but returns are declining. “Horror films are still working well, but not as strong as last year. Drama films look like they’re gaining popularity again,” Nazir points out. Harmayn adds: “There’s a cycle where there are too many horror movies, creating saturation. But one or two movies that push the boundaries and provide something fresh, the cycle breaks. The cycle starts again.”
For Yulia Evina Bhara, head of international relations at Aprofi and founder of Kawankawan Media, the central principle is relevance. “We need to come up with films that are relevant to both the global and local markets,” she explains. That means targeting young, digitally native audiences in Indonesia. “Gen Z and Young Millennials are their main audience,” emphasizes Harmayn. “The stories need to resonate with them, and marketing strategies also need to understand how to communicate with them, especially in the digital media space.”
Streaming platforms have become important both as revenue streams and as creative incubators. “Streaming platforms have positively impacted audiences’ film viewing habits and benefited the entire ecosystem,” says Nazir. Harmayn calls it a key secondary channel after the theatre, but Bhara warns that the platform needs to support diversity to avoid oversaturation.
However, the distribution remains structurally weak links. “At the year, around 400 films were ready for theatrical release. However, Indonesian cinemas are limited to screening only about 150 films a year due to the limited number of screens available,” says Bhara. Nazir adds that investors are keen to produce. “However, the industry needs more players in the distribution and exhibition sector as we have not yet been screened.”
The producers are clear about the need for government action. “We need to build more theatres. These theatres need to meet the needs of different types of markets. They need small towns and large towns,” Bala argues. Nazir calls for consistent policy support. “It’s time for the Indonesian film industry to have public production funds, tax incentives or rebate schemes, and other policies that drive growth.”
In censorship, Nazir points to a change in encouragement. “In the past few years, we have improved how our censorship committees view films, and they are now focused on classification and are more open to dialogue with filmmakers.
Co-production is a critical strategy. Members of Aprofi showcase several international co-productions at the Busan International Film Festival. Harmayn cites “Mothernet,” an Indonesian-language project filmed by a Singaporean cinematography director and funded with support from Singapore and Taiwan. Bhara’s credits include co-produced “Autobiography,” “Tiger Stripes,” “The Weather Is The Food,” and “The Fox King,” with Nazir highlighting their collaboration with Korea through IP adaptation and joint funding deals. “In the coming years, we can expect more collaborative projects involving various Asian countries,” he says.
The investment appetite is growing, but sustainability is a concern. “There are more players in the investment sector. They’re looking for projects,” says Bala. “The challenge is how to keep these investments sustainable, and we need to repay the faith of our investors by making sure the film industry is indeed advantageous.
Going forward, Rose defines success as a built infrastructure tailored to creative ambitions. “We can get there by supporting filmmakers who come up with a variety of very personal stories. By encouraging international co-production with other countries, we cement our position in global filmmaking and ensure that censorship doesn’t take away the brilliance of our filmmakers.”
Harmayn added: Nazir highlights the central role of producers. “Because the industry is content-based, producers play a key role in continuing to produce high quality content that appeals to a wider audience, both locally and internationally.”
Market data tracked by partnerships such as Jaff Market and Cinepoint show the quantitative success of Indonesian films, so producers driving this transformation focus on the qualitative challenges that will determine whether the current boom will become a sustainable cultural movement. Their concerns go beyond screen counts and admission numbers to basic questions about creative freedom, fairness in distribution, and the narrative that Indonesian films should tell assert its position at the global stage.
With 44 influential Aprofi members, including Mira Lesmana, Harmen, Ifa Isfanschya, Diane Sastrovaldojo, Bala and Nazir leading this creative evolution, the next chapter of Indonesian film promises as much artistic ambition as dominance of the market.
It turns out that the revolution in Indonesian cinema is written not only with box office revenue, but also with joint innovations from producers who understand that creative choices, policy warfares and sustainable success require more than just defeating Hollywood in their own games, but also beating Indonesian storytelling methods to the world.
