Indonesia’s film industry has entered what a new study from JAFF Markets and Cinepoint calls a “definitive new phase”, with local films driving audience attendance, investor confidence increasing and the market outperforming its Southeast Asian peers.
The Film Industry Report 2025 ranks the country as the fastest growing theatrical market in the region and one of the most dynamic globally.
According to the report, the number of viewers for Indonesian movies is expected to reach 82 million in 2024 and exceed 100 million within five years, and the annual box office revenue is on track to reach 200 theatrical titles by 2028. In 2024, Indonesian films will account for 65% of the domestic box office revenue, with the top 10 Indonesian films attracting 33.5 million viewers, far more than the 20.1 million for imported films.
The study notes that Indonesia’s box office has recovered faster than most international markets post-pandemic, with box office revenue jumping from less than $75 million in 2020 to $392 million in 2024, overtaking Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Globally, Indonesia ranked 9th in both cinema admissions (127 million people) and film production (241 features) in 2024, despite major markets recording only modest growth or decline.
However, the report highlights contradictions. Indonesia remains grossly under-represented, with only 7.7 screens per million people, compared to 6,600 screens at its peak in the 1980s, and currently at just 2,354 screens. Most screens are Java-focused, with Cinema XXI alone accounting for around 60% of the national footprint, making it the most dominant single operator in the world.
This structural concentration exacerbates another problem: the lack of a distributor base. The report calls this Indonesia’s “missing link”. Producers must negotiate directly with exhibitors, assume all marketing and commercial risks, and rely on first-day performance to secure showtime. This is a disadvantageous system for movies that slowly build up through word of mouth.
Meanwhile, generational change is progressing at production sites. While long-time dominant studios such as MD Pictures, Starvision Plus, and Falcon continue to support the market, this report shows that new leaders are emerging. The top 10 production companies in the report from 2022 to 2025 are Legacy Pictures, Falcon, MVP Pictures, StarVision Plus, RAPI Films, Pickhouse Films, MD Pictures, Bicinema 786 Productions, and IDN Media.
Many of these companies are rapidly scaling up through co-production and co-financing models, the report notes. Hits like “Agak Laen,” “Sore,” “Siksa Kubur,” and “Pengepungan di Bukit Duri” demonstrate creative confidence and the audience’s growing appetite for hybrid genres.
Horror currently completely leads the box office in Indonesia. Half of the top 10 grossing Indonesian films since 2011 have been horror titles, with recent successes blending horror with comedy and drama, reflecting global trends and broadening the genre’s commercial reach.
The report also emphasizes that moviegoing remains a cultural cornerstone. Indonesia’s film culture dates back to 1900, and movie-going habits have historically waxed and waned with the industry’s creative cycles. However, affordability remains a major barrier. Relative to GDP per capita, Indonesia ranks as the most affordable movie market among comparable markets, even though the average ticket price is only about $3.
Economically, the impact of the screen sector is significant. It contributes $5.1 billion to GDP and supports approximately 400,000 jobs. Every Rp 1 trillion in new investment generates nearly $900 million in economic output and nearly 4,000 skilled jobs, positioning cinema not just as a cultural force but as a powerful economic multiplier.
To transform momentum into long-term stability, the report outlines three priority reforms. These include modernizing film policy (including replacing censorship with classification and strengthening data transparency), expanding market access through fairer screen allocation and regional film commissions, and attracting “smart capital” supported by tax rebates and production-based incentives.
