Jakarta Deputy Governor and veteran actor Rano Karno used a panel discussion at the JAFF Market in Yogyakarta to outline his plans to position Jakarta as a global film production center ahead of the city’s 500th anniversary in 2027, declaring that “the time has come” and calling for a concerted push to make Jakarta a film-friendly city.
“In 2027, Jakarta will celebrate its 500th anniversary. So what can we create to commemorate this?” Karno asked. Along with Andi Boediman, producer and CEO of Ideosource Entertainment, Edwin Nazir, president of the Indonesian Producers Association APROFI, and director Ernest Prakasa, the panel discussion discussed the future of the Indonesian film industry and film production ecosystem, especially in Jakarta.
Mr. Karno proposed a paper on how Jakarta as a city can serve further purposes in film production and expand cultural experiences in its efforts to become a global city. “The celebration of the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam took three years to prepare, but nothing is ready for the 500th anniversary of Jakarta. I dream of this city developing as a city of cinema, so there is a political obligation to establish Jakarta as such a city.” Karno presented the idea of developing Jakarta’s urban identity through cinematic experiences, naming the set of aspirations “Jakarta: City of Cinema.”
Carno explained that in order to realize such aspirations, the city needs to go through a series of collaborative processes. This began with hosting international film-related events in the city of Jakarta, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival, and a strategic partnership with the Asia-Pacific Film Institute. Jakarta also hosts various film screening events such as Jakarta Film Week and Jakarta World Cinema.
“According to the legal definition, Jakarta is the economic center of the country and holds the status of a world city,” he said. Mr. Karno understood what makes a world city and defined Jakarta’s potential to become a world city by making it film-friendly. The program aims to promote Jakarta as a city worth investing in films through various locations activated for filming possibilities, and to expand film screenings and various film-related events.
Mr. Budiman presented the results of his research on the Indonesian film industry. “I spoke to many filmmakers and people involved in film to understand how to improve Indonesia’s film production policy,” Boydiman said. “The Indonesian market is in a great position right now. The market share of the local film industry was 65% as of last year, compared to only 45% in 2019. Indonesia is currently among the top 10 in the world for local film market share.”
“In 2016, Indonesia received a negative investment list, which had a significant impact on the country’s film production policy. This gave the green light to foreign investment in films, and within a year, viewership expanded significantly. It continued to grow every year until the pandemic, but it also experienced a post-crisis recovery,” he added.
Boydiman also mentioned the role of Indonesian film institutions in the industry as a whole, which reflects a coordinated fragmentation. Overlapping mandates, informal coordination, and politically-driven restructuring create temporary programs and shifts in priorities that impede sustainable implementation and long-term policy continuity.
He believes that an institutional model for sustainable industry coordination should center around local film commissions, which act as coordinators of regional film ecosystems. The idea is similar to a program proposed by the Jakarta government with a designated film commission to support and promote film production in the region. Both programs announced aim to develop the creative industry, especially the film sector, and create a sustainable interconnection of film and culture in the daily lives of Indonesians.
