As celluloid trends come and go - from local horror legends to teenage romance; from sex comedies to religioius films - the indonesian film industry continues its ascent up the box office stakes and well into a golden age not seen since the mid-80s.
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Iskandar Liem
Contributor
The Jakarta Post
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But with at least one local film opening every other week, it becomes hard to pick the ones truly worth sitting through from the middling, formulaic ones. Here a few films slated for release this year that particularly stand out among the rest.
First up is 'In the Name Of Love' which opens in a couple of weeks time. The latest cinematic endeavor from Rudi Soedjarwo is a romantic saga about two star-crossed lovers from two feuding families who have to overcome countless obstacles to be together.
To call this local version of Romeo and Juliet a star-studded affair would be an understandment. Apart from having rising stars Vino Bastian and Acha Septriasa in its leading roles, it also boasts A-listers like Luna Maya, Marsha Timothy and Nino Fernandez, alongside seasoned veterans like ROy Marten, Tutie Kirana and ofcourse the great Christine Hakim.
As quoted from the film's official website, Rudi commented that he "had always dreamed about making a film that involved a compilation of great names and characters."
Under lesser directors, this concept could easily collapse under its own weight and become a trite soap opera, but in Rudi's deft hands, it might well turn out to be another noteworthy addition in the versatile director's accomplished curriculum vitae. Miles Films, the production house behind Rudi's breakthrough 2002 hit 'Ada Apa Dengan Cinta' (What's Up With Love), also has a significant project in the works: a big screen adaptaion of Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors.) A much loved best seller by local author Andrea Hirata, it tells of a bunch of underprivileged village kids in their struggles for education.
Mira Lesmana, the producer behind Miles Films, is back in the saddle with her long time collaborator Riri Riza, who will take on directorial duties while scriptwriting has been entrusted to salman Aristo, the scribe of current box office smash Ayat Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love.)
To retain an authentic feel and be faithful to the book, filming will take place next month in Bangka Belitung, where the story's set. Also, as a convincing local accent is pivotal to the film, the kids will most likely be played by local Belitung residents. Come October, audiences will get to see if Mira and Riri succeed in working their magic on Laskar Pelangi like they did on Pertualangan Sherina, the crowd pleaser that was responsible for jump starting the comatose Indonesian film industry back in 2000.
Two other eagerly anticipated feature films are making a name for themselves in the international scene, namely Bola Itu Bundar (the Ball is Round) and Babi Buta Yang Inging Terbang (Blind Pig Who Wants To Fly.) The former is Destiny Films sophomore effor about two battling soccer teams in the fictitious contry of Bolanesia that's set to star Hollywood names like Costas Mandylor (Picket Fences) and his brother Lous (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as well as his French soccer player Frank Lebouef. The Indonesian soccer-loving public will undoubtedly wait with bated breath to catch the flick, which is most likely to get overseas relases as well.
Oddly titled Babi Buta Yang Ingin Terbang is the big screen debut of Edwin, who generated considerable buzz when his short film Kara, Anak Sebatang Phon (Kara, Child of A Tree) was screened in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival a few years back. Beating out seven other Southeast Asian Film ideas for funding from the Hubert Bals Foundation, Babi Buta is an anthology of stories on the Indonesian-Born Chinese experience, which tells of eight characters rejection or coming to terms with their Chinese Racial identitiy.
There's the father who desperately wants to move his family to America, the former national badminton champion whose husband leaves her for a Javanese woman and the fair-skinned Manado boy who constantly gets beaten up for being Chinese-looking, among others. The flick's touchy yet relevant subject matter of racial discrimation looks set to ruffle a few feathers back home before making its rounds in the international festival circuit.
Speaking of anthologies, there's a horror one coming up from newcomer Komodo Films. The as yet untitled collection of scary yarns features the short film Dara, which played to sold out sessions at last year's ScreamFest in Jakarta and Bandung. Featuring modal turned actress Shareefa Daanish as the titular culinary-skilled gal with a penchant for torture and gore, this short flick has garnered a couple of awards from horror film festivals in Arizona and New York. This chilling anthology is expected to hit theaters around July.
Also slated for release around the middle of the year is Fiksi (fiction), another feature film debut of a short filmmaker. Directed by Mouly Surya, a Gold Coast Film school graduate, and penned by Joko Anwar, this psychological thriller revolves around a rich girl who runs away from her privileged life to get close to an aspiring writer whom she's obsessed with.
After finding out the writer's inability to create endings for his characters (which are based on real people around him), she's willing to do anything to help out, including murder. This film is one of two films (the other being Babi Buta) that mark the welcome return of talented Ada Apa Dengan Cinta alumni Ladya Cheryl, apart from appearing in a handful of music videos and short films in the past couple of years. Under the direction of 26 year old Mouly, whose showreel on YouTube promises plenty of striking and haunting visuals, Ladya could deservedly be well on her way to being a staple leading lady of the Indonesian silver screen.
Aside from scriptwriting duties on Fiksi, Joko Anwar also pens and directs Pintu Terlarang (Forbidden Door), his first directorial effort since last year's mind blowing Kala (Time). Pintu Terlarang tells of a henpecked sculptor who discovers a secret organization in which members can watch the lives of the most dysfunctional families in town, which are fed from hidden cameras. When he stumbles upon a channel showing a little boy being viciously abused by his parents, he tries to find the kid to save him. But his quest leads him back to a secret door in his own house that could be the answer to many puzzles.
Set in Joko's trademark timeless neo-noir parallel universe similar to that of Kala, this claustrophobic world is also graced with the precious leading man Fachri Albar, who arguably embodies the stong-yet-vulnerable male character better than any of his local counterparts. About the pic's potential mass appeal, Joko mischievously commented that "It's got losers, blood, sex, and violence - what's not to like?"
Well, lets keep our fingers crossed it's not butchered senseless by the censorship board like 2007's Perempuan Punya Cerita (Chants of Lotus) and 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (3 Days to Forever.) As Pintu Terlarang brings 2008 to a close (tentatively slated for December release) and as more and more local films get released every year, let's hope that with increased quantity comes increased quality as well.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Distribution seen as main obstacle to film industry growth
Ary Hermawan
The jakarta Post
M Taufik Hidayat arrived in Jakarta with a mission - to voice the concerns of his colleagues in the East Java Association of Small Theater Operators, who claim to have suffered from unfair business competition.
He attended "The fate of Indonesian Fils in Theaters", a seminar recently held by the Indonesian Journalists Association of Reform (PWI-R).
He particularly wanted to meet the head of the Business Competition Superisor Committee (KPPU), Muhammad Iqbal, who was speaking at the event.
Seated in the back row, Hidayat was the first to stand up when the question and answer session started. he talked about how many small theater owners were forced to transform their theatres into motorcycle showrooms or parking lots because of failing visitor numbers.
"We are facing problems acquiring movies, mainly the ew local ones. The (local film) distributors say they only give them to the 21 group. We can only screen a movie at our theater after it has played at 21," he said. "Dont blame us if we resort to showing soft porn flicks to survive."
Kumala Atmadja, one of the seminar atendees, answered that these things had to be seen in the light of market, mechanisms - if you can't compete, you lose.
The KPPU has investigated the national theater industry following reports the 21 group of theaters was involved in unfair business practices. the agency found no evidence to support the allegations.
Muhammad Iqbal suggested Hidayat file a new report, which Hidayat did but recieved no response. The 21 group is the country's largest theater company with 353 screensin 85 locations in big cities across the country, including Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. It has a total of 60,000 seats and is capable of screening some 100 films annually.
The group has long dominated film distribution in the country, especially since it was given the right to import comercial movies in the 1990s. While it was not found guilty of violating the law on monopolies, the company's dominance is worrying to some. Research by PWi-R found that out of 48 local movies produced last year, only eight were distributed through more thanone theater group. It also pointed out cases where film producers canceled their agreements with theaters outside the 21 group.
Even blitz Megaplex, the report said, finds it difficult to request a movie from film producers who have signed agreements with the 21 group, let alone single screen theaters. The 21 Group has denied monopolizing the theater industry, saying it is an open market and anyone can import movies and build cinemas. Film producers also say their actions are based purely on business considerations.
"we always make copies of films in line with the available screens. The cost of a single film copy is about Rp. 12 Million (US$1,333) so we have to make sure our films can generate enough money in theaters," said Aris Muda, the media relations and promotions manager for producer Multivision. "The competition is tough to even get a screening schedule in theaters (of the 21 Group.)"
While local film production has increased from 35 films in 2006 to 77 last year, the number of theater-goers remains relatively low. A survey conducted by Kompas daily last december found 62 percent of 1,358 people it surveyed preferred watching movies at home.
Only 12.4 percent still went to theatres and 60 percent said they had not gone to the movies in more than a year. The unchecked distribution of pirated DVDs and VCDs sold at affordable prices is partly responsible for declining theater attendance.
The situation seems hopeless for small theater owners. Film critic Budi Irawanto of Gadjah Mada University said the survival of small theaters also determined the genres and the quality of films produced by INdonesian filmmakers. "As youngsters now account for the biggest block of visitors to theaters, more filmmakers are making teen flicks..," he said.
He believes the industry will move in the right direction only after its distribution channels and exhibition spaces have been democratized and its content becomes less and less Jakarta centered. "The problems of local theaters cannot be settled through market mechanisms alone. we need reformed regulations to enable the theater industry to grow and support the national film industry," he said.
The government, he said, needs to pay heed to the old demand to cut or scrap the theater screening tax imposed on theater owners. He believes a national policy that fairly regulates film distribution is important to ensure that Hidayat and his colleagues can offer new movies to customers.
The jakarta Post
M Taufik Hidayat arrived in Jakarta with a mission - to voice the concerns of his colleagues in the East Java Association of Small Theater Operators, who claim to have suffered from unfair business competition.
He attended "The fate of Indonesian Fils in Theaters", a seminar recently held by the Indonesian Journalists Association of Reform (PWI-R).
He particularly wanted to meet the head of the Business Competition Superisor Committee (KPPU), Muhammad Iqbal, who was speaking at the event.
Seated in the back row, Hidayat was the first to stand up when the question and answer session started. he talked about how many small theater owners were forced to transform their theatres into motorcycle showrooms or parking lots because of failing visitor numbers.
"We are facing problems acquiring movies, mainly the ew local ones. The (local film) distributors say they only give them to the 21 group. We can only screen a movie at our theater after it has played at 21," he said. "Dont blame us if we resort to showing soft porn flicks to survive."
Kumala Atmadja, one of the seminar atendees, answered that these things had to be seen in the light of market, mechanisms - if you can't compete, you lose.
The KPPU has investigated the national theater industry following reports the 21 group of theaters was involved in unfair business practices. the agency found no evidence to support the allegations.
Muhammad Iqbal suggested Hidayat file a new report, which Hidayat did but recieved no response. The 21 group is the country's largest theater company with 353 screensin 85 locations in big cities across the country, including Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. It has a total of 60,000 seats and is capable of screening some 100 films annually.
The group has long dominated film distribution in the country, especially since it was given the right to import comercial movies in the 1990s. While it was not found guilty of violating the law on monopolies, the company's dominance is worrying to some. Research by PWi-R found that out of 48 local movies produced last year, only eight were distributed through more thanone theater group. It also pointed out cases where film producers canceled their agreements with theaters outside the 21 group.
Even blitz Megaplex, the report said, finds it difficult to request a movie from film producers who have signed agreements with the 21 group, let alone single screen theaters. The 21 Group has denied monopolizing the theater industry, saying it is an open market and anyone can import movies and build cinemas. Film producers also say their actions are based purely on business considerations.
"we always make copies of films in line with the available screens. The cost of a single film copy is about Rp. 12 Million (US$1,333) so we have to make sure our films can generate enough money in theaters," said Aris Muda, the media relations and promotions manager for producer Multivision. "The competition is tough to even get a screening schedule in theaters (of the 21 Group.)"
While local film production has increased from 35 films in 2006 to 77 last year, the number of theater-goers remains relatively low. A survey conducted by Kompas daily last december found 62 percent of 1,358 people it surveyed preferred watching movies at home.
Only 12.4 percent still went to theatres and 60 percent said they had not gone to the movies in more than a year. The unchecked distribution of pirated DVDs and VCDs sold at affordable prices is partly responsible for declining theater attendance.
The situation seems hopeless for small theater owners. Film critic Budi Irawanto of Gadjah Mada University said the survival of small theaters also determined the genres and the quality of films produced by INdonesian filmmakers. "As youngsters now account for the biggest block of visitors to theaters, more filmmakers are making teen flicks..," he said.
He believes the industry will move in the right direction only after its distribution channels and exhibition spaces have been democratized and its content becomes less and less Jakarta centered. "The problems of local theaters cannot be settled through market mechanisms alone. we need reformed regulations to enable the theater industry to grow and support the national film industry," he said.
The government, he said, needs to pay heed to the old demand to cut or scrap the theater screening tax imposed on theater owners. He believes a national policy that fairly regulates film distribution is important to ensure that Hidayat and his colleagues can offer new movies to customers.
Friday, March 28, 2008
First Media to spend US$85m on growth
Publicly listed Internet provider and pay television company PT First Media plans to spend up to US$85 million in capital expenditures and boost its subscribers by 200,000 by the end of the year.
Finance director Thelma S. Victorio told reporters Wednesday the company would allocate 40 percentof the capital to expand its broadband network, and another 25 percent to set up modems and smart cards for subscribers.
The money will be spent on increasing Internet bandwith and content for television and Internet services, she said.
"We will extend our broadband network to 6,000 kilometers to reach 600,000 homes this year, up from last year's 400,000 homes," thelma said.
Last year, the company's broadband network was 3,700 kilometers, reaching 400,000 homes in Greater Jakarta, up fro 2,859 km serving 300,000 homes in 2006, she said. Thelma said the expansion would boost revenue, projected to reach Rp 800 billion (US$ 88 million) by the end of this year - almost double last year's Rp 435 billion. The company reported revenue of Rp 390 billion in 2006.
She said First Media's combined pay TV and Internet package, sold since February, would increase revenue this year, as it was the only company to offer such a package. "We offer a different service to our subscribers, they can enjoy both cable TV and the Internet from the same network, from us," Thelma said.
She said the integrated service was available from Rp 188,000 per month. Deputy president director Roberto Feliciano said with more than 139 subscribers, pay TV was the biggest contributor to the company's revenue last year, generating more than RP 215.34 billion.
He said FastNet Internet contributed Rp 89 billion to total revenue, while data communication services provided to 200 corporations brought in Rp 63.5 billion in 2007. Feliciano said advertising and other services contributed Rp 49.9 billion and Rp 17 billion respectively.
He said the pay TV service would continue to be the highest revenue-raiser for the company, which would also seek to expand Internet subscriptions andadvertising revenue from cable TV.
Feliciano said the different channels the company offered were attractive to advertisers who wanted a cost-effective way to reach segmented audiences.
Finance director Thelma S. Victorio told reporters Wednesday the company would allocate 40 percentof the capital to expand its broadband network, and another 25 percent to set up modems and smart cards for subscribers.
The money will be spent on increasing Internet bandwith and content for television and Internet services, she said.
"We will extend our broadband network to 6,000 kilometers to reach 600,000 homes this year, up from last year's 400,000 homes," thelma said.
Last year, the company's broadband network was 3,700 kilometers, reaching 400,000 homes in Greater Jakarta, up fro 2,859 km serving 300,000 homes in 2006, she said. Thelma said the expansion would boost revenue, projected to reach Rp 800 billion (US$ 88 million) by the end of this year - almost double last year's Rp 435 billion. The company reported revenue of Rp 390 billion in 2006.
She said First Media's combined pay TV and Internet package, sold since February, would increase revenue this year, as it was the only company to offer such a package. "We offer a different service to our subscribers, they can enjoy both cable TV and the Internet from the same network, from us," Thelma said.
She said the integrated service was available from Rp 188,000 per month. Deputy president director Roberto Feliciano said with more than 139 subscribers, pay TV was the biggest contributor to the company's revenue last year, generating more than RP 215.34 billion.
He said FastNet Internet contributed Rp 89 billion to total revenue, while data communication services provided to 200 corporations brought in Rp 63.5 billion in 2007. Feliciano said advertising and other services contributed Rp 49.9 billion and Rp 17 billion respectively.
He said the pay TV service would continue to be the highest revenue-raiser for the company, which would also seek to expand Internet subscriptions andadvertising revenue from cable TV.
Feliciano said the different channels the company offered were attractive to advertisers who wanted a cost-effective way to reach segmented audiences.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
National film day time to reflect on history
Players in the national film industry welcome National Film Day as a time to relfect on INdonesia's film history and learn from its rise and fall.
contacted separately by the Jakarta Post, filmmaker Riri Riza, veteran actor and filmmaker Slamet Rahardjo, and film critic Lisabona Rachman all view march 30 as a reminder of Indonesia's long history in filmmaking.
"For me, understanding our history in filmmaking is very important," Lisabona said. "From there we can see whether our filmmakers' abilities have developed or not."
Lisabona is also head of Kineforum Film Forum of the Jakarta Arts COuncil. Commemorating National Film Day, Kineforum is holdig a series of events, dubbed National Film Month, from March 1 to 30. The event includes screenings of classic and contemporary films, an exhibition on the history of cinema, film discussions, concerts and the launch of Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 by JB Kristanto.
In 1999, the govenment declared March 30 as the national Film day, marking the first shooting day of Darah and Doa (english version of the title: Long March to Siliwangi) the first film produced by an Indonesian Company. The film was directed by national film hero Usmar Ismail in 1950.
"National Film Day means Indonesians acknowledge their local film industyr and are willing to develop it," Slamet said.
The national film industry has, in the last decade, been waking up from its hiatus of the early 1990s. For Riri, a member of a younger generation of filmmakers that struggled to recover the film industry, the Indonesian fil industry is back to normal.
"It is predicted there will be at least 100 movie titles released this year: AMong these, I am sure around 5 or 10 titles will be artistically accountable," Riri said.
Riri said censorship is currently the factor hindering the development of the film industry. "Censorship is remnant of an authoritarian regime we should leave behind. What is the government needs to do is develop the publi's media literacy," he said.
Lisabona said the govenment had yet to fully support the national film industry. "As part of national culture, the government should be more supportive," she said.
She said the film industry should be given more incentives, rather than taxing it at various levels of production. Film producers are taxed from when they buy a script right through to production, she said.
Post-production is usually done overseas, so films can be charged import tax on returning to Indonesia. "It's an expensive industry," she said.
Film education should also be supported by the goverment, she said. "We only have on state funded school for film, which is not enough."
contacted separately by the Jakarta Post, filmmaker Riri Riza, veteran actor and filmmaker Slamet Rahardjo, and film critic Lisabona Rachman all view march 30 as a reminder of Indonesia's long history in filmmaking.
"For me, understanding our history in filmmaking is very important," Lisabona said. "From there we can see whether our filmmakers' abilities have developed or not."
Lisabona is also head of Kineforum Film Forum of the Jakarta Arts COuncil. Commemorating National Film Day, Kineforum is holdig a series of events, dubbed National Film Month, from March 1 to 30. The event includes screenings of classic and contemporary films, an exhibition on the history of cinema, film discussions, concerts and the launch of Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 by JB Kristanto.
In 1999, the govenment declared March 30 as the national Film day, marking the first shooting day of Darah and Doa (english version of the title: Long March to Siliwangi) the first film produced by an Indonesian Company. The film was directed by national film hero Usmar Ismail in 1950.
"National Film Day means Indonesians acknowledge their local film industyr and are willing to develop it," Slamet said.
The national film industry has, in the last decade, been waking up from its hiatus of the early 1990s. For Riri, a member of a younger generation of filmmakers that struggled to recover the film industry, the Indonesian fil industry is back to normal.
"It is predicted there will be at least 100 movie titles released this year: AMong these, I am sure around 5 or 10 titles will be artistically accountable," Riri said.
Riri said censorship is currently the factor hindering the development of the film industry. "Censorship is remnant of an authoritarian regime we should leave behind. What is the government needs to do is develop the publi's media literacy," he said.
Lisabona said the govenment had yet to fully support the national film industry. "As part of national culture, the government should be more supportive," she said.
She said the film industry should be given more incentives, rather than taxing it at various levels of production. Film producers are taxed from when they buy a script right through to production, she said.
Post-production is usually done overseas, so films can be charged import tax on returning to Indonesia. "It's an expensive industry," she said.
Film education should also be supported by the goverment, she said. "We only have on state funded school for film, which is not enough."
Box Office: The secret numbers tell the story
The local film industry is growing, with more INdonesian films being made every week adn audiences apparently keen to spend their leisure time and money at the cinema.
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Ki Balmanno
The Jakarta Post/ Jakarta
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Just how popular a film is remains a mystery, however, until box offices are required to publish their results. Until then industry insiders and consumers are left stumbling in the dark.
The box office indicates the local film market share and current audience trends, monitors admission prices and provides an overview of the industry, allowing transparency for healthy competition. It is used to market future films by referring to past achievements and shows Indonesia's place in the film world.
But "Indonesia's film industy is the industry of hush hush"says prominent film writer, director and producer Joko Anwar.
Box office reports, elsewhere are published in trade magazines and on the web. An analysis is made highlighting the structure adn key players in distribution adn exhibition, indicating current market conditios and distributor perceptions.
In Indonesia, it is difficult to obtain figures from the exhibitors and any analysis done is kept-in house at the exhibitor's head office.
This is because there is no industry regulation and no obligation for transparency," said Wendy Soeweno, director at Jive distributions, affiliated with Blitz Megaplex.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) a US owned distributor; supplies Hollywood films to SPE and Camila distributors, owned by 21 Group.
In indonesia, Group 21 is the exclusive distributor of AMPA films. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), says this is a decision by MPAA to curb potential piracy.
In 2002, the KPPU found the 21 Group guilty of monopolizing the market in Surabaya, East Java. It was ordered to pay a fine of Rp. 1 billion or sell company shares in Inra Mandiri and Wedu Mitra, distributors within the 21 group. Although the shares were sold back into the 21 Group, the KPPU dropped further charges and closed the case against 21.
Between 2000 and 2002, Monopoly watch reported 19 movie theatres i seven cities closed down due to bankruptcy.
"The priority distribution of film is to 21, so the others wait until 21 rolls the movie, then they get second options.We call this discriminative behavior and it is in breach of the anti-monopoly law" said Girry Gemilang Sobar of business watchdog, Monopoly watch.
Industry newcomer since 2007, Blitz Megaplex bids for foreign films at festival screenings. The tendency therefore, is to screen less mainstream or blockbuster films.
Although Blitz is making its mark on the industry it will only be to a niche audience, their audience target is the A (exclusive) demographic.
"We need more people like Blitz for people of B and C class because they want to go to the cinema, it's just too expensive for them " said Nia Dinata.
If the industry was to be regulated and had consistent monitoring through box office analysis, competition in the film industry would be a lot healthier.
More competition would lead to a larger selection of films being shown and overall cheaper movie tickets. This would ultimately benefit the movie-going public.
A spokesperson from 21 group said: "It is an open market and anyone can import movies and build cinemas." They say "there are about 30 importers and distributors with vaious ownership who do business here", but Monopoly watch says the 21 Group owns the majority of them.
Statistics supplied by Monopoly watch suggest there is a 100% growth, with Cineplex 21 going from 102 screens in 2002 to 200 in 2006.
The association of Indonesian Cinema (GPBI) said in 2007, 21 Group owned 348 screens (84 cinemas) while non 21 Groups owned 333 screens (164 cinemas.) Giving the market share of over 60 percent to 21 Group.
In a written statement to The Jakarta Post, 21 Group said "In comparison to the population of 240 million, the Indonesian Cinema industry is still under screened"
MPX Group and Surya Group are small players compared to 21 Group and Blitz. They mostly import films from Korea, India, China and a splattering of European films.
As part of the distribution arrangement, MPAA demands weekly box office reports for their films. Wendy at Multiplex says the US is strongly against price wars at cinemas and the KPPU says the market regulates itself. IF that is the case then there should be no reason to not release box office figures.
By not publishing domestic and international numbers the health of the industry remains speculative. Film makers Joko and Paul Agusta both said producers were able to embellish numbers to attract more investment into an unhealthy industry.
"So many people are being lured into the business," said Joko. "Profiteers are getting into the industry.. when the film fails they feel deceived. To save face they lie and say the film is making a lot of money."
Possible tax avoidance is another reason cited by some in the industry for the silence. "Exhibitors get taxed one time and we pay half the tax with the exhibitor. I think that's why the exhibitor is not keen to show the box office," said indepenedent producer Nia Dinata.
"I dont know why there are no box office figures.. It's very helpful from the point of view of tax, from the point of view of us if the development is growing we are happy," said Djoko Slamet Surjoputro a director at the Directorate GEneral of Taxation, the Finance Ministry.
Nia says filmmakers are the ones in the industry who suffer from excessive taxation. "There is a tax for human resources, equipment rental and a tax on materials. There is also tax for post production .. there are six or seven stages of tax that filmmakers get, she said.
Editor of Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 J.B. Kristanto agrees the main reason box office figures are not published "has to do with the correlation of tax."
The (film) industry is considered small for the taxation office, who said it is focused on the higher revenue businesses first, such as mining, coal and oil, and then it will look into the taxation of smaller industries.
"There are hundreds of tax offices around the country, they focus on their own judgment of which one is booming," Djoko said. Audience numbers were regulated from the early 1980s until the 1990s by the department for the Distribution of Indonesian Film (Perfin.)
Figures were printed in Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 up until the organization colapsed said Kristanto. "At the same time, Network 21 grew very fast and other networks of theaters closed down" Kristanto said.
"In sonme cases, the govenment tried to make something like a regulation again, but there was no agreement with cinemas and producers" said Bakri, director of film development at the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
"We know there is a problem. We need to use something like Perfin" Bakri said. He says although there is no body to regulate box office figures anymore, the Film Law has not been evoked and remains as it was during the time of Perfin. In the country's current climate of reformation, film industry players are waiting restlessly for their turn.
----------------------
Ki Balmanno
The Jakarta Post/ Jakarta
----------------------
Just how popular a film is remains a mystery, however, until box offices are required to publish their results. Until then industry insiders and consumers are left stumbling in the dark.
The box office indicates the local film market share and current audience trends, monitors admission prices and provides an overview of the industry, allowing transparency for healthy competition. It is used to market future films by referring to past achievements and shows Indonesia's place in the film world.
But "Indonesia's film industy is the industry of hush hush"says prominent film writer, director and producer Joko Anwar.
Box office reports, elsewhere are published in trade magazines and on the web. An analysis is made highlighting the structure adn key players in distribution adn exhibition, indicating current market conditios and distributor perceptions.
In Indonesia, it is difficult to obtain figures from the exhibitors and any analysis done is kept-in house at the exhibitor's head office.
This is because there is no industry regulation and no obligation for transparency," said Wendy Soeweno, director at Jive distributions, affiliated with Blitz Megaplex.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) a US owned distributor; supplies Hollywood films to SPE and Camila distributors, owned by 21 Group.
In indonesia, Group 21 is the exclusive distributor of AMPA films. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), says this is a decision by MPAA to curb potential piracy.
In 2002, the KPPU found the 21 Group guilty of monopolizing the market in Surabaya, East Java. It was ordered to pay a fine of Rp. 1 billion or sell company shares in Inra Mandiri and Wedu Mitra, distributors within the 21 group. Although the shares were sold back into the 21 Group, the KPPU dropped further charges and closed the case against 21.
Between 2000 and 2002, Monopoly watch reported 19 movie theatres i seven cities closed down due to bankruptcy.
"The priority distribution of film is to 21, so the others wait until 21 rolls the movie, then they get second options.We call this discriminative behavior and it is in breach of the anti-monopoly law" said Girry Gemilang Sobar of business watchdog, Monopoly watch.
Industry newcomer since 2007, Blitz Megaplex bids for foreign films at festival screenings. The tendency therefore, is to screen less mainstream or blockbuster films.
Although Blitz is making its mark on the industry it will only be to a niche audience, their audience target is the A (exclusive) demographic.
"We need more people like Blitz for people of B and C class because they want to go to the cinema, it's just too expensive for them " said Nia Dinata.
If the industry was to be regulated and had consistent monitoring through box office analysis, competition in the film industry would be a lot healthier.
More competition would lead to a larger selection of films being shown and overall cheaper movie tickets. This would ultimately benefit the movie-going public.
A spokesperson from 21 group said: "It is an open market and anyone can import movies and build cinemas." They say "there are about 30 importers and distributors with vaious ownership who do business here", but Monopoly watch says the 21 Group owns the majority of them.
Statistics supplied by Monopoly watch suggest there is a 100% growth, with Cineplex 21 going from 102 screens in 2002 to 200 in 2006.
The association of Indonesian Cinema (GPBI) said in 2007, 21 Group owned 348 screens (84 cinemas) while non 21 Groups owned 333 screens (164 cinemas.) Giving the market share of over 60 percent to 21 Group.
In a written statement to The Jakarta Post, 21 Group said "In comparison to the population of 240 million, the Indonesian Cinema industry is still under screened"
MPX Group and Surya Group are small players compared to 21 Group and Blitz. They mostly import films from Korea, India, China and a splattering of European films.
As part of the distribution arrangement, MPAA demands weekly box office reports for their films. Wendy at Multiplex says the US is strongly against price wars at cinemas and the KPPU says the market regulates itself. IF that is the case then there should be no reason to not release box office figures.
By not publishing domestic and international numbers the health of the industry remains speculative. Film makers Joko and Paul Agusta both said producers were able to embellish numbers to attract more investment into an unhealthy industry.
"So many people are being lured into the business," said Joko. "Profiteers are getting into the industry.. when the film fails they feel deceived. To save face they lie and say the film is making a lot of money."
Possible tax avoidance is another reason cited by some in the industry for the silence. "Exhibitors get taxed one time and we pay half the tax with the exhibitor. I think that's why the exhibitor is not keen to show the box office," said indepenedent producer Nia Dinata.
"I dont know why there are no box office figures.. It's very helpful from the point of view of tax, from the point of view of us if the development is growing we are happy," said Djoko Slamet Surjoputro a director at the Directorate GEneral of Taxation, the Finance Ministry.
Nia says filmmakers are the ones in the industry who suffer from excessive taxation. "There is a tax for human resources, equipment rental and a tax on materials. There is also tax for post production .. there are six or seven stages of tax that filmmakers get, she said.
Editor of Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 J.B. Kristanto agrees the main reason box office figures are not published "has to do with the correlation of tax."
The (film) industry is considered small for the taxation office, who said it is focused on the higher revenue businesses first, such as mining, coal and oil, and then it will look into the taxation of smaller industries.
"There are hundreds of tax offices around the country, they focus on their own judgment of which one is booming," Djoko said. Audience numbers were regulated from the early 1980s until the 1990s by the department for the Distribution of Indonesian Film (Perfin.)
Figures were printed in Katalog Film Indonesia 2008 up until the organization colapsed said Kristanto. "At the same time, Network 21 grew very fast and other networks of theaters closed down" Kristanto said.
"In sonme cases, the govenment tried to make something like a regulation again, but there was no agreement with cinemas and producers" said Bakri, director of film development at the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
"We know there is a problem. We need to use something like Perfin" Bakri said. He says although there is no body to regulate box office figures anymore, the Film Law has not been evoked and remains as it was during the time of Perfin. In the country's current climate of reformation, film industry players are waiting restlessly for their turn.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Universe rides high on "Storm"
HONG KONG – Universe Entertainment wheeled out the stars at Hong Kong FilMart for their big-budget fantasy actioner "The Storm Riders II", which features the return of Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng as Cloud and Wind in the comic-book adaptation.
Lensing on the $12 million sequel to 1998's smash hit "The Storm Riders" starts next month and horror helmers, twin brothers Danny and Oxide Pang ("The Eye"), are spending big on post-production to get a "300" kind of feel to the pic.
The film is slated for release by the end of 2009 in Hong Kong, China and Asia and pic appears to being down a storm in Asia, making multiple sales at FilMart.
"The Storm Riders II" will the first Hong Kong movie that is filmed exclusively on blue screen and custom-made sets," said executive producer Daneil Lam. "Post production will be particularly important and worth putting the money into. Our goal is to produce a very visually stunning movie."
Pic also features Simon Yam as Lord Godless, "Dragon Tiger Gate's" Nicholas Tse as Heart, Charlene Choi, who is one half of the Twins pop duo, as Second Dream and a rising star from Chinese Chengtian Entertainment's stable, Tiffany T, who will play Chu Chu.
Golden Harvest, which produced the original "The Storm Riders," has distribution rights for Hong Kong, while Golden Harvest and Chengtian will distribute the pic on Universe's behalf in mainland China. Universe will distribute in the rest of the world.
Pic has been sold to Mono Film in Thailand, Scorpio in Singapore, P.T. Teguh Bakti Mandiri in Indonesia and there has been strong bidding from Malaysia.
"The Storm Riders II" is an adaptation of comic master Ma Wing Shing's 1990s best-selling "Fung Wan". The original pic, helmed by Andrew Lau of "Infernal Affairs" fame, did boffo B.O. in Hong Kong, relling in HK$41 million a decade ago.
The film makers stressed that getting the right overall look for the movie was of key importance.
CGI and special effects are central to the pic and will be done by Fat Face Productions, which did "Recycle" and "The Warlords." Post production is expected to take more than a year.
Art director and costume designer Yee Chung Man is planning to collaborate with mainland Chinese fashion designers to give a brand new look to the pic.
Lensing on the $12 million sequel to 1998's smash hit "The Storm Riders" starts next month and horror helmers, twin brothers Danny and Oxide Pang ("The Eye"), are spending big on post-production to get a "300" kind of feel to the pic.
The film is slated for release by the end of 2009 in Hong Kong, China and Asia and pic appears to being down a storm in Asia, making multiple sales at FilMart.
"The Storm Riders II" will the first Hong Kong movie that is filmed exclusively on blue screen and custom-made sets," said executive producer Daneil Lam. "Post production will be particularly important and worth putting the money into. Our goal is to produce a very visually stunning movie."
Pic also features Simon Yam as Lord Godless, "Dragon Tiger Gate's" Nicholas Tse as Heart, Charlene Choi, who is one half of the Twins pop duo, as Second Dream and a rising star from Chinese Chengtian Entertainment's stable, Tiffany T, who will play Chu Chu.
Golden Harvest, which produced the original "The Storm Riders," has distribution rights for Hong Kong, while Golden Harvest and Chengtian will distribute the pic on Universe's behalf in mainland China. Universe will distribute in the rest of the world.
Pic has been sold to Mono Film in Thailand, Scorpio in Singapore, P.T. Teguh Bakti Mandiri in Indonesia and there has been strong bidding from Malaysia.
"The Storm Riders II" is an adaptation of comic master Ma Wing Shing's 1990s best-selling "Fung Wan". The original pic, helmed by Andrew Lau of "Infernal Affairs" fame, did boffo B.O. in Hong Kong, relling in HK$41 million a decade ago.
The film makers stressed that getting the right overall look for the movie was of key importance.
CGI and special effects are central to the pic and will be done by Fat Face Productions, which did "Recycle" and "The Warlords." Post production is expected to take more than a year.
Art director and costume designer Yee Chung Man is planning to collaborate with mainland Chinese fashion designers to give a brand new look to the pic.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Rudy's new flick a dream come true
March 14, 2008
Jakarta: Film director Rudy Sujarwo has seen his dreams come true with the making of his new flick 'In the Name of Love.' which features Indonesian acting legends. "This is my dream. I have always wanted to work with the great actors and actresses who play in this movie." said the director who won the Citra Award for Best Film Director for 'Ada Apa Dengan Cinta' (What's up with Cinta) as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.
The actors he referred to are Roy Marten, currently on trial for drug possession, the charismatic Christine Hakim and Tuti Kirana, wife of renowned writer and filmmaker Syumanjaya.
Sujarwo's new flick, which is produced by Valian Circle Production and scheduled to be released in April, is not only backed by senior actors. Twilite Orchestra leader Addie MS will do some of the scores and illustrations for the movie.
New idol singer Acha Septriasa will collaborate with the orchestra in singing "Cinta Bertahan" (Lasting Love) from Jikustik's frontman Pongky Barata. Alternative band Getah will also contribute to the soundtrack with their song "Segitiga Bermimpi" (Dreaming Triangle.)
'In the Name of Love' centers on a classic conflict between love and dignity. "it tells about the relationship of two lovers from two families in which they have to choose between love and dignity," Sujarwo said.
Movies with similar themes were famous in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Indonesian version of Romeo and Juliet Rojali and Juleha. -JP
Jakarta: Film director Rudy Sujarwo has seen his dreams come true with the making of his new flick 'In the Name of Love.' which features Indonesian acting legends. "This is my dream. I have always wanted to work with the great actors and actresses who play in this movie." said the director who won the Citra Award for Best Film Director for 'Ada Apa Dengan Cinta' (What's up with Cinta) as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.
The actors he referred to are Roy Marten, currently on trial for drug possession, the charismatic Christine Hakim and Tuti Kirana, wife of renowned writer and filmmaker Syumanjaya.
Sujarwo's new flick, which is produced by Valian Circle Production and scheduled to be released in April, is not only backed by senior actors. Twilite Orchestra leader Addie MS will do some of the scores and illustrations for the movie.
New idol singer Acha Septriasa will collaborate with the orchestra in singing "Cinta Bertahan" (Lasting Love) from Jikustik's frontman Pongky Barata. Alternative band Getah will also contribute to the soundtrack with their song "Segitiga Bermimpi" (Dreaming Triangle.)
'In the Name of Love' centers on a classic conflict between love and dignity. "it tells about the relationship of two lovers from two families in which they have to choose between love and dignity," Sujarwo said.
Movies with similar themes were famous in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Indonesian version of Romeo and Juliet Rojali and Juleha. -JP
Thursday, March 13, 2008
StarHub adds MNC to the mix
HONG KONG – Singapore cable TV leader StarHub is to add MNC – The Indonesian Channel to its pay-TV roster.
Produced by Indonesia's largest media and entertainment conglom Media Nusantara Citra, net is a general entertainment channel aimed at the int'l markets using content from three channels; Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) and Global TV. Programming consists of Indonesian sitcoms, 'mega sinetron' (electronic cinema and TV soap), variety shows, documentaries, music and reality shows.
Deal is only the second foreign carriage deal for the Bahasa Indonesia-language channel after one in Japan.
StarHub already carries Sensasi, a dedicated Malay entertainment channel launched in August last year, and TVRI an Indonesian channel that is currently available free to all subscribers using the HubStation, digital or High-Definition set-top boxes.
Produced by Indonesia's largest media and entertainment conglom Media Nusantara Citra, net is a general entertainment channel aimed at the int'l markets using content from three channels; Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) and Global TV. Programming consists of Indonesian sitcoms, 'mega sinetron' (electronic cinema and TV soap), variety shows, documentaries, music and reality shows.
Deal is only the second foreign carriage deal for the Bahasa Indonesia-language channel after one in Japan.
StarHub already carries Sensasi, a dedicated Malay entertainment channel launched in August last year, and TVRI an Indonesian channel that is currently available free to all subscribers using the HubStation, digital or High-Definition set-top boxes.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Pay TV operators see potential in local market
---------------
The Jakarta Post
----------------
Local Pay TV operators are confiden they can lure 6 percent of the 34 million households with TV sets to subscribe to their services. Arya Sinulingga, corporate secretary of satellite operator Indovision, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday they could meet their target because pay TV use was still low.
He said there were only 700,000 subscribers to pay TV out of 32 million households with TVs, about 2 percent of the market.
"People are fed up with Indonesian soap operas and mystical shows. THey want other programs that are more entertaining, and want more options to meet their needs."
"We want to reach 2.2 million potential subscribers, as their awareness of pay TV improves with their incomes and lifestyles," he said.
An increase in subscribers will automatically reduce fees for pay TV services as customers share the cost of the distribution network.
There are two types of pay TV systems in Indonesia - satellite and cable. Providers like Indovision, Indosat IM2 and Malaysian based Astro TV use satellite technology, while First Media uses a cable network, and Telkom Vision uses both.
Around 500,000 households subscribe to satellite providers, while the remaining 200,000 use cable.
Subscribers to the five local operators grew from 476,000 in 2006 to 700,000 last year
. There are another 15 pay TV broadcasters in Indonesia's provinces, who have not yet obtained licenses to expand their services nationally.
"Indonesia still has the lowest awareness of pay TV in the Asia Pacific region, but subscriber rates will gradually increase every year," Arya said. Pay TV was first launched just before the 1997 Asian financial crisis, he said.
Ade Armando, a media observer and lecturer from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, said the govenment should support the growth of pay TV by not allowing providers to monopolize any programs.
"Let us compete fairly by increasing our services and quality, not by monopolizing the most popular programs," he said. (rff)
The Jakarta Post
----------------
Local Pay TV operators are confiden they can lure 6 percent of the 34 million households with TV sets to subscribe to their services. Arya Sinulingga, corporate secretary of satellite operator Indovision, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday they could meet their target because pay TV use was still low.
He said there were only 700,000 subscribers to pay TV out of 32 million households with TVs, about 2 percent of the market.
"People are fed up with Indonesian soap operas and mystical shows. THey want other programs that are more entertaining, and want more options to meet their needs."
"We want to reach 2.2 million potential subscribers, as their awareness of pay TV improves with their incomes and lifestyles," he said.
An increase in subscribers will automatically reduce fees for pay TV services as customers share the cost of the distribution network.
There are two types of pay TV systems in Indonesia - satellite and cable. Providers like Indovision, Indosat IM2 and Malaysian based Astro TV use satellite technology, while First Media uses a cable network, and Telkom Vision uses both.
Around 500,000 households subscribe to satellite providers, while the remaining 200,000 use cable.
Subscribers to the five local operators grew from 476,000 in 2006 to 700,000 last year
. There are another 15 pay TV broadcasters in Indonesia's provinces, who have not yet obtained licenses to expand their services nationally.
"Indonesia still has the lowest awareness of pay TV in the Asia Pacific region, but subscriber rates will gradually increase every year," Arya said. Pay TV was first launched just before the 1997 Asian financial crisis, he said.
Ade Armando, a media observer and lecturer from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, said the govenment should support the growth of pay TV by not allowing providers to monopolize any programs.
"Let us compete fairly by increasing our services and quality, not by monopolizing the most popular programs," he said. (rff)
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