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Indonesian movies still lack commercial aspect: producer
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Screening ritual: Moviegoers line up at the ticket counter of a cinema in Jakarta. Under new regulations, foreign investors can now fully own local cinemas, film production houses and distribution firms. (Kompas.com/File)
D
espite the aggressive production of local movies over the past years, most have failed to attract a significant number of audience members, as local filmmakers still lack the knowledge of how to make commercial films, a movie producer said.
MD Pictures CEO Manoj Punjabi said there were 122 Indonesian movies produced in 2016 - including those that have yet been released - but only less than 20 percent of them managed to draw more than 100,000 viewers.
"Some movies do not have strong stories. Even if it does, it turns out to be too idealistic. We still have to learn," Manoj, who also serves as the Association of Indonesian Movie Production Companies (PPFI) executive, told The Jakarta Post on Monday on the sidelines of an Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) meeting in Jakarta.
Manoj also talked about the importance of spending big on marketing. His company, for example, has allocated around Rp 15 billion (US$1.12 million) to promote its upcoming movie Surga yang Tak Dirindukan 2 (Heaven that is not Longed for 2), or around half of the total budget for the movie, which is the sequel for a 2015 movie with the same title.
This year, the industry witnessed a new high after Falcon Pictures’ Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss Part 1, the remake of the classic comedy hit Warkop, emerged as the most successful Indonesian movie with over 6.5 million viewers.
In 2013, MD Pictures’ Habibie & Ainun topped the box office with over 4.6 million viewers. (hwa)
