BASE Entertainment, a new film studio, is set to produce a slate of director Joko Anwar’s movies.

The studio is a merger of three film companies: Salto Films, Million Pictures and Kawi Content. Salto Films is helmed by producer Shanty Harmayn who has released, among other movies, Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda in My Heart) and Sang Penari (The Dancer). Million Pictures is represented by Ben Soebiakto and Aoura Chandra who produced Negeri 5 Menara (Land of Five Towers), while the Singapore-based Kawi Content was founded by Tanya Yuson. BASE Entertainment will focus on funding, IP and story development, as well as film distribution in Indonesia.

The studio’s first project is a series of movies by Joko, in collaboration with Los Angeles-based Ivanhoe Pictures, Korean studio CJ Entertainment and Indonesian production company Rapi Films. The studio and the companies will co-develop, co-finance and co-produce three movies. 

In order of expected production, they are Impetigore, The Vow and Ghost in the Cell. Impetigore will start shooting in February 2019, followed by the two other movies in succeeding years. Each will be directed by Joko, from his own screenplays.  

Speaking at a media luncheon on Tuesday, Joko said he viewed the collaboration as a great support system. “That way, I can focus on the creative side [of making a movie]. They take care of the business,” he added.

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Ben Soebiakto of BASE Entertainment said it was hoped the collaboration would open up the door for more opportunities. “We hope that Indonesia will be more visible,” he said. “With this opportunity, it also says that we are open to foreign investment, that we can continuously learn how to export our movies and [local] production companies can evolve.”

The prolific Joko said the screenplays selected were based on the companies’ preferences and after assessing which ones the viewers would enjoy the most.

Impetigore tells the story of a woman who returns to her home village, only to find out that the whole village has been searching all along for her, thinking that she’s responsible for a curse. Joko said the movie was based on the culture of Central Java.

Joko is currently in production of Gundala Putra Petir, a popular Indonesian comic published in 1969. His latest film, Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slaves), was the number one box office hit movie in Indonesia last year, attracting more than 4.2 million moviegoers. (wng)