T

he film producer is the man behind the success of the many entertainers and TV personalities who joined his theater groups Sanggar Ananda and Teater Kawula Muda.

Aditya Gumay established Sanggar Ananda in 1986, pioneered children programs and developed young talent for TV series and sitcoms alike.

One of the most successful was Lenong Bocah, a children’s sitcom in the style of traditional Betawi comedy skits, launched in 1994.

He made his debut as a film director in 2004 with Tina Toon & Lenong Bocah the Movie and was honored with a Best Director award at the Bandung Film Festival for his second film Emak Ingin Naik Haji (Mother Wants to Go on Haj Pilgrimage) in 2009.

The film was also nominated in the Best Adaption Story catagory at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI).

His latest film, 25 Hari di Eropa (25 Days in Europe), is due for release on May 29 as part of the closing events for Education Month.

National Education Day is commemorated on May 2.

“Profit from the film will be used to provide free workshops and training programs for students interested in filmmaking, acting and dance,” he said.

The charity program was named Mencintai Indonesia Tanpa Syarat (Loving Indonesia out of Nothing), a tagline used in the new film Aditya borrowed from Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan.

“The minister told us filmmakers about giving all to the country at an event in December 2014. That sentence has inspired those of us that share the same concern regarding arts, culture and film to create educational programs free of charge”.

A true bookworm whom accrued his pocket money in order to purchase books and opened his own library while attending elementary school, Aditya said that he often spends up to Rp 2 million on books as he appreciated the sensation of turning the page.

“My main destination in a shopping mall is the bookstore. I read almost everything: Books on interior design, health, insightful reading. I have books in my car and read every day, whenever I can. I often try to finish ‘just a few more pages’ before calling it a day”.