Rano Karno, the former actor and filmmaker, turned Indonesian politician, is attending the Cannes Film Festival as part of ambitious plans to transform the Indonesian capital into a prime shooting destination for international filmmakers.
A delegation led by Karno, the vice governor of the DKI provincial government, is talking to potential partners about its five-pronged strategy that combines incentives including a cash rebate, with location discounts and an easy-to-access filming permit application process.
The ambition is to create the “Jakarta Film City” by 2027 to coincide with the celebration of the capital’s 500th anniversary.
Additionally, the launch of the Jakarta Film Commission, an independent body managed by film industry professionals aimed at supporting both local and international productions, is planned for June 2026.
“It has been a lifelong ambition to turn Jakarta into a friendly, international film city, put it firmly on the map for filmmakers far and wide,” explains Karno, who took up public office in 2025. “We hope the Jakarta Film Commission will become a one-stop service production shop for international producers.”
His plans are backed by the city’s local government which acts as a province-level authority divided into five administrative cities and one administrative district. The Jakarta Metropolitan Area comprises the capital, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.
The proposed incentives include a strategy to support local producers by returning 50% of the city’s cinema ticket tax to film producers, to help fuel film production and the development of the film ecosystem in Jakarta.
For incoming international productions, the Commission will offer free location scouting services supported by a dedicated ‘filming in Jakarta’ team, as well as a 50% discount on location fees spanning crew accommodation, catering, rental equipment. Promotional support for films mounting film shoots in Jakarta will also be offered.
The aim is that the incentives will contribute to Jakarta’s economic growth and introduce the city more broadly to the world stage. The city has filmninginjakarta.com as a platform for local and global filmmakers to access.
In Cannes, the delegation’s activities will include taking strategic steps towards creating international networks, including meetings with similar organisations including the Tokyo Film Commission, Quezon City Screen Commission, AFCNet and several industry partners. The latter includes the signing a Memorandum of Understanding between UK-based entertainment financier Goldfinch and Jakarta’s Synco and Goshen Group to launch Goldfinch Indonesia.
“The goal is for Jakarta to become increasingly connected while opening opportunities for production collaboration, knowledge exchange, market access and international distribution for Jakarta’s talent and creative works,” explains Karno.
Global resonance
Indonesia’s creative presence in Cannes is led by the Critics’ Week anthology series Next Step Studio Indonesia, comprised of four short films by rising Indonesian filmmakers. It is the first anthology series to emerge from Critics’ Week’s talent development programme Next Step Studio, created in collaboration with Dominique Welinski of French production company DW. The venture pairs four Indonesian writer-directors with four southeast Asian filmmakers, with each short running around 15 minutes. Financing comes entirely from Indonesian sources.
Next Step Studio Indonesia is produced by Yulia Evina Bhara and Amerta Kusuma from Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media. Bhara’s credits include Renoir, which played in Competition at Cannes last year; 2023 Cannes Critics’ Week grand prize winner Tiger Stripes; and Autobiography that played in Venice Horizons in 2022.
Bhara recently joined the government-backed independent organisation the Indonesian Film Agency (BPI) as head of international cooperation. She says the moves made by Jakarta to back incoming productions and international co-productions will push collaboration to fresh levels.
Three Indonesian films are being sold in the Cannes Market. Angga Dwimas Sasongko’s action crime thriller Queen Of Malacca fuses southeast Asian mysticism with action and drama as it follows a woman who transforms herself from a trafficking syndicate victim into the perpetrator of a criminal empire.
Yosep Anggi Noen’s The Sea Speaks His Name is a political drama based on a 2017 novel by Leila S Chudori, produced by Pal8 Pictures, a new production outfit under the Tempo Media group.
Finally, co-directors Sidharta Tata and Fajar Martha Santosa are showcasing their action horror Zona Merah: Dead City to the international industry.
“We believe that a city’s strength in the film industry lies not only in its production facilities but also in its ability to present stories and creativity that resonate globally,” says Karno. “Jakarta has immense potential to be part of the global creative industry’s growth.”