Speaking at the celebration of National Film Day in Jakarta on Saturday (30/3/24,) Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno pinned hopes on the Indonesian film industry contributing to the growth of the creative economy in the country, according to reporting from Tempo.
“We hope that progress in the film industry will bring about economic impacts that, in turn, are expected to elevate the people’s living standards toward Golden Indonesia 2045,” he said.
Sandiaga said that the Indonesian film industry had made significant progress, as evidenced by its sound level of competitiveness on the international scene and its contribution to the creation of job opportunities, adding that he had watched the premiere of “Badarawuhi di Desa Penari,” an Indonesian horror film that he considers worthy of international attention, say Tempo.
The minister also praised the film for its success in creating around 1,000 job vacancies during its production, far exceeding the average number of 100 to 200 vacancies created by low-budgeted films.
“Our people truly need such job opportunities,” Sandiaga said.
According to Tempo, the minister then drew attention to one of Indonesia’s most popular films “Laskar Pelangi” which promoted the tourism appeal of East Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, to international tourists.
“Belitung is a tourism destination promoted by the film industry. In fact, ‘Laskar Pelangi’ has managed to increase tourist visits (to Belitung) by 37 percent,” he said, and that the government had been supporting the film industry through three aspects, namely budget, policy, and presence.
“Hopefully, we will be able to increase the budget and improve policies concerning the safety, security, and work hours of actors,” he said, adding that the government will always be present to promote Indonesian films in the international market.
He also emphasized the need to pay closer attention to short films and introduce the national film industry not only in major cities but also in all regions of Indonesia, says Tempo.
Meanwhile, Chairwoman of the Indonesian Film Actors Association (Parfi) Marcella Zalianty noted that Indonesian films had gained over 54 million viewers since the COVID-19 outbreak, and “several national actors have been participating in international films.”
She expressed hope that a range of strategic policies and regulation simplification implemented by the government would further bolster the competitiveness of Indonesian films, especially in the Asian region, report Tempo.
Source: Tempo
Stock photo by Lê Minh on Pexels
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