From potential award darlings to likely box-office hits, here we have selected 10 upcoming films that may shape and define Indonesian cinema in 2025.
Trust me when I say that there will be lots of Indonesian films ready to grace us in the year 2025, distributed either theatrically or via streaming services. That being said, among such an abundance of them, here are 10 upcoming Indonesian films that, even though we have yet to see them on the silver screen, are most likely to shape the Indonesian cinema and, if we’re lucky, bring the whole industry to its brightest golden age yet.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order.
1 Kakak 7 Ponakan (Director: Yandy Laurens)
Fresh off his big wins at the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival thanks to his 2023 romantic drama, Jatuh Cinta Seperti di Film-Film (English title: Falling in Love Like in Movies), Laurens’ next pic will be a cinematic adaptation of a classic soap opera created by the late Indonesian auteur Arswendo Atmowiloto. Starring Citra Award winner Chicco Kurniawan (Photocopier) in the lead role, 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan (English title: A Brother and Seven Siblings) focuses on an aspiring architect who suddenly finds himself being a guardian for his seven orphaned nephews. This marks Kurniawan and Laurens’ first feature film collaboration, with Laurens’ frequent actor collaborator, the recently minted Citra Award winner Ringgo Agus Rahman, joining the film’s supporting cast as well. It has been confirmed that 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan will be released nationwide in theatres on the 23rd of January, 2025.
Abadi Nan Jaya (Director: Kimo Stamboel)
The one-half of The Mo Brothers (Headshot) might serve up one of the most exciting Netflix Indonesia productions in 2025 with his upcoming zombie escapade Abadi Nan Jaya, the title of which echoes one of the lyrical lines of Ismail Marzuki’s classic anthem “Indonesia Pusaka“. Abadi Nan Jaya, starring Eva Celia (The Golden Cane Warrior) and two-time Citra Award winner Marthino Lio (The Big 4), revolves around a zombie break at a remote village in Yogyakarta after a new concoction of jamu potion goes awry. While this is Stamboel’s first foray into the zombie subgenre, he is no stranger to the horror genre itself, previously helming Dancing Village: The Curse Begins (2024) and Sewu Dino (2023) — the latter of which became the most commercially successful Indonesian theatrical film of that year.
Mothernet (Director: Wi Ding Ho)
An international collaborative feature film from production houses BASE Entertainment, Beacon Films, and Refinery Media, Mothernet is directed by Malaysia-born Taiwanese filmmaker Wi Ding Ho and stars Indonesian actors Dian Sastrowardoyo (Cigarette Girl), Ali Fikry (The Shadow Strays), and Ringgo Agus Rahman (Falling in Love Like in Movies). Teased as an offbeat take on family and loss with a sci-fi twist, Mothernet tells the story of a grieving father and son who cope with the death of their family’s matriarch using artificial intelligence. As a filmmaker, Wi Ding Ho has made a name for himself in Asian cinema thanks to his previous work, namely Pinoy Sunday (2010) and Cities of Last Things (2018).
Mungkin Kita Perlu Waktu (Director: Teddy Soeriaatmadja)
Serving as the director’s next feature after the 2024 romantic drama The Architecture of Love, the family drama Mungkin Kita Perlu Waktu (English title: All We Need is Time) puts veteran Indonesian actors Lukman Sardi and Sha Ine Febriyanti front and centre as the pic tells the story of a shook marriage coping with a recent family incident. Mungkin Kita Perlu Waktu also marks Febriyanti’s first lead role after receiving a Citra Award for Best Actress back in 2023, as well as her first feature film in which she works with Soeriaatmadja as her director. In addition, Soeriaatmadja’s The Architecture of Love has crossed one million theatrical audiences in 2024 – a rare achievement for a mature-oriented, Indonesian romantic drama.
Pangku (Director: Reza Rahadian)
The four-time Citra Award winner is poised to make his directorial debut with Pangku (English title: Love Unwanted) starring Claresta Taufan Kusumarina (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), Fedi Nuril (Supernova: The Knight, the Princess & Shooting Star), Shakeel Fauzi (Nearing Death), Devano Danendra (Respati), and Christine Hakim (Impetigore). While the plot remains under wraps, it has been hinted that the tile of the film refers to a local custom called ‘kopi pangku’ in coastal areas of Java (also known as Pantai Utara or Pantura) in which women would sit on the customers’ lap and accompany them as they sip on their coffees. Pangku is produced under the banner of a recently established Indonesian film production house Gambar Gerak, which Rahadian also co-founded.
Para Perasuk (Director: Wregas Bhanuteja)
Being already one of the most acclaimed Indonesian writer-directors in his generation (despite his relatively young age), the 32-year-old Bhanuteja is poised to impress once again with his upcoming surreal fantasia, Para Perasuk (English title: Levitating), starring Indonesian-French singer Anggun C. Sasmi in her feature film acting debut, Maudy Ayunda (Losmen Bu Broto), Ganindra Bimo (13 Bombs), and returning actor collaborators Chicco Kurniawan (Photocopier, the upcoming A Brother and Seven Siblings) and Angga Yunanda (Andragogy). While the details of the film remain under wraps, it has been hinted that Para Perasuk touches on a certain supernatural subculture in which the act of séance is treated as a recreational activity. Recently, Para Perasuk received the CJ ENM Award at the Asian Project Market event of the 2024 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).
Pengepungan di Bukit Duri (Director: Joko Anwar)
Anwar, who previously helmed and wrote the 2024 religious horror pic Grave Torture, seems poised to showcase a different side of his filmmaking saga next year with his upcoming feature film, Pengepungan di Bukit Duri (English title: The Siege at Thorn High). Set in the year 2027, the crime-thriller film follows a substitute teacher at a high school for a troubled youth who unexpectedly finds himself in a life-or-death fiasco. Anwar’s latest stars Morgan Oey (The Night Comes for Us) in the lead role, with actors Omara Esteghlal (Andragogy), Hana Malasan (The Shadow Strays), and Endy Arfian (Satan’s Slaves) in supporting roles. Pengepungan di Bukit Duri marks Anwar’s film production house Come and See Pictures’ first collaboration with Hollywood studio Amazon MGM Studios.
Perang Kota (Director: Mouly Surya)
Directed and written by Surya (Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts), for her upcoming pic, the acclaimed filmmaker assembles a high-wattage cast led by Citra Award winner Chicco Jerikho (We Are Moluccans), Citra Award winner Jerome Kurnia (Photocopier), and Ariel Tatum (Broken Wings). Serving as an adaptation of the Indonesian late author Mochtar Lubis’ novel, Jalan Tak Ada Ujung, which was first published back in 1952, Perang Kota (English title: This City is a Battlefield) tells the story of a sexually impotent schoolteacher who finds himself assisting the guerilla movement in 1946, a year after Indonesia’s independence from Dutch and Japanese occupation. The source material, Jalan Tak Ada Ujung, was translated as A Road with No End in 1968 by A.H. Johns. Very recently, it has been reported that Perang Kota is set to serve as the closing film at the upcoming 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Tale of the Land (Director: Loeloe Hendra)
Directed and written by Hendra as his feature film debut, Tale of the Land is a mystery drama that follows the life of an indigenous Dayak girl struggling to survive in a floating house on the sea. Starring Shenina Cinnamon (Dear David) in the lead role, Tale of the Land had its world premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in October 2024, with Cinnamon co-receiving a trophy for Best Lead Performance at QCinema International Film Festival. As of this article being written, there has yet to be any confirmation whether Tale of the Land will receive either a theatrical distribution or a streaming distribution in Indonesia.
Yohanna (Director: Razka Robby Ertanto)
With many cinephiles already hoping for the film’s wider distribution in 2025, Yohanna has already made waves this year after scoring a number of Indonesian Screen Awards at the 2024 Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival (JAFF), including Best Film, Best Director for Ertanto, Best Screenplay for Ertanto as well, and Best Actor(s) for Laura Basuki, Kirana Grasela, and Iqua Tahlequa. The drama feature, helmed by Ertanto (The Day Before the Wedding, Ave Maryam), tells the story of a young nun (portrayed by Basuki) who retrieves her faith as well as her life’s purpose after discovering the eerie underbelly of child labour in Sumba. Yohanna was also recently crowned as the best Indonesian feature at the 2024 Jakarta Film Week.