Indonesia’s Box Office Navigates Volatility as Industry Seeks Sustainable Growth – JAFF Market

Indonesia’s cinema market is experiencing significant volatility in 2025, with box office numbers fluctuating despite breakthrough successes, according to industry leaders speaking at the JAFF Market panel “Expert Witnesses: Indonesia’s Box Office Transformation as Seen From Home and Abroad.”

Angga Dwimas Sasongko, filmmaker and founder and group CEO of Visinema, revealed that while animated feature “Jumbo,” produced by the company, achieved nearly 11 million admissions this year to become the country’s all-time box office champion, other months saw ticket sales drop below 3 million. The film’s seven-year production journey represents a strategic shift for Indonesian producers seeking sustainable growth beyond domestic theatrical revenue.

“We always succeed when we try to be different,” Sasongko said, noting that Visinema’s counter-programming strategy has consistently delivered results. However, he emphasized the need for industry restructuring, suggesting a potential cap of 160 films annually to address market oversaturation.

The panel featuring producer Todd Brown highlighted Indonesia’s persistent exhibition challenges. Despite growing from one major cinema chain 15 years ago to three today, the country remains significantly under-screened. Average ticket prices below $3 compared to Thailand’s $8-plus make large-scale infrastructure investment difficult.

Brown, former head of international acquisitions at XYZ Films, observed that while Indonesia’s baseline production quality has risen substantially, the ceiling for international breakthrough talent remains unchanged. “We’re still talking about the same people” from 15 years ago, he noted, calling for better knowledge-sharing between established and emerging filmmakers.

The market’s ban on dubbing foreign films and generous 50-50 revenue-sharing structure with exhibitors have created an unusually direct producer-to-cinema distribution model, making traditional distributors largely irrelevant in the current ecosystem.