Mandela Pictures, Desert Bloom Form Four-Film Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)

Indonesia’s Mandela Pictures and Korea-L.A.-based Desert Bloom Pictures have forged a four-film development slate, with the pact unveiled at the JAFF Market in Yogyakarta.

The partnership establishes a pipeline of projects designed to bridge Indonesia, Korea and Hollywood markets, combining Desert Bloom’s track record in Korean blockbusters with Mandela’s intellectual property and positioning in Southeast Asia’s largest theatrical market.

Desert Bloom is headed by executives Jennice Lee, Hugh Cha and Park Hyoungjin, whose combined credits include Korean box office hits “Exhuma” and “Along With the Gods,” along with experience at Studio Dragon, Dexter Studios and Lotte Cultureworks. The Seoul-L.A. operation develops cross-cultural content targeting Asian and American audiences.

Mandela Pictures, run by the Samtani brothers — Manoj, Deepak and Lavesh — operates from Jakarta and is expanding its slate of genre and commercial titles, building on its film library and theatrical and streaming presence in Indonesia.

The initial slate comprises four projects. “Ugly Duckling” (working title) is being developed as an Indonesia-Korea co-production, described as a dramedy examining themes of image, identity and reinvention in the social media age, aimed at Indonesian audiences. Two additional Indonesia-set features will adapt U.S. or Korean IP for local viewers, reimagining existing properties with Indonesian settings and cultural elements. An untitled Korean horror feature, based on a title from Mandela’s newly launched genre label BN13, is being developed primarily for Korean theatrical release and international genre buyers.

“We didn’t want a one-off co-production — we wanted a real slate,” said Mandela Pictures COO Lavesh Samtani. “Starting with ‘Ugly Duckling’ and a key horror title from our genre label, the goal is to grow Indonesian-rooted stories that feel at home in Jakarta, Seoul, and Los Angeles.”

“Indonesia is one of the most exciting growth markets in the region,” added Desert Bloom Pictures CEO Jennice Lee. “By pairing Mandela’s IP and local insight with our Korean and Hollywood IPs and networks, we see the opportunity to build a long-term, cross-border studio ecosystem together.”

The partnership includes a talent exchange component, with plans to bring Korean writers, directors and creative executives to collaborate with Indonesian teams in writers’ rooms and on set, while creating opportunities for Indonesian talent to work on Korean and hybrid productions.

Creative attachments, casting and production timelines for the projects will be revealed as they advance through development.