DPR: Cinema Screen Expansion Must Deliver Economic Impact for Communities
Jakarta - Member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Novita Hardini, stated that the increase in the number of cinema screens amid positive growth in Indonesian film must be balanced with the economic conditions and purchasing power of the surrounding community. “Let us not make a blunder; we must not hear one cry but forget another. The number of screens is important, but when screens have been invested in and built, can people actually afford to enter in an economic situation like this?” said Novita during a Public Hearing Meeting of the Commission VII Working Committee on national film creativity and distribution at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Monday.
She said that in building the current film ecosystem, besides considering screen growth and film screening access, it must also be accompanied by the purchasing power of the local community. The construction of cinemas or the provision of screens in the regions must also consider the economic impact that the community will feel with the presence of entertainment media in their vicinity. “This needs to be clarified with a roadmap and clear economic impact targets for the surrounding community. Not just for our friends in the film industry, but a clear economic impact for the surrounding community,” she said.
On the other hand, Novita noted that the growth of national films over the past one to two years has shown a positive trend, accompanied by a growing number of domestic film viewers. Data from the Ministry of Creative Economy recorded that national film growth in 2025 showed the highest record, with total viewers reaching approximately 65 million people and 178 local film titles released in cinemas. However, the distribution of screens capable of showing local films remains limited and tends to be stagnant, often still favouring foreign films. This is because investors building screens still look towards films that are more profitable from an economic logic standpoint.
“Because the economic logic of the investors building these screens definitely requires profit and a return on capital. Now, if one of the root problems has not even been able to have its solution explained, I think this is also not a solution for adding screens,” said the legislator from the PDI-P faction. She also urged digital platform players in the film ecosystem to press the government to establish affirmative regulations regarding interventions that can build a healthier film ecosystem in terms of film screening competition and the number of screens.
The media platform for film culture socialisation and Indonesian film activists, Cinema Poetica, which attended the public hearing with Commission VII, recorded that the number of Indonesian films screened in cinemas in 2025 was 244 films, yet the total number of cinema screens across Indonesia is only 2,500 and is concentrated on the island of Java, posing a distribution challenge for regional films that lack screening access.