House Member Urges Government Support for Film Industry

A member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction, Hendry Munief, is urging the government to strengthen its support for the national film industry by providing incentives, fostering creative communities, and developing a filmmaking ecosystem in the regions. In a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, Hendry said Commission VII is currently running a Working Committee on National Film Creativity and Distribution (KDFN) to identify challenges and potential for developing the film industry as part of the national creative economy. According to him, the results of a working visit to Yogyakarta showed that the film industry has great opportunities to drive creative economic growth, including through holding international-standard film festivals. “We visited one of the film communities in Yogyakarta that organised a film festival attended by 40 countries. This is quite an interesting breakthrough, and the Ministry of Creative Economy provided support for its implementation,” Hendry said. He assessed that this success could serve as an example for developing the film industry in various regions because it is able to bring together local creative players with international networks while opening up new economic opportunities. “We hope that in the years to come, this can become a push and motivation so that the national film industry improves tremendously,” he said. “I met many friends from film communities, both in West Java and in Riau Province. They are building communication about how these film communities need to receive incentives and support from the ministry,” he added. Hendry said strengthening the film industry not only impacts the cultural sector but also has the potential to create jobs, strengthen the regional creative economy, and expand the promotion of local potential through audiovisual works. In addition to discussing the creative industry, Hendry highlighted the importance of synergy between local governments and people’s representatives in accelerating regional development. He mentioned the formation of the Riau Electoral District (Dapil) DPR RI Forum as a step to strengthen coordination in fighting for development programmes for the community. “We are trying to unite all factions and all parties in Riau Province. A total of 13 DPR RI members from Riau 1 and Riau 2 electoral districts have become one unified entity in the Riau Dapil DPR RI Forum,” he said. “This has become an extraordinary platform. One of our agreements is that on 19 June we will meet with the Minister of Finance to convey various programmes proposed by regents, mayors, and regional apparatus in Riau Province,” Hendry stated. He hopes the collaboration between DPR RI members, the provincial government, and district and city governments can increase the chances of national strategic programmes entering Riau. “Hopefully, the cohesiveness of DPR RI members, the governor, regents, and mayors throughout Riau Province can bring more programmes from the 2027 State Budget for the people in Riau Province,” Hendry said.