Palari Films meets high expectations with 'Monster Hair Factory'

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Production house Palari Films is determined to meet high audience expectations for its horror-fantasy project “Monster Hair Factory”, which has garnered widespread attention in Indonesia since premiering at various prestigious global film festivals. The film, set to release in Indonesian cinemas on 4 June, previously screened at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (February), the 44th Brussels Fantastic Film Festival, and the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival (April). “Indonesia’s film market share has increased to 65% post-pandemic,” said Palari Films producer Muhammad Zaidy in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, on Monday. “This trend reflects broader content consumption patterns, with audiences no longer confined to a single genre.” Current Indonesian films must offer genre diversity and prioritise quality to meet the growing demands of increasingly critical cinema audiences. Another producer, Meiske Taurisia, revealed that producing a horror film is a strategy to offer new choices for Indonesian audiences. Meiske added that the film, known internationally as “Sleep No More”, will also compete in the “Shaping Noir” category at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 in Montreal, Canada, next July. Meiske explained that the film, directed by Edwin and written by Eka Kurniawan, addresses work fatigue (overwork) to resonate with audiences across continents. She added that international distribution has been entrusted to Showbox, the company behind “Exhuma”. The production involved Japanese cinematographers, a Singaporean editor, and post-production work in France. “Germans were surprised as horror films are rare there. They thought horror was only about demons. They were delighted to find positive messages within the genre,” said Aryani. Aryani Willems, who plays senior hair factory worker Sri in “Monster Hair Factory”, is one of the film’s cast members.