Film Community as the Other Way to Distribute Independent Film in Indonesia

Indonesia was the largest country in South East Asia. It is also the fourth most populous country in the world. Indonesia has more than 250 thousands population from Sabang until Merauke. It was the big market for every industry to distribute their product.

To face ASEAN Economic Community, Indonesia improving their quality and capability to provide creative industry product as the superior product. Joko Widodo as the seventh president create the new ministry called tourism and creative industry ministry to manage it. One of the creative industry is film which grew rapidly in Indonesia. The quality and quantity of national film improving in every year. But the number of movie theatre in Indonesia only 923 screens. It still less than Malaysia and Japan. The number of spectators was stagnant, even decrease in 2015. It could cause of the cultural watching which not familiar in the society.

At this time, there were many community, sympathizer and volunteer to build cultural watching in the society. They move from urban life until traditional life, from city to the village to socialize it. For example in East Java, the art department of East Java government has a program to mediator all of film communities in East Java to produce film and support the film distribution throughout movie screening and discussion. Every region have their own community. Beside that there was film community in every university which love to create movie screening and discussion even they have no subject in film production or distribution. This community could be the way for independent film to distribute their film.

Independent filmmaker often has no budget for promote their film, if it distributed by Cineplex franchises. Another way, they choose film festival or film community to distribute their film. Film festival was great for build the image of the film but sometimes filmmaker need more profit from tickets selling. After film festival, the next strategy for distributing film beside movie theatre is throughout film community.  But the problem is film community screening often free entry. If they choose this way, they would not have income for their creative art. Distribution of Indonesian film, manage by their own team.

Now, the team could use film community as the exhibitor of their film. Community as the exhibitors offer the low budget of film promotion. Community and filmmaker make a deal to exhibit the film, then community will searching for the audience, place, equipment, and sell the tickets. Filmmaker only need to provide the poster (hardcopy and/or softcopy), film, and interviewer to make film discussion. For example “Siti” film and Kineforum. A film which directed by Eddie Cahyono first release in 2014 at Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival. Siti win many awards from many film festival in Indonesia level or international level. Although an independent film, Siti win the best film of Indonesian Film Festival and beat the Indonesian feature film.

Kineforum has Kinosaurus, the tiny movie theatre as the latest addition to several alternative movie-viewing sites across Jakarta. Kinosaurus operate in every weekend; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This movie theatre fit 25 people in one viewing and tickets are Rp 50,000 per film. The set-up is casual and rather intimate. Guests can choose to sit on bean bags or sofas around the room. Food and beverages are allowed inside. Siti was screened in the Kinosaurus in a month. Siti also screened in the university. For example in ISI Surakarta, Siti which collaborate with Kunjungan Spesial offer the cheaper tickets price than movie theatre tickets price. That was Rp 20.000 for two film. The member of Kineforum and ISI Surakarta have their own potential audience. They will come to the screening automatically.

Beside live deal between filmmaker team and community, now filmmaker could use the service of online film distribution. The new innovation of film distribution in Indonesia initiated by Button Ijo. Button Ijo regarded as the alternative of film distribution outside movie theatre and film festival. Button Ijo have three program to distributing film, that is online distribution (via streaming), offline distribution (via USB), and film funding. If the member of any film community or personal want to buy the movie or join in this program, they could register as member on Button Ijo website. In the five years career, Button Ijo producing some advertisement and film. In 2015, a company which initiated by Amir Pohan and Myrna Paramita was started to try distributing film by streaming and USB cinema.

Film material available on the web buttonijo.com can be accessed by anyone, anytime, and anywhere via smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or a laptop. The material of the film has resolution equivalent Blu-ray image with a small file size (about 100-200mb for the 90-minute film). It allows a much faster buffering while watching, and easy access in all parts of Indonesia which have diverse internet connection. Of course, the online distribution system is also completed with advanced security features. So filmmaker does not have to worry about his work was hijacked.

Film community also could create a profitable movie screening by this film distribution company. They could buy film which winning awards and sell the tickets for whom want to watch the movie. Button Ijo will give the USB Cinema which cannot copied and will erase the file automatically when the time and date of film screening was end. This is also the security features to avoid the hijacked. All of the profit of the tickets was owned by the community. Button Ijo get the profit from selling the film file. The film which ever producing and distributing by Button Ijo is; Ayam Mati di Lumbung Padi (Darwin Nugraha), Rocket Rain (Anggun Priambodo), Another Trip to the Moon (Ismail Basbeth), etc.

As the conclusion, the form of film distribution will develop in line with the media sharing technology development. Hijacked is the big problem of Indonesian creative industry. Button Ijo use the safe and advance technology to distribute film and avoid hijacked. The distribution of independent film will be profitable if there were good cooperation between distribution company and film community.

REFERENCES:

Adhie Ichan. 30 March 2015. Kuantitas film nasional bertambah, penonon cenderung menurun. http://hot.detik.com/movie/read/2015/03/30/075356/2873019/229/kuantitas-film-nasional-bertambah-jumlah-penonton-cenderung-turun

Bende. 5 December 2015. Button Ijo: Alternatif distribusi dan pembiayaan film. https://jaff-filmfest.org/button-ijo-alternatif-distribusi-dan-pembiayaan-film/

Dendi Prayoga. 24 November 2015. USB sinema Button Ijo hadir di Malang. http://www.masfmmalang.com/berita-7492-usb-sinema-button-ijo-hadir-di-malang-.html

Jakarta Globe. Microcinema Kinosaurus has big plans for small movies. http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/features/microcinema-kinosaurus-big-plans-small-movies/

Saugy Riyandi. 14 October 2014. Jumlah bioskop di Indonesia kalah dibanding Malaysia dan Jepang. http://www.merdeka.com/uang/jumlah-bioskop-di-indonesia-kalah-dibanding-malaysia-dan-jepang.html