The movie industry in Indonesia is experiencing rapid and significant growth, as evidenced by the increasing number of quality films that millions of viewers have been watching. Indonesian films are frequently showcased at foreign film festivals, solidifying Indonesia's reputation as a top producer of excellent movies.

Indonesian films have achieved success in the international arena thanks to the hard work of film professionals, production companies, and supporting facilities, as well as the presence of movie studios to facilitate the filming process.

Movie studios in Indonesia are purpose-built as filming locations for various films. These studios typically include sets or buildings that filmmakers can disassemble and customize to fit the requirements of the filming background, resulting in a more realistic portrayal.

Interestingly, some of these movie studios have also begun to be recognized by the public and have become one of the tourist destinations. Although there are not too many of them yet, here are some movie studios in Indonesia that have complete facilities:

Studio Alam Gamplong

As one of the most famous movie studios in Indonesia, Studio Alam Gamplong has recently gone viral on social media for being the filming location of several well-known Indonesian films, such as Sultan Agung: Tahta, Perjuangan, dan Cinta (2018); Bumi Manusia (2019); and Habibie Ainun 3 (2019). As soon as you enter the Studio Alam Gamplong area, you will feel like you have stepped into a time warp that takes you back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

The movie studio buildings represent a historical city and are divided into several zones: the Surabaya Kranggan Replica Zone, Chinatown, and VOC Fort. An iconic feature of Studio Alam Gamplong is the old-school tram that runs around the studio. It is not surprising that this movie studio located in Gamplong 1 Hamlet, Moyudan, Sleman, D.I. Yogyakarta is Indonesia's Hollywood studio.

Studio Alam TVRI

Studio Alam TVRI, Indonesia's most legendary movie studio, was built in 1980 and has been a filming location since 1985. It is located in Sukmajaya, Depok City, West Java, and is often the location for shooting TVRI soap operas and other Indonesian movies. Some notable films shot at this studio include Jelangkung (2001), Air Terjun Pengantin (2009), The Raid Trilogy (2011), Merah Putih Trilogy (2017), and Kuntilanak (2018).

TVRI's Studio Alam movie studio occupies a spacious 20-hectare site surrounded by beautiful, shady trees. The studio features permanent buildings, such as traditional houses from various regions of Indonesia, which are frequently used as filming locations.

Photo: Studio Infinite is poised to become Southeast Asia's largest movie studio (infinitestudios.com.sg)

Studio Infinite

Located outside Java in the Nongsa area of Batam, Studio Infinite is poised to become Southeast Asia's largest movie studio. Like other movie studios, Studio Infinite has many buildings that have become the setting for various Indonesian movies, Hollywood movies, and series! Some movies filmed at Studio Infinite are Dead Mine (2012), Blackhat (2015), Beyond Skyline (2015), Buffalo Boys (2017), Headshot (2017), and the HBO series Grisse (2018).

The facilities at Studio Infinite are comprehensive, comprising an animation studio, a set and props studio, a soundstage, an indoor filming area, two stages covering 1,300 square meters each, and an airport hangar-like building spanning 2,800 square meters.

Studio Persari

Located in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, Studio Persari is one of Indonesia's historic movie studios. Persari stands for the Indonesian Artist Company. Founded in 1950 by Djamaludin Malik, known as the "Father of the Indonesian Film Industry" and the initiator of the Indonesian Film Festival, Studio Persari is a famous filming location for Indonesian movies, soap operas, and FTVs. Legendary soap operas from the 1990s, such as Balada Dangdut, Aku Ingin Pulang, Camelia, and Jay Anak Metropolitan, were filmed here.

Jakarta Film Studio

Located in Ceger, East Jakarta, this movie studio was constructed by MD Picture Production House to support the filming of their movies. The studio spans 2.4 hectares and includes three sound stages and sets for apartments, restaurants, offices, hospitals, and highways. Some Indonesian movies that have been shot at this film studio include Danur 3 (2019), Darah Daging (2019), Love for Sale 2 (2019), Nanti Kita Cerita tentang Hari Ini (2020), and KKN di Desa Penari (2020).

Cover: As one of the most famous movie studios in Indonesia, Studio Alam Gamplong (Shutterstock/Edy waluyo nugroho)