In the bustling studios of Jakarta and beyond, Indonesia’s filmmakers are rewriting the rules of cinema, harnessing artificial intelligence to conjure Hollywood-level spectacles without the multimillion-dollar price tags. The recent launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2 on September 30, 2025, marks a pivotal moment, delivering high-definition video clips complete with synchronized sound and lifelike physics that push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-generated content. This tool, now accessible via an invite-only app, enables creators to produce up to one-minute realistic sequences, democratizing high-end production for emerging markets like Indonesia. As local talents experiment with Sora alongside tools like Runway and Midjourney, the nation’s film industry is surging forward, blending cutting-edge tech with cultural storytelling to captivate global audiences.
Indonesia’s cinematic landscape has always pulsed with energy, but AI is accelerating its transformation into a powerhouse. The country’s box office admissions climbed 10 percent in 2024, reaching 126.22 million viewers, with local films claiming a dominant 65 percent market share. This growth builds on 2023’s record-breaking $400 million in sales, positioning Indonesia as Southeast Asia’s fastest-expanding film market. Netflix’s heavy investments in Indonesian originals have further fueled this boom, drawing in diverse stories that resonate domestically and abroad. Filmmakers are turning to AI for efficiency, using ChatGPT to refine scripts, Midjourney for concept art, and Runway for preliminary video edits, slashing production times dramatically. Bisma Fabio Santabudi, a film lecturer at Multimedia Nusantara University, highlights how these tools unlock experimentation without prohibitive costs, stating, “Indonesia is now at the tipping point as we’ve got all the access to AI.” VFX artist Amilio Garcia Leonard echoes this, noting that AI drafts for visual effects now take 70 percent less time, allowing him to focus on enhancing human creativity.
The economic ripple effects are profound, especially for an industry where about 40,000 people worked in 2020 and budgets hover around $602,500 per film, a mere fraction of Hollywood’s averages. Agung Sentausa, chairperson of the Indonesian Film Producer Association, embraces AI’s potential to rival big-studio quality while curbing expenses, declaring the sector “open to the convenience offered by AI.” Studios like Wokcop in Jakarta are already deploying it for ambitious action sequences that were once out of reach, as CEO Franklin Darmadi explains, enabling bolder narratives on tighter timelines. Globally, similar shifts are evident: Marvel’s Secret Invasion used AI for opening credits, Netflix’s The Eternaut for building collapse scenes, and OpenAI’s tech powers the $30 million animated feature Critterz, set for May 2026 release, a stark contrast to Pixar’s $200 million, four-year Toy Story 3. In Indonesia, this means more films like the 285 produced in 2023 can scale up visually without ballooning costs, fostering a vibrant ecosystem that attracts international collaborators.
Yet, this technological leap comes with shadows that unsettle the creative community. Job displacement looms large, with roles in storyboarding, scripting, VFX, and voice acting under threat from automation’s efficiency. VFX artist Maximillian Budihardjo at Jakarta’s Visualizm studio uses AI for initial edits but insists on manual touch-ups, wary of outputs that feel unnaturally flawless, like characters with poreless skin. Storyboard artist Bahrul Ilmi relies on AI for character poses but discards nonsensical results, while producer Wiendy Widasari at Progressinema observes fewer hires for traditional storyboarders as AI handles sequences swiftly. Ignatius Krismawan, another VFX specialist, has scaled back his roto artist team, tasks now automated with precision. Scriptwriter Bayu Kurnia Prasetya, swamped by Indonesia’s prolific output, leverages AI for brainstorming and error-checking to cut hours-long chores to minutes, yet he rejects it for full writing, arguing, “AI films have no soul at all. They are just too perfect.” Voice acting faces similar pressures; post-production studios in Indonesia increasingly clone voices from databases, paying artists only for timbre samples, a practice sparking global backlash like lawsuits over unauthorized deepfakes.
Controversies extend to ethical quandaries, with AI’s training on copyrighted material raising alarms, as revealed in investigations into models like Sora. Many filmmakers view full AI reliance as taboo, fearing it erodes the raw emotion central to art. Budihardjo calls AI a “companion” rather than a total replacement, emphasizing the need to “befriend AI to maximize our basic skills.” In Indonesia, where audio post-production quietly shifts away from live talent, these tensions highlight a broader unease: technology amplifies creativity but risks commoditizing the human spark that defines storytelling.
Despite these hurdles, inspiring examples illuminate AI’s promise when guided by human vision. Globally, AI has elevated productions, but Indonesia shines with homegrown innovations like the documentary Nusantara, which won Best AI Documentary at the 2025 AI Film Awards in Cannes. Produced by Jakarta’s Neyra Vision, this short film revives the 14th-century epic of military leader Gajah Mada and his Sumpah Palapa vow to unite the archipelago, blending historical accuracy with AI-generated battles and visuals in ultra-high resolution. Executive producer Helmy Yahya celebrated the win as proof of Indonesia’s AI creative ecosystem competing worldwide, noting how the technology economically rendered large-scale scenes. Locally, the Bali International AI Film Festival debuted in May 2025, showcasing 44 films from 21 countries at Paradiso Ubud Cinema, followed by a second edition in September with 86 submissions. Organizer Ben Makinen stresses that top AI filmmakers often have traditional training, underscoring the festival’s role in exploring “what makes a good director.” These events not only highlight AI’s narrative power but also position Indonesia as a hub for ethical, culturally rich experimentation.
As AI reshapes the field, skill sets are evolving to demand a hybrid prowess. Santabudi predicts job losses will balance with new roles in “AI-prompt artistry,” where crafting precise inputs becomes an art form. His university now offers dedicated AI filmmaking courses, preparing students to wield tools like Sora 2 for preproduction storyboards and synchronized clips. Storyboarder Ilmi, a veteran since the early 2000s, plans to upskill, believing human manual work will gain premium value amid AI saturation. Krismawan and others advocate a balanced approach, using AI to augment workflows without supplanting intuition. This shift favors those who blend technical savvy with artistic depth, turning potential disruption into opportunity.
Looking ahead, Indonesia’s film industry could redefine global cinema over the next decade, leveraging its young, tech-adaptive workforce to become a production epicenter for AI-driven content. With Gen Z dominating the population and rapid AI adoption, the nation might export culturally infused blockbusters at scale, challenging Hollywood’s dominance. Yet, as Prasetya warns, oversaturation of “instant” AI content may elevate handmade artistry, restoring value to the imperfect, soulful essence of film. If navigated thoughtfully, this trajectory promises not just economic gains but a renaissance where technology amplifies Indonesia’s storied heritage, captivating the world one frame at a time.