EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian sales agent Afterlife International is debuting at Cannes with a genre-driven slate led by upcoming horror feature Munafik and Delivery From Hell, and the country’s highest ever grossing film Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku.
The Jakarta-based company is a rare Indonesian sales outfit specialising in international sales. “Historically producers take on a double role, managing both the creative production and the complex logistics of local and international distribution,” said founder Nadia Iswara.
“While major studios have established ecosystems to manage everything in-house, medium-to-small studios, many of which are fresh, creative voices, face a different reality. They are often forced to prioritise an increasingly competitive domestic market, leaving international sales on the back burner because the process is so time-consuming and costly.”
Afterlife International aims to bridge the gap and maximise the global potential of Indonesia films.
On the inaugural slate is Guntur Soeharjanto’s Munafik, the Indonesian remake of the 2016 breakout Malaysian horror film of the same name.
Produced by Oswin Bonifanz of Unlimited Production, it is about a healer who is drawn into a supernatural case linked to the hypocrisy behind religious appearances and has to choose between surrendering to the darkness or saving lives. The cast includes Arya Saloka, Acha Septriasa, Donny Damara, Mohammad Faqih Alaydrus.
Delivery From Hell (aka Paket Santet) features an original story from female director Dinna Jasanti, who transitions from drama to horror. The youth-driven story is about a deadly chain of events spark by a mysterious package that leaves the young sibling of a college student in coma.
It is produced by Shanty Harmayn of Base Entertainment. The cast includes Fatih Unru, Yasamin Jasem, Azela Putri, Fadly Faisal. It is scheduled for a Q4 release, same as Munafik.
Afterlife International has 19 titles on its bumper slate, which also includes Imajinari’s hit comedy Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku, Indonesia’s biggest film ever with 11 million admissions (beating Avengers: Endgame), and Unlimited Production’s latest horror hit Alas Roban with 2.4 million admissions. It also has an extensive library.
“It truly reflects the high demand from local producers seeking specialised support in international sales and distribution,” added Nadia, a veteran distribution executive who has worked at Base Entertainment and MD Entertainment, handling Joko Anwar’s Impetigore and Awi Suryadi’s Pabrik Gula among other titles.
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