Indonesian real estate company PT Jababeka and production house Multivision Plus are joining forces to build a major studio complex, Indonesia Movieland, in the suburbs of Jakarta.

The complex, which will take five years to complete, will be spread across 36 hectares on the 5,600-hectare Kota Jababeka development. The partners are spending around $60m on phase one of the studios, although that may increase as other partners board the project.

Initial plans include sound stages, outdoor shooting and post-production facilities, a film museum, cultural centre and a wide range of restaurants and accommodation.

PT Jababeka's Ellen Patricia Sasiang said the company regards movie studios as a sound area to invest due to the growing strength of the local film industry. Indonesia is currently experiencing a local production boom, with 100 features released this year for a 55% market share, compared to less than ten annually a decade ago.

The top-grossing film in the territory this year, Ayat Ayat Cinta, which touches on the issue of polygamy, has racked up around 4 million admissions.

The developers behind Indonesia Movieland are hoping it will support the local filmindustry, but they also aim to attract international productions.

The Indonesian delegation held a partyin Pusanon Monday night to promote their local cinema, Indonesia Movieland and the Jakarta International Film Festival which is holding its tenth anniversary edition this year (Dec 5-14).

Films selected for JIFFEST include Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky, Dutch title Dunya & Desie and Martin Scorsese's Berlin opener Shine A Light. The full line-up will be announced on November 20.

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