East Ventures' Willson Cuaca Invests in IDN Media’s Newest Film

Today, 25 February 2021, IDN Media officially announced the investment from East Ventures’ Willson Cuaca for its newest film called ‘Balada Si Roy’. Willson will also join as the Executive Producer in the film.

IDN Media, the leading media platform company for Millennials and Gen Z in Indonesia, announced ‘Balada Si Roy’ as its newest film project late last year. The film is produced by IDN Pictures, a technology-based film company under IDN Media, led by Fajar Nugros and Susanti Dewi.

Produced in the midst of the pandemic, the film project symbolizes IDN Media’s optimism towards the Indonesian film industry. Along with the investment from East Ventures’ Willson Cuaca, it is expected to further inspire the industry to thrive in this uncertainty.

Willson Cuaca said, “We think that we have been able to crack and build up a good track record in digital startup financing. It would be very exciting if we could do the same to the film financing. 'Balada Si Roy' just happens to be one of my favorite characters, so it seems like the stars are aligned.”

‘Balada Si Roy’ is adapted from a legendary Indonesian novel with the same title written by Gol A Gong. The film is directed by Fajar Nugros and produced by Susanti Dewi. The main character in the film, Roy, is being played by Abidzar Al-ghifari, while Ani is being played by Febby Rastanty, and Dullah is being played by Bio One. The production process has been completed and the film will be released in 2021.

Willson Cuaca, Managing Partner East Ventures: “In every generation, there are always books gripping the minds of teenagers at that certain period of time. Balada Si Roy from Gol A Gong mostly tells us about loss, imperfection, resilience, as well as self-discovery. In the end, it is all about authenticity. With the revival of the main character, Roy, this film is expected to give positive impacts on the audience, just as my experience when I first read the book in the '90s. I am certain that this challenging task will be well-executed by the IDN Pictures and IDN Media team and I am very proud of the opportunity given to support this project.”

Winston Utomo, CEO IDN Media: “The charisma of Roy. When I first talked to Willson regarding this investment opportunity, Willson immediately became very excited. I still remember the thrill when he said that Roy is his idol and role model; and he became who he is today because of Roy.

We truly believe that this investment is not merely a financial investment, but a display of trust in IDN Media and a symbol of support to the Indonesian film industry. We are very excited to partner with Willson and we are looking forward to watching Balada Si Roy very soon.”