Aview Images collaborates with Indonesian filmmaker on new film

Aview Images, a company based in Taiwan, is working with Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja on his new film "Levitating." This marks their third project together with Indonesian productions. The announcement was made at the Hong Kong FilMart. The film tells the story of Bayu, an Indonesian teenager who wants to become a shaman at local trance parties. In his suburban community, the residents seek joy through spiritual rituals. As the community faces an eviction crisis, Bayu steps up to help find a solution. The cast includes rising star Angga Yunanda, along with Anggun C. Sasmi, Maudy Ayunda, Bryan Domani, and Chicco Kurniawan. Bhanuteja has previously gained recognition for his films "Photocopier" and "Andragogy." The former was a hit on Netflix, and the latter had a successful run in Indonesian theaters. Kuek Shee Heng, founder of Aview Images, praised Bhanuteja's talent, saying he is a visionary filmmaker. He expressed excitement about collaborating on "Levitating," which he believes has important universal themes. Bhanuteja noted the cultural ties between Taiwan and Indonesia, which strengthen their partnership. He is pleased to be working with Shee Heng, as they discovered shared cultural elements during their first meeting at Cannes in 2016. Before this project, Aview Images worked with Indonesian directors on films such as "Tale of the Land" and "Our Son." Producer Siera Tamihardja mentioned that the timing of "Levitating" is ideal, as Indonesia's film industry is recovering post-pandemic, with audiences returning to theaters. In addition to support from Indonesia’s Rekata Studio and Taiwan’s Aview Images, "Levitating" has backing from Singapore’s Momo Film Co and France’s Les Contes Modernes. The film is currently in post-production and is looking for international sales partners, aiming for a summer release.