East Ventures’ Willson Cuaca invests in the film adaptation of a classic Indonesian novel

Indonesia-based media platform IDN Media announced it has attracted an undisclosed sum from Willson Cuaca, managing partner of East Ventures.

Willson Cuaca, managing partner at East Ventures/ Photo credit: IDN Media

Cuaca will invest in IDN Media’s newest film Balada Si Roy, which is an adaptation of the classic Indonesian novel that sold over 300,000 copies. He will also join the film as an executive producer.

Launched in 2014, IDN Media operates portals IDN Times, Popbela.com, Popmama.com, and Yummy, among others. It claims to engage over 60 million monthly active users.

“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,” said Cuaca. “Balada Si Roy just happens to be one of my favorite characters, so it seems like the stars are aligned.”

The film is aimed at inspiring the cinema industry to thrive amid uncertainties since the past year, after the pandemic upended the movie industry, which is set to experience its sharpest contraction in at least 21 years, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

“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,” said Winston Utomo, CEO of IDN Media.