Jakarta. Veteran actor and filmmaker Rano Karno has revealed that no Indonesian film has ever been financed by local banks -- a reality that, he says, even surprised Bank Indonesia (BI) when he brought it up during a recent meeting.

“I was invited by Bank Indonesia and presented the potential of Indonesia’s film industry. Everyone was shocked to learn that all our films have been made without any banking support. They admitted that it was a mistake,” Rano said at the opening of Jakarta Film Week 2025 on Wednesday night.

Rano, who also serves as Jakarta’s deputy governor, said the central bank has promised to get involved in helping the film industry grow.

“Starting tomorrow, BI will host a symposium to discuss how films are actually made in Indonesia,” he said.

The 65-year-old actor shared his vision to turn Jakarta into a “city of cinema” by 2027, coinciding with the capital’s 500th anniversary.

“Until 2029, when Pramono Anung serves as governor and I as deputy governor, Jakarta Film Week will continue every year -- and we’ll boost participation so people recognize Jakarta as a true city of cinema,” Rano said.

A household name in Indonesia, Rano began his career as a child actor and rose to fame through romantic dramas in the 1970s and 1980s -- most notably Gita Cinta dari SMA (Love Song from High School). In 1990, he directed the beloved TV series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel the Educated Boy), which became one of Indonesia’s most successful shows, running for six seasons and still rerunning today.

After decades in entertainment, Rano shifted to politics in 2008, winning the election as deputy regent of Tangerang. Four years later, he became deputy governor of Banten, and in 2015, rose to governor after Ratu Atut Chosiyah was dismissed over a corruption case.

Though he lost the 2017 Banten gubernatorial race, Rano made a political comeback in 2024, being elected Jakarta’s deputy governor -- while keeping his passion for film very much alive.

“I want to show the world that Indonesian cinema has enormous potential,” he said. “We just need the right support to take it global.”

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