Jakarta. State-owned bank BNI recently held film screenings for "Timur" in Surabaya, Semarang, and Bandung on Dec. 13-14.

The company said that the event was part of its support for Indonesia's creative industry. The audience could also meet and greet the movie's cast and production crew. Martial arts star Iko Uwais is making his directorial debut with "Timur", which will hit Indonesian cinemas on Dec. 18. 

Raffi Ahmad, Jimmy Kobogau, Auffa Assegaf, and Yentonius Jerriel Ho came to the screenings in Surabaya and Semarang. The events also attracted a huge crowd, reflecting the interest in this action-drama film. In Semarang, BNI also set up an activation booth to bolster the interaction with visitors. At the Bandung screening, Timur's Executive Producer, Nagita Slavina, was present. 

"The film industry plays a strategic role in creating economic and social impact, from empowering local talent to strengthening the creative economy ecosystem. BNI supports 'Timur' as an Indonesian-made work with the potential to not only provide added value, but also inspire youth," Okki said in a written statement.

Timur's Executive Producer, Raffi Ahmad, said that the film had a compelling narrative with universal values and authentic production quality.

"This film conveys strong values ​​of family and brotherhood and deserves to be seen by a wider audience," he said.

Nagita Slavina said that the creative process in this film involved strong collaboration between the local talents. The positive responses from the screening audiences also showed that the film is emotionally engaging and entertaining, according to Nagita.

BNI seeks to not only develop Indonesia's financial sector, but also encourage the growth of innovation-driven productive sectors. 'Timur' is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the Indonesian film industry and put the creative economy as a new growth driver.