Indonesian Drama ‘Cubs’ Explores Coming-of-Age Tale Against Mining Town Backdrop – TCCF

Indonesian filmmakers Riri Riza, Mira Lesmana, and Ifa Isfansyah are developing “Cubs,” a coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of a gold mining town, which is being presented at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).

The film follows Gul, a teenager navigating love and maturity in a community rife with conflict over land and resources. “I wrote the initial idea for ‘Cubs’ in 2007. Almost two decades later, as the economy grew, land and environmental conflicts re-emerged in various regions, often involving military repression,” says writer-director Riza.

The project aims to blend crime-action elements with coming-of-age drama. “‘Cubs’ follows Gul grows from a cub to a tiger,” Riza notes. “The structure of the film builds on the arc of a boy trying to deal with the devil, a classic familiarity of David versus Goliath. Violence is inherent in the characters, leading to the fatalistic confrontational climaxes.” He plans to mix non-professional and professional actors to achieve realism, with shooting planned in an actual gold mining town in Java.

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Executive producer Mira Lesmana, who developed the story with Riza at Miles Films, brought on producer Ifa Isfansyah and Forka Films to give the project what she describes as “a rawer and contemporary form, but still accessible to the audience.”

Currently in development and financing, the film is targeting production for Q1 2026 with a planned release in Q1 or Q2 2027. At TCCF, the team is seeking investment, co-production opportunities, sales partnerships, and post-production support. Isfansyah notes they’re particularly interested in exploring 16mm film processing possibilities in Taiwan, as Indonesia lacks film laboratory facilities.

The creative team brings significant experience to the project. Lesmana is credited with reviving Indonesian cinema with 2000’s “Sherina’s Adventure.” Isfansyah, founder of Forka Films and the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, recently scored a hit with Netflix series “Cigarette Girl.” Riza’s films have screened at major festivals including Berlinale, Tokyo, Busan, and Rotterdam, with his recent “Sherina’s Adventure 2” achieving box office success in Indonesia.

Forka Films’ previous productions include festival selections “The Seen and Unseen” (Toronto 2017), “Memories Of My Body” (Venice Orizzonti 2018), and “Yuni” (Toronto Platform Prize).