In response to one of our latest articles, an anonymous filmmaker from Indonesia has stepped forward with a harrowing account of how nepotism, intimidation, and “feudalistic” power structures dominate her local film industry. In a candid letter sent to Film Industry Watch, this award-winning director (who cannot publicly reveal her identity or film titles due to safety concerns) describes an industry where “meritocracy barely stands a chance.” Her testimony echoes patterns of insider favoritism and conflicts of interest that we have reported in global festival circuits and paints a troubling picture of a creative field in which success often depends more on “kissing the ring” than on talent or integrity.
“Meritocracy Barely Stands a Chance”
Dear Film Industry Watch team,
Thank you for your work. I’m a filmmaker from Indonesia. I’ve been fortunate enough to have several of my films published and awarded—some at major festivals—though I cannot publicly name them here due to local circumstances.
I’m writing to express how relieved and grateful I felt discovering your organization. In my country, the film industry is deeply feudalistic. Regardless of gender, if you refuse to “kiss the ring,” you can become a target. Gossip, false accusations of sexual misconduct or corruption, baseless abuse allegations—these are common tactics used to silence or sideline people. None of it is about truth or justice; it’s about control.
Despite having multiple feature films produced both locally and on the festival circuit, I still struggle to find stable ground. I don’t belong to the dominant circles, and I’m simply not good at playing the political games required to survive in a system that masquerades as sophisticated but is rooted in patronage and gatekeeping.
I hope one day you can take a closer look at what’s happening in our country. If your organization has the resources, I believe you would be shocked by the extent of the systemic feudalism here – particularly in the distribution of government funding, travel grant, which often totals millions of dollars but is locked behind opaque and nepotistic processes. Meritocracy barely stands a chance.
This is not a cry for help – it’s a thank you. Knowing that organizations like yours exist gives people like me a little more strength to keep going. In Indonesia, choosing between the commercial path and the so-called “independent” one still means navigating unethical practices, backdoor politics, and an industry built to suppress dissent.
Most voices are destroyed long before they are heard.
Thank you again for caring. It truly means a lot.
Warmly,
Anonymous
Filmmaker, Indonesia
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The Cost of Speaking Out – A Culture of Fear
One of the most disturbing aspects shared by our source’s letter and our ongoing investigations is the pervasive culture of fear that keeps this system running. People within the industry often know these injustices are happening. Filmmakers whisper privately about conflicts of interest, unfair jury decisions, or abusive gatekeepers. But few dare to speak openly. As our anonymous filmmaker explains, voicing criticism “even privately, can jeopardize careers, funding opportunities, and access to vital networks.” Careers can be destroyed on the basis of a rumor. A powerful insider need only brand someone a troublemaker or spread a defamatory story, and that person may quietly disappear from festival lineups or lose out on grants.
Indeed, our own reporting has encountered numerous individuals who insisted on anonymity for fear of retribution. Tips come in via private emails or off-the-record conversations, never publicly. In one striking anecdote, a Europe-based filmmaker told us how he greeted a well-connected producer at a Cannes party, a friend of Dominique Welinski, only to be met with a hostile snub: “She shot back, ‘I know who you are and I’ve heard everything about you!’ then turned on her heel and took off as if I were convicted of murder… I have no idea what made-up story was said about me, but considering who she’s close to, it seems like gossip was used as a weapon.” The implication was that he had been quietly blacklisted — maligned behind the scenes, possibly because he had been openly critical of the very network we’re discussing. “What are the implications of falling on the wrong side of someone as powerful as her… I can only guess,” he said. “It seems she uses gossip as a weapon.” This chilling story mirrors the “gossip, false accusations… used to silence people” that our Indonesian correspondent described. It shows how easily a career can be sabotaged by those who control the informal narratives in the film world.
The result is a widespread self-censorship. Many filmmakers and professionals feel they must publicly “play nice” — congratulating the winners, biting their tongue about unfair practices, perhaps hoping to be welcomed into the fold one day — or else risk being labeled as bitter or difficult, which would be career suicide. As our source observes, “politics – social alignment, affiliations, personal connections, and public signaling – carry more weight than talent, merit, or originality.”
In such an atmosphere, silence becomes the price of admission to an insider-dominated industry. This silence allows the misconduct to continue unchecked. It’s a vicious cycle: fear keeps people from calling out the problems, which in turn allows the problems to persist and the powerful to act with impunity.
Breaking the Silence
The anonymous Indonesian filmmaker concludes her letter with a mix of gratitude and resignation: “This is not a cry for help — it’s a thank you… Knowing that organizations like yours exist gives people like me a little more strength to keep going.” That gratitude is deeply humbling, but it also underscores how lonely and perilous it can be to challenge the status quo. For every one person who speaks up, there are dozens who feel they cannot.
Shining a light on these feudal dynamics is not about negativity or tearing down the film industry; it’s about saving it. Cinema, at its best, is an art form that should unite and inspire the world with fresh ideas and diverse voices. That cannot happen if the pipeline for new talent is clogged with gatekeepers playing favorites. It cannot happen if artists live in fear of offending power. It cannot happen if public resources meant for cultural development are siphoned off by nepotism.
Our source’s story, and the examples we’ve highlighted from Cannes to Jakarta, are calls to action. They tell us that transparency, accountability, and fairness must be more than slogans – they must be enforced through structural change. Festivals could start by adopting conflict-of-interest rules (for example, barring anyone who has a financial stake in a film from participating in its selection or awards). Funding bodies could implement blind evaluations to reduce favoritism. Whistleblower protections could be established in the arts sector to shield those who call out wrongdoing. These are just a few ideas, but the first step is acknowledging the problem openly, without fear.
Shattering a “closed circuit” culture will not be easy; those benefiting from it will resist. But the alternative is a world where “most voices are destroyed long before they are heard,” and that, to quote our letter writer, “should give us pause.” By amplifying testimonies like hers, we hope to chip away at the wall of silence. The future of film — the health of global cinema as an art and an industry — depends on breaking the feudal cycle and welcoming a new era where merit and integrity can truly shine.
Film Industry Watch remains committed to investigating these systemic issues. To our source in Indonesia: thank you for caring and for speaking out. Your voice has been heard, and it strengthens our resolve to bring about the change that so many in the filmmaking community desperately need. We encourage anyone with similar experiences or information to reach out (confidentially) and join this conversation. Only by working together can we ensure that the world of cinema lives up to its ideals of creativity, diversity, and fairness for all.
