Riri Riza

Mohammad Rivai "Riri" Riza (born October 2, 1970) is an Indonesian filmmaker. He is notable for his directorial work on Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure; 2000), Gie (2005), Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troop; 2008), and Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2 (What's Up with Love? 2; 2016). He is also known for his creative partnership with Indonesian producer Mira Lesmana, with whom he manages the film production company, Miles Films.^[1]

Riri Riza
Portrait of Riri Riza
Born	Mohammad Rivai Riza (1970-10-02) October 2, 1970 (age 54) Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesian
Occupation(s)	Film director, producer, screenwriter
Notable work	Petualangan Sherina Gie Laskar Pelangi Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2
Children	2

Early life and education

Riri Riza was born in Makassar on October 2, 1970. He moved to Jakarta in 1979, where he conducted his secondary education at LabSchool UNJ.^[2]

In 1993, Riza graduated from the Jakarta Arts Institute, where he majored in Film Directing.^[2][3] As a talented student, his thesis film, Sonata Kampung Bata (Sonata of the Brick Village), placed third at the 1994 Oberhausen short film festival.^[4]

Career

In 1995, Riza directed two episodes in the documentary series, Anak Seribu Pulau (Children of the Thousand Islands).^[5]

He directed his first feature film, Kuldesak, in 1998, collaborating with Mira Lesmana, Nan Triveni Achnas and Rizal Mantovani. His solo feature film debut, Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure) in 2000, established him as a director.

Together with Mira Lesmana, Riza has also become a film producer. Their Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (What's Up With Love?), directed by Rudy Soedjarwo, had two million viewers in 2002, Indonesian cinema's biggest box-office draw.

Riza studied screenwriting at Royal Holloway, University of London, and then wrote his first screenplay Eliana, Eliana.^[6]

His other films include Gie, Untuk Rena (For Rena), and 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (Three Days to Forever).

Filmography

Films

Year	International title	Director	Writer	Producer	Original title
1998	Kuldesak	Yes	No	No	Kuldesak
2000	Sherina's Adventure	Yes	No	No	Petualangan Sherina
2002	What's Up with Love?	No	No	Yes	Ada Apa dengan Cinta?
2002	Eliana, Eliana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Eliana, Eliana
2005	Dear Rena	Yes	No	Yes	Untuk Rena
2005	Gie	Yes	Yes	No	Gie
2007	Three Days to Eternity	Yes	No	No	3 Hari untuk Selamanya
2008	The Rainbow Troops	Yes	Yes	No	Laskar Pelangi
2008	Takut: Faces of Fear (Segment: "The Incarnation of Naya")	Yes	Yes	No	Takut: Faces of Fear (Segment: "Titisan Naya")
2009	The Dreamer	Yes	Yes	No	Sang Pemimpi
2012	Atambua 39° Celsius	Yes	Yes	No	Atambua 39 Derajat Celsius
2013	The Jungle School	Yes	Yes	No	Sokola Rimba
2016	What's Up with Love? 2	Yes	No	No	Ada Apa dengan Cinta? 2
2016	Athirah	Yes	Yes	No	Athirah
2018	Run to the Beach	Yes	Yes	No	Kulari ke Pantai
2019	Humba Dreams	Yes	Yes	No	Humba Dreams
2019	Glorious Days	Yes	No	No	Bebas
2021	Paranoia	Yes	Yes	No	Paranoia
2023	Petualangan Sherina 2	Yes	Yes	No

Short films

Year	English title	Director	Writer	Producer	Original title
1994	Sonata of the Brick Village	Yes	Yes	No	Sonata Kampung Bata
2008	Thou Shalt Not Wait	Yes	Yes	Yes	Tak Kau Kunanti
2008	Drupadi	Yes	No	No	Drupadi
2021	Warisan	TBA	TBA	TBA	Warisan

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipients	Result
2004	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Eliana, Eliana	Nominated
2005	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Gie	Nominated
2006	MTV Indonesia Movie Awards	Best Director	Gie	Won
2014	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Sokola Rimba	Nominated
2016	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Athirah	Won
2019	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Bebas (Glorious Days)	Nominated
2020	Indonesian Film Festival	Citra Award for Best Director	Humba Dreams	Nominated