Copyright Variety
Indonesian producer Shanty Harmayn is bringing animated feature “Garuda: Dare to Dream” to the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, marking the company’s first foray into animation ahead of a planned early 2026 theatrical release. The film follows Putra, a 13-year-old boy with asthma who dreams of playing for Indonesia’s national soccer team. After facing ridicule at the Sanca Perkasa Soccer School trials, he discovers a mystical jersey from Gaga, a glowing Garuda spirit, which unlocks incredible speed, power and skill. The genre-blending story weaves together adventure, drama, humor and sports action. “We see Japan as a leading center of animation/anime and, since this is our first time producing an animated feature, we wanted to meet and learn from other animation companies, have some exposure to gap financing, potential distributors and potential festival to launch,” Harmayn says. Director Ronny Gani, whose credits include working as an animator in Marvel films, says the film’s core message resonates deeply with his own experience. “The story of finding the courage to take that first step toward a dream directly mirrored my own experience of facing significant limitations in access and social challenges when I chose to pursue a career as a professional animator,” he says. The production has been in development for three years. “Setting up the project took longer time as it was our first animated feature and with a new team,” Harmayn says. “The challenge has been finding the right scale in terms of finance and investment, while making sure we deliver a strong story with top quality animation.” Barunson E&A has come onboard as both investor and sales agent for the film. “We plan to release theatrically in Indonesia in the first part of 2026,” Harmayn says, adding that the team sees Indonesia as the primary market with expectations the film can travel to other territories. For Gani, developing a unique visual identity has been crucial. “In the current competitive landscape of animation, it is imperative that we develop a unique and compelling visual identity from the outset,” he says, noting the style must be both memorable and feasible within production constraints. The multifaceted narrative requires extensive research across multiple genres. “We constantly study real-world soccer footage to ensure the authenticity and energy of the sports-action sequences,” Gani says. “Similarly, we analyze a wide range of comedy to understand timing and delivery for our humorous beats.” The team is already developing additional projects to follow “Garuda: Dare to Dream,” though details remain under wraps.
