John Badalu

John Badalu
Born1971 (1971)
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Died21 May 2025(2025-05-21) (aged 53–54)
Bali, Indonesia
Occupations
Years active2000–present

John Badalu (1971 – 21 May 2025) was an Indonesian film producer, publicist, and programmer. He was known for producing films that highlighted LGBTQ+ stories and other minority communities in Southeast Asia.[1] He founded the Q! Film Festival, a LGBTQ+ film festival held in Jakarta, which ran from 2002 to 2017.

Career

In 2000, he worked with British Council and Goethe-Institut to coordinate cultural film festivals and became a freelance journalist and film critic. He founded the Q-Munity in 2001, an organization that began as a group of ethnic Chinese Indonesians interested in contemporary Chinese cinema. A year later, the organization initially aimed to launch a festival of Chinese films. They eventually staged the Q! Film Festival, a festival featuring films that dealt with issues of sexuality, where he served as festival director.[2] The festival ran for fifteen years, ending with its disbandment in 2017.

In 2006, he served as a jury for the Teddy Award, an award presented at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival.[3] He was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2008 in recognition of his advocacy for LGBTQ+ communities through film.[4] Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he served as a festival delegate at several film festivals, including Berlin International Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, scouting Southeast Asian films.[5]

In 2012, he produced Paul Agusta's queer drama film Parts of the Heart, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[6] In 2013, he co-produced Mouly Surya's What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love. The film had its world premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.[7] He served as a jury of BIFF Mecenat Award at the 18th Busan International Film Festival.[8] In 2014, he served as an associate producer of Lucky Kuswandi's directorial debut film In the Absence of the Sun, which had its world premiere at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival.[9]

In 2017, he produced Thai romantic drama film, Malila: The Farewell Flower by Anucha Boonyawatana, which won the Kim Jiseok Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.[10] In 2023, he produced Khozy Rizal's short film, Basri & Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy, being the first Indonesian short film to compete for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.[11] At the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival, he won two Citra Awards for producing Under the Moonlight and My Therapist Said, I Am Full of Sadness, which won the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Film, respectively.[12]

He died at his home in Bali, Indonesia, on 21 May 2025.[13]

Filmography

Badalu was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Feature films

Year Film Director Credit
2012 Parts of the Heart Paul Agusta
2013 What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love Mouly Surya As co-producer
2014 In the Absence of the Sun Lucky Kuswandi As associate producer
2017 Malila: The Farewell Flower Anucha Boonyawatana
2018 Ave Maryam Ertanto Robby Soediskam As associate producer
2019 Soil Without Land Nontawat Numbenchapol As co-producer
2020 Everyday Is a Lullaby Putrama Tuta
2023 Under the Moonlight Tonny Trimarsanto
One Big Sumba Family
2025 Planet of Love Ika Wulandari

Short films

Year Film Director Credit
2015 Rumah Yosep Anggi Noen As associate producer
2015 Heaven Is Not a Place Adriyanto Dewo
2021 The Men Who Wait Minh Quý Trương As co-producer
Makassar Is a City for Football Fans Khozy Rizal
2023 Basri & Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy
Where the Wild Frangipanis Grow Nirartha Bas Diwangkara
2024 Lua Chi Mai As co-producer
My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness Monica Vanesa Tedja

References

  1. ^ Shackleton, Liz (22 May 2025). "John Badalu Dies: Indonesian Producer, Programmer & Advocate For Minority Voices Was 53". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  2. ^ Maimunah (18 October 2008). "Indonesia's Q!Film Festival". Inside Indonesia. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  3. ^ "20th TEDDY Awards 2006 – The Winners from Berlin". Film Festivals. 18 February 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  4. ^ "John Badalu". Ashoka. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  5. ^ "John Badalu". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Cinta Seorang Peter". Tempo. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  7. ^ Brown, Todd (9 December 2012). "Indonesia Visits Sundance With Mouly Surya's WHAT THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT LOVE". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  8. ^ ""Jalanan" Menangi Penghargaan di Festival Film Busan 2013". Berita Satu. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  9. ^ "'Selamat Pagi, Malam' Bersaing di Tokyo International Film Festival 2014". Detik.com (in Indonesian). 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Award for Thai film "Malila" at BIFF". The Nation. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  11. ^ Indra, Radhiyya (1 May 2023). "'Basri & Salma' becomes Indonesia's first short film to compete in Cannes". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  12. ^ Fathurrozak (21 November 2024). "Ini Daftar Lengkap Pemenang FFI 2024". Media Indonesia. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  13. ^ Rosser, Michael (22 May 2025). "John Badalu, Indonesian producer and pioneering LGBTQ+ campaigner, dies aged 53". Screen International. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
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