RRI.CO.ID, Surakarta - Indonesia’s celebrated production house Miles Films is commemorating its 30th anniversary with a landmark exhibition, MUSIC MILES FILMS: 30 Years of Hearing and Being Heard. The showcase explores the deep synergy between sound and cinema that has defined the company’s creative journey since its founding in 1995.

Opening on January 27, 2026, at the Temporary Exhibition Room of the Lokananta Gallery in Surakarta, Central Java, the exhibition runs through September 2026. 

Produced in collaboration with .this/PLAY Studio and Lokananta, the event presents archives, musical scores, and interactive studio installations, highlighting how iconic soundtracks - from Petualangan Sherina (2000) to Rangga & Cinta (2025) - have shaped the emotional landscape of Indonesian pop culture.

Since its earliest productions, music has been the thread connecting Miles Films’ storytelling. Visitors are invited to trace the melodies, rhythms, and images that have formed the studio’s aesthetic identity across both analog and digital eras.

Creative Director Riri Riza emphasized the central role of music in film:

“Music in film plays an important role as an element that blends with dialogue and sound design, building emotion and rhythm as well as supporting scenes," Creative Director Riri Riza said in a recent press release, emphasizing the central role of music.

"The melodies in Miles’ films are not just complements, but an essential element that shapes the audience’s emotional experience and marks its era,” he added.

Over three decades, Miles Films has worked with some of Indonesia’s most influential composers and performers. Names such as Elfa Secioria, Melly Goeslaw & Anto Hoed, Indra Lesmana, Aksan Sjuman, and Sherina Munaf have defined the studio’s sound. 

Iconic artists including Eross Candra, Nidji, and Anggun C. Sasmi contributed songs that remain embedded in the nation’s cultural memory.

Miles Films also helped revive the musical film genre in Indonesia. Beginning with Petualangan Sherina, followed by Untuk Rena and Rangga & Cinta, the studio demonstrated how melody, lyrics, and movement can drive a narrative as powerfully as dialogue.

The exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, featuring archives of lyrics, musical notations, and recordings. A studio installation allows visitors to experience firsthand how sound and image merge to create cinematic magic.

Designed by .this/PLAY Studio, the exhibition is conceived as an evolving space, with new content added over time to ensure each visit offers fresh insights. Founder Sigit D. Pratama described it as a thematic and experimental journey.

“This exhibition celebrates the two-way relationship between music and film, showing how images and sounds unite to tell a complete story,” Sigit said.

Choosing Lokananta, a heritage site in Indonesian music history, as the venue underscores the exhibition’s cultural significance. It situates Miles Films’ work within the broader narrative of national cinema and musical evolution.

Wendi Putranto, CEO of Lokananta, highlighted the collaboration as a milestone:

“For three decades, Miles Films has been the zeitgeist of Indonesian cinema, creating breakthroughs that revived national cinema and emphasized the strong relationship between film, music, and cultural ideas," Lokananta CEO Wendi Putranto said, highlighting the collaboration as a milestone.

"We invite the public to celebrate these creative tracks as an inseparable part of Indonesia’s cultural journey,” he added.

Producer Mira Lesmana reflected on the long and often challenging process of finding the right sound for each film. “The search for music begins from the moment a film is conceived," she said.

"Together with musicians, we experiment to find a form of music that strengthens the film while standing as a meaningful work in itself. Through this exhibition, we hope visitors can feel our spirit in creating - how this journey is both demanding and joyful,” Mira concluded. ***