# Riri Riza

Mohammad Rivai "Riri" Riza (born October 2, 1970) is an Indonesian film director, producer, and writer. 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.

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

## Career

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