Indonesian filmmaker Ismail Basbeth’s psychological horror feature film “The Most Mysterious Man” (local title: “Raib”) has secured co-financing from Malaysian company Phoenix Films Sdn Bhd, with the deal finalized during the 2025 JAFF market.
The deal was signed at the stand of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture by Ruang Basbeth Bercerita, the media and publishing company founded by Ismail Basbeth and producer Lyza Anggraheni. The project marks Ismail Basbeth’s first fully original concept developed since its inception as part of the duo’s producer-director partnership.
“The Most Mysterious Man” follows a craftsman devoted to his wife and three children whose life unravels when he returns home to find another family living in his house and his loved ones missing. As he searches for answers, no one in his village recognizes him despite having lived there his entire life, sending him into a spiral of paranoia and violence.
Anggraheni developed the story alongside the director over seven months at the Busan Asian Film School. The project has already won the TAICCA Award at the Asian Contents & Film Market during the Busan 2024 program, and was selected for the Asian Producers Network 2024 at the Singapore International Film Festival.
Anggraheni won the MTN Development Fund from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture in October for her separate project “The Light of Fire.” She developed “The Most Mysterious Man” as part of the Talents Tokyo 2023 program.
Ruang Basbeth Bercerita will produce in co-production with Matta Cinema Production and Phoenix Films Sdn Bhd. The project is seeking additional international co-production and distribution partners ahead of the planned start of production in 2026.
Basbeth’s “Sara” premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and won him the Best Director Award at JAFF 2023. He is currently filming “My Own Last Supper.”
