Hungry Ghost Festival film explores Chinese-Indonesian traditions

The horror-comedy film ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’, written and directed by Imam Darto, is set to be released in Indonesian cinemas. Produced by MVP Pictures, the film blends humor, mystery, and supernatural terror centered around Chinese-Indonesian traditions.

The story follows Raka, a young man who discovers he is an adoptee without legal identity documents. Driven by curiosity about his origins, Raka travels to Semarang accompanied by his friends, Tintin and Bobi. Their search for identity turns into a chaotic adventure when they arrive during the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations.

As the trio encounters various misunderstandings and comedic situations, the tone shifts toward horror when they accidentally violate several taboos and beliefs associated with the Ghost Month. To prepare for their roles, cast members including Aci Resti observed traditional Cioko celebrations at a temple to better understand the cultural context.