Marco Balsamo’s football drama “Forza,” filmed between Bali and Milan, has been acquired for international sales by EST N8, which will bring the film to the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market (October 28-30). Before that, its first public screening will be held at Jakarta Film Week on October 25.
Balsamo’s first feature film as a director follows Bima, an 11-year-old Balinese girl who hopes that a career as a professional football player will provide her family with a better life. A chance connection with a former AC Milan player at the end of his career changes both their perspectives.
Newcomer Ghazi Alhabsyi leads the cast. Balsamo also appears on screen alongside three Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) winners Tara Sibel Demren, AC Milan icon Alessandro Costacurta and Atiqah Hasiholan, Oka Antara and Tio Pakusadewo.
Balsamo wrote the script and produced it with Demren. Riva Studios created the project and its producers include Ario Sagantoro of “The Raid” series. Adhya Pictures plans to release the film in Indonesia in 2027.
Attention is strong at home. Online tickets for both tours for the Jakarta screening at CGV Grand Indonesia sold out within five minutes.
“‘Forza’ follows a Balinese boy and a former professional football player who open new doors for each other, building a bridge between Indonesia and Italy in a way only football can,” said EST N8 studio head Sophie Shi. “This is a film that appeals to audiences around the world with a story of family and hope that transcends language and culture. Our mission is to bring bold Asian stories to audiences around the world, a family film told through the world’s most popular sport, designed to travel. We’re proud to bring ‘Forza’ to buyers at TIFFCOM.”
Shi and Jan Paul Villanueva are negotiating the deal for EST N8, while Balsamo and Demren represent Riva Studios. Villanueva, VP of purchasing and global distribution, will lead sales alongside Cathy Ni, president of sales and U.S. distribution, and Shams Pasha, global sales and marketing manager.
“We spent years bringing ‘Forza’ to the big screen, and Indonesia has been at the center of it from the beginning,” Balsamo said. “This film is a labor of love and a testament to the perseverance and collaboration behind independent filmmaking. It is especially meaningful to share the film at Jakarta Film Week. It is a moment we have been looking forward to for a long time.”
Demren, one of the founders of Riva Studios, said that the film was designed so that families could watch it side by side and discuss it afterwards. “We hope Bima’s journey reminds viewers how important it is to have someone believe in you, especially when your dreams seem unattainable,” he said. “It’s an encouraging start to see both tickets filling up so quickly. We can’t wait to hear audience reactions.”
Demren and Balsamo founded Riva Studios in 2022 as an independent team working in live action, animation and music. In 2024, it acquired the French animation company TeamTO. “Forza” is the first live-action feature.
EST N8’s TIFFCOM lineup also includes B-EST Pictures’ Thai horror film “Tame”; Dean Colin Marcial’s Manila-set crime thriller “Jaguar”; Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s IFFR Big Screen Award winner “The Master”; Selected for Annecy is the Korean science fiction animation “Pilgrims” by Heo Pyoungkang; and “The Invisible Half,” a J-horror from Nishiyama Masaki.
The company, which brings together EST Studios and N8, has offices in Los Angeles and Bangkok and has sold and distributed more than 60 games in more than 100 territories. His catalog includes the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-nominated “Secret Letters”; Bhutan’s Oscar nominee “The Monk and the Gun”; “A Helpful Ghost,” which won the Grand Prize at Cannes Critics’ Week; and “Blood Brothers,” which topped Netflix’s global chart.