Dr Tito Imanda
- School of Film and Performing Arts
Biography
Tito Imanda, Ph.D., is an Indonesian anthropologist, filmmaker, and academic specializing in media, communication, and film studies. He earned his PhD from Goldsmiths, University of London, where his practice-based research explored collaborative filmmaking with a wayang orang community on the slopes of Mount Merapi, investigating new approaches to visual storytelling and embodied cultural knowledge.
His academic work spans multiple levels of inquiry into the Indonesian film ecosystem. His master’s research examined the political economy of the Indonesian film industry, while his undergraduate thesis focused on Indonesian animators and the development of animation practices.
Alongside his academic career, Tito has been actively engaged in film education and institutional development. Between 2008 and 2013, he developed and managed a film school at a private university in Jakarta, contributing to curriculum design and the training of emerging filmmakers. Since 2017, he has served at the Indonesian Film Board as Head of Research and Development, where he has been involved in policy discussions, research initiatives, and the broader development of Indonesia’s film ecosystem.
His work sits at the intersection of anthropology and filmmaking, with a strong emphasis on collaborative methods, community-based practices, and the relationship between cultural production, policy, and society.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- PhD - AVPhD, Goldsmiths, University of London (2019)
- Master - Media, Culture, and Communication, NYU (2007)
- Undergraduate - Anthropology, Universitas Indonesia (2000)
Research Interests
- Cinema, filmmaking, pedagogy of arts, culture
Teaching Areas
- Filmmaking, film studies, culture, anthropology, research methods
Courses Taught
- Directing for Camera, Introduction to Filmmaking
Notable Publications
"Engaging the Present, Investing in the Future". Chapter in book: Film Activism in Contemporary Indonesia (Routledge, 2026, pp.113-126). Evi Eliyanah, Novi Kurnia, IGAK Satrya Wibawa, Tito Imanda.
Book Review: “Film Style in Indonesian Cinema, 1998–2018: by Ari Purnama”, Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 2023. Published in South East Asia Research, Volume 32, 2024 - Issue 4,
pp. 430-432. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0967828X.2025.2453265
“Memperkirakan Pendapatan Langsung dan Dampak Berlapis Produksi Film di Yogyakarta”, and (translated version) “Estimating Direct Income and the Multiplier Effect of Film Production in Yogyakarta”, economic of film. Published in Film Economy, vol 01 no 1, 2022.
Book Review: “Wayang and its Doubles: Javanese Puppet Theatre, Television and the Internet, by Jan Mrázek” Singapore: NUS Press, 2019. Published in Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Volume 53, Issue 1-2 , June 2022 , pp. 380 – 383. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022463422000121
"Collaborative Filmmaking with Traditional Performers in Highland Java: A Practice-Based PhD Thesis". 2019, Unpublished PhD Thesis. Presented at different stages in Indonesian Cinema Workshop papers 2013 at SOAS, Indonesian International Forum (IIF) 2014 at UPI Bandung, ASEASUK 2014 at University of Brighton.
“Biar Dhanyang yang Bicara: Film Spiritual dan Pesan Substansial dalam Kolaborasi Produksi Film Tetangga”, anthropology and film studies. Presented at Southeast Asian Cinema Conference (ASEACC X, ISI Yogyakarta, 2018. Published in Komunikator Journal, Vol 10, No 2, 2018.
“Kolaborasi Pembuatan Film sebagai Etnografi”, anthropology and film studies. Presented at Jurnal
Antropologi Indonesia Symposium, Universitas Indonesia, 2017. Published in Antropologi Indonesia Journal, Vol 39 No 2, 2018.
“From Stage to Screen: Early Filmmaking of Indigenous Performers in Highland Central Java”,
media practice and indigenous media. Published in Kritika Kultura journal, August, Intermediality in
Southeast Asia edition, 2016. University Ateneo de Manila. Based on thesis chapters and presented
paper.
“The State, Market and the Indonesian Film Industry”, political economy and film studies. Published in “Small Cinemas in Global Markets: Genres, Identities, Narratives”, 2015, by Lexington Books. Based on papers presented in Yale University Council on Southeast Asian Studies, New Haven, USA, and Southeast Asian Cinema Conference (ASEACC) 3rd, at HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, both in 2006.
“Sekolah Film di Indonesia: Sebuah Refleksi” (Film School in Indonesia: a Reflection), popular article in popular journal, Cinema Poetica, 13 April 2014.
“Islamic Cinema in Indonesia: God Words Using Market or the Other Way Aroud?”, cinema studies on market and propaganda. Published in “Southeast Asian Independent Cinema”, 2012, by Hong Kong University Press. Based on a paper presented at the 5th Southeast Asian Cinema Conference (ASEACC) at Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, November 2008.
“Menerapkan Pendidikan Melek Media dalam Kurikulum Kita” (Applying Media Literacy in Our
Curriculum), media studies on media literacy content in local curriculum. Published in Nadwa Journal, Semarang, Indonesia, May 2008 edition.
“Si Unyil Anak Indonesia” (“Si Unyil, Typical Indonesian Children?”). Presented at the “Antropologi
Indonesia” Symposium at Udayana University, Bali Indonesia, 2002. Published in Antropologi Indonesia journal, 75/2004.
“Komik Indonesia itu Maju” (“Indonesian Comic is Advance”). Presented at the “Antropologi Indonesia” Symposium at Andalas University, Padang Indonesia, 2001. Published in Antropologi Indonesia journal 69/2002.
Achievements & Accolades
2026 – First Prize, National Screenwriting Competition (Feature Film Category): Awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Indonesia for a feature-length screenplay on Indonesian historical narratives.
2023 – Film Pedagogy Camp: A four-week national program bringing together Indonesian film lecturers and U.S. film academic Alex Nibley, supported by Fulbright–AMINEF and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia.
2020–2023 – Research and Publication Programs on Gender Equality in Indonesian Cinema: Conducted under the Indonesian Association of Film Scholars (KAFEIN) in collaboration with UNESCO, focusing on gender representation in films, industry practices, and film education.
2022–2023 – Research Grant: Implemented with the Indonesian Association of Film Scholars (KAFEIN), supporting 70 research projects, funded by the National Endowment Fund for Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia.
2017–2023 – Conference Management Grants: With KAFEIN (Indonesian Association of Film Scholars), managed two international and two national conferences, supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia and the Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
2021 – Short Film Production: With Ben Pinter Tenan Foundation and Periuk Imajinasi Film, produced Hanuman Mencari Ibu (Hanuman Looking for Mother) and Wayang Bocah (Children’s Wayang), funded by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia.
2020 – Art Village (Kampung Seni) Program: With Ben Pinter Tenan Foundation, implemented a community-based arts program across rural districts through performances, workshops, and a dance film festival, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia.
2015 – Documentary Film: A Short Reunion: Produced with Periuk Imajinasi Film; documents former dancers returning to the stage, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia.
2013–2018 – Doctoral Scholarship, Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP).
2004–2007 – Fulbright Scholarship for Master’s Study in the United States.
2000 – Summer University Grant in Art History, Central European University (funded by the Open Society Institute, OSI).
Professional Associations
Asosiasi Pengkaji Film Indonesia (KAFEIN- Indonesian Association of Film Scholars): One of the founders, Chair (2017-2025)
Yayasan Ben Pinter Tenan: Chairman of Board of Founders
