Viking Sunset Studios brings Bandit and Semusim to Dili film festival

Viking Sunset Studios is screening its action thriller Bandit and romantic drama Semusim at the Dili International Film Festival in Timor-Leste on Oct. 1, 2026. The dual showcase spotlights Bali-based production for regional audiences and underscores growing film ties between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

Why it matters: - Viking Sunset Studios is using the Dili International Film Festival to push two Bali-shot features to a new regional audience. - The screenings highlight how Southeast Asian productions can travel across borders while still leaning on local cast, landscapes and stories. - The festival pairing also frames film as a tool for creative exchange between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

What happened: - Viking Sunset Studios announced on Oct. 1, 2026, that it is presenting Bandit and Semusim at the Dili International Film Festival. - Bandit will screen outdoors at the beachside cinema in Metiaut. - Semusim will screen at Platinum Cineplex in Dili. - The Dili screenings bring two contrasting films from Bali to Timor-Leste: an action thriller and a romantic drama. - Bandit director Brian L. Tan is in Dili for the screening. - Bo H. Holmgreen, the director of Semusim and CEO of Viking Sunset Studios, is part of the festival presence.

The details: - Bandit is an award-winning action thriller that recently won the Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. - Bandit also won Best Foreign Film at the Burbank International Film Festival. - The film features Wafda Saifan, Roy Sungkono, Rifnu Wikana, Claresta Taufan and Kiki Narendra. - The story uses Bali locations for chase scenes, combat and cliffside showdowns. - The film includes midnight pursuits along volcanic coastal roads, jungle corridors and oceanfront terrain. - Tan said screening Bandit on the sands of Metiaut brings cinema back to its most raw and communal element. - Semusim is a romantic drama built around a wealthy young man in a luxury sports car and a grounded young woman who changes his outlook. - The cast includes Pangeran Lantang, Kania Atmaja, Chicco Jerikho, Rizky Hanggono, Dennis Adhiswara and Masayu Anastasia. - The film incorporates Marcell’s ballad “Semusim” as a recurring musical theme. - Holmgreen said Semusim is designed to reflect the emotional life of young people in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. - Holmgreen said both countries have a young population with a median age of 26. - Viking Sunset Studios is based on Beraban Beach in Tabanan, Bali, and describes itself as Southeast Asia’s flagship creative hub and beachfront movie resort. - The studio says its production infrastructure includes Indonesia’s largest professional soundstage, an L-shaped Limbo green-screen cyclorama, ARRI cinema camera packages, Leica prime lenses, lighting grids, soundproof recording spaces and offline and online post-production suites. - Viking Sunset Studios says its campus also includes production villas, a 35-meter oceanfront pool and SAGA Restaurant & Bar.

Between the lines: - The Dili festival appearance is as much a business showcase as a cultural one. - Bandit and Semusim both function as proof points for the studio’s ability to support very different genres at international standard. - Holmgreen is positioning Bali not just as a scenic backdrop, but as a full-service production base for regional filmmaking. - The company is also using the festival circuit to build momentum for its broader slate, including the Malaysian wartime feature The Ghost and the Gun. - Holmgreen said that film can cross borders and unite regional storytelling.

What's next: - The Ghost and the Gun is set for a theatrical launch in Indonesia next month after its world premiere in Kuala Lumpur. - Viking Sunset Studios plans to keep emphasizing regional co-productions and festival exposure across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. - The Dili screenings may help widen distribution and audience interest for both Bandit and Semusim beyond their Bali production base.

The bottom line: - Viking Sunset Studios is betting that premium regional storytelling can travel, and Dili is its latest stage for proving it.