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“Forza,” a family sports drama from Riva Studios, will open theatrically in Indonesia in late 2026, with an international rollout to follow in early 2027.
The studio also released the film’s teaser.
“Forza” marks Riva
Studios’ first live-action feature. The independent production company was co-founded by Balsamo and Tara Sibel Demren and has bases in the U.S., France and Italy. The project also serves as Balsamo’s directorial debut. Shot on location in both Indonesia and Italy, the production draws on several languages and cultural backdrops.
The story centers on Bima, an 11-year-old boy from a struggling Bali community who hopes soccer can help support his family. Newcomer Ghazi Alhabsyi plays the role. A chance encounter with Marco Cagliostro, a veteran player near retirement played by Balsamo, sets Bima on a path toward a tryout with AC Milan’s youth academy in Italy.
Adhya Pictures will distribute “Forza” in Indonesia. Additional international sales agents and territorial partners are expected to be named in the coming months as the film heads toward its wider release.
Riva Studios is betting on a market it sees as underused given its scale. Indonesia’s population tops 280 million, and the country logged about 126.2 million cinema admissions in 2024, with domestic films setting a new high of 80.2 million admissions, or 65% of the total. Screen count remains comparatively low at around 2,350 nationwide, which the studio views as headroom for growth.
Atiqah Hasiholan, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Rifnu Wikana, Yoriko Angeline, Arie Kriting and Ruth Marini round out the Indonesian ensemble. Alhabsyi, Demren and Lodovico Costacurta all make their acting debuts in the film, joined by Alessandro Costacurta, a former AC Milan and Italian national team defender.
Music supervisor Nigil Mack put together the soundtrack, pulling in tracks from Coast Contra, Kamauu, Dev Lemons, Mayday and Indonesian artist Saykoji.
“This project has been a long time coming, and it is deeply personal to me. Forza is a testament to what independent filmmaking can achieve when people across countries and cultures unite behind a shared vision. We cannot wait for audiences around the world to experience Bima’s journey and, hopefully, see a part of themselves in it,” said Balsamo, writer and director of “Forza.”
Demren, producer and co-founder of Riva Studios, said soccer serves as “a shared language that transcends borders, cultures and generations,” adding, “at its heart, the story is about finding belonging through a passion that unites us, no matter where we come from.”
Balsamo and Demren launched Riva Studios in 2022. The company works in both live action and animation, developing original film and television with partners spanning Europe, Asia and the U.S. It expanded into animation in December 2024 by acquiring TeamTO, a French studio counted among the continent’s top players in the space.
Watch the teaser here:
