Ernest Prakasa as a Comedian, Actor, Director, and Producer of 'AGAK LAEN'

Kapanlagi.com - The success of AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU, which garnered two million viewers in less than a week, is certainly also a success for Ernest Prakasa, the person behind the scenes of the film who serves as the producer. Ernest Prakasa himself is a comedian, actor, writer, director, and film producer from Indonesia. He started gaining widespread recognition after securing third place in the first season of Stand Up Comedy Indonesia (SUCI) in 2011.

Since his success on the solo comedy stage, Ernest has managed to expand his career into various entertainment fields, from being a host and film star to a successful director and producer whose works are loved by audiences.

(Read more news about Ernest Prakasa at Liputan6.com)

1. Career Beginnings Before Becoming a Comedian

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

Before diving into the world of stand-up comedy, Ernest first engaged in the music and radio broadcasting industry. He started his career as a music director at a radio station in Bandung in 2001. His career continued as an employee in the recording industry: Ernest served as an assistant manager at Sony BMG Indonesia (2005 to 2008), and then became a marketing manager at the music label Dr. M from 2008 to 2011.

2. Rising Through Stand Up Comedy Indonesia (SUCI)

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

In 2011, Ernest auditioned for Stand Up Comedy Indonesia (SUCI) organized by Kompas TV. Thanks to his fresh comedic style, he passed as one of the 13 national finalists. His performance was consistent, ultimately earning him third place in the grand final of the first season of SUCI.

This success in the competition catapulted Ernest Prakasa's name nationally as a comedian. Alongside senior comedians like Raditya Dika and Pandji Pragiwaksono, Ernest then co-founded the Stand Up Indo community, the first stand-up comedy community in Indonesia, and he was appointed as the first chairman until 2013.

3. Activities After SUCI: MC, Actor, and Writer

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

After SUCI, Ernest became increasingly active in developing his career across various entertainment sectors. He is noted as the first Indonesian stand-up comedian to hold a national stand-up comedy tour. In 2012, Ernest toured 11 cities with the title 'Merem Melek', which concluded with a performance at the Jakarta Arts Building. Subsequent tours like 'Illucinati' (2013) and 'Happinest' (2015) also received warm responses, solidifying his position as a leading comedian.

Off the stand-up stage, Ernest often appears as an MC (host) for various events and television programs. He has also ventured into acting by appearing in several popular feature films. For example, he acted in the comedy films COMIC 8, CJR THE MOVIE, and others. Amid his busy schedule, Ernest is also productive in writing humor books. His three memoirs titled Ngenest - Ngetawain Hidup ala Ernest (published from 2013 to 2015) have been very successful in the market and appreciated by readers.

4. Becoming a Director and His Film Achievements

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

The year 2015 marked a new chapter in Ernest's career as a film director. His debut began with the semi-autobiographical film NGENEST (2015), where he acted as both director and screenwriter. This first film, based on his life story, paved the way for Ernest's subsequent film works. A year later, he released the family comedy CEK TOKO SEBELAH (2016), which received an extraordinary response.

In addition to its commercial success with millions of viewers, CEK TOKO SEBELAH also garnered critical acclaim and won the Best Original Screenplay award at the 2017 Indonesian Film Festival. This achievement solidified Ernest Prakasa as one of the talented writer-directors in the Indonesian film industry.

Ernest continued the positive trend by directing the comedy-drama film SUSAH SINYAL (2017) and the romance spin-off film MILLY & MAMET: THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY & RANGGA (2018). In 2019, he presented IMPERFECT: CAREER, LOVE & WEIGHT, a body-positivity themed comedy-drama film co-written with his wife, Meira Anastasia.

IMPERFECT was not only commercially successful but also received numerous awards. The film was nominated for Best Film at the 2020 Indonesian Film Festival, and Ernest and Meira won the Citra Cup for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.

After that, Ernest ventured into the mystery thriller genre with the film TEKA-TEKI TIKA (2021), and returned to the family comedy genre with the sequel CEK TOKO SEBELAH 2 released at the end of 2022. The diversity of genres in his films demonstrates Ernest's flexibility as a director who can handle both comedy and drama themes well.

5. Producer and the Establishment of Imajinari Production House

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

In addition to creating in front of the screen and in the director's chair, Ernest is also building a career behind the scenes as a film producer. Until 2022, he regularly collaborated with the production house Starvision Plus for his films. However, entering 2022, Ernest took a big step by establishing his own production house called Imajinari together with his manager, Dipa Andika. Imajinari is under the auspices of his comedy management company Hahaha Corp, with a vision to present quality Indonesian films that prioritize the strength of original stories.

Imajinari's debut immediately yielded brilliant results. NGERI NGERI SEDAP (2022), the first film produced by Imajinari directed by Bene Dion, successfully attracted 2.8 million viewers and became one of the highest-grossing Indonesian films of that year. This family drama film with Batak cultural nuances proved Ernest's ability as a producer to capture the tastes of local audiences.

In 2023, Imajinari released the black-and-white drama film JATUH CINTA SEPERTI DI FILM-FILM directed by Yandy Laurens. In terms of audience numbers, this romantic film was not as successful as NGERI NGERI SEDAP, but it achieved prestigious recognition at the festival. JATUH CINTA SEPERTI DI FILM-FILM won 7 Citra Awards at the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival (including the Best Film category), the most in that year.

The peak of Imajinari's success came in early 2024 with the film AGAK LAEN. This horror-comedy genre film produced by Ernest is adapted from a popular comedy podcast. AGAK LAEN set a record with over 9.1 million viewers in theaters, making it the highest-grossing Indonesian comedy film of all time. In fact, this film briefly held the title of the second highest-grossing Indonesian film in the history of national cinema. For this achievement, Agak Laen was awarded the Antemas Award as the highest-grossing film of 2024 at the FFI 2024 awards night.

6. Latest Film: LUPA DARATAN, Streaming on Netflix

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

As we enter the end of 2025, Ernest returns with his latest film titled LUPA DARATAN. Unlike his previous films that were released in theaters, LUPA DARATAN is an original Netflix film and marks Ernest's first project released exclusively on that streaming platform. This satirical comedy-drama is scheduled to premiere globally on Netflix starting December 11, 2025.

Ernest collaborates with top actor Vino G. Bastian as the main character in a story that is said to reveal another side of the life of a famous celebrity. The arrival of LUPA DARATAN on Netflix signifies Ernest's step into reaching a wider audience through international streaming services.

7. Imaginary Film Project in 2026

Ernest Prakasa (credit: KapanLagi.com)

Looking ahead to 2026, Ernest, through the Imajinari banner, has prepared a series of new film projects that have already been announced. Three films scheduled for release in 2026 include:

OPERASI PESTA PORA
An action-comedy film directed by Edhy Khemod featuring young actor Iqbaal Ramadhan as the leader of a pickpocket gang amidst the crowd of a concert. Imajinari has even released a 45-second teaser for Operasi Pesta Pora in September 2025 as a warm-up before the film premieres in 2026.

PULANG KAMPUNG
A musical film with Batak cultural nuances that will be directed by comedian and director Bene Dion. This project will be Bene Dion's fourth film (after GHOST WRITER, NGERI-NGERI SEDAP, and GANJIL GENAP). PULANG KAMPUNG carries a theme of family with local Batak wisdom, but the details of the storyline and cast have not yet been revealed to the public.

BANDITS OF BATAVIA
An action film marking Ernest Prakasa's return to the director's chair. The idea for Bandits of Batavia was conceived during the JAFF (Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival) in 2024 by creator Bryan Valenza, and now Ernest is ready to develop it into a feature film. This project is touted to be one of Ernest's ambitious films in 2026, where he will explore the action genre with his own unique touch.

The three film projects above demonstrate Ernest Prakasa's intention to continue innovating in the film industry. With a track record of success he has achieved, it is no wonder that many are curious about Ernest Prakasa's next moves.

(kpl/pit)