Hanung Bramantyo

Setiawan Hanung Bramantyo (born 1 October 1975), better known as Hanung Bramantyo, is an Indonesian director known for his films ranging from teen romances to religious dramas.

After becoming interested in theatre as a child, Bramantyo made his directorial debut with the 1998 short film Tlutur. He made his feature length debut in 2004, with Brownies. After making several commercial films, he directed the 2008 religious romance Ayat-Ayat Cinta, which was a critical and commercial success. Since then he has directed several more films with religious themes, as well as two sports-related ones.

Bramantyo's works have been noted as covering a variety of genres and political ideologies, with most of his early works being teen romances while his more recent works have been religious dramas. He has also seen controversy for his portrayal of Islam. However, his films have received numerous awards, including two Citra Awards for Best Director at the Indonesian Film Festival.

Bramantyo released his first short film, Tlutur, in 1998. It dealt with a dancer whose leg was broken by an Indonesian Communist Party member. This was followed by the television film Gelas-gelas Berdenting (Tinkling Glass) Although initially reluctant to commercial films due to peer pressure in Yogyakarta, he later drifted towards more mainstream films.

Starting with 2004's Brownies, Bramantyo's first commercial films were romantic and teen dramas. Films released during this period include Catatan Akhir Sekolah (Notes from the End of School; 2005), Jomblo (Single; 2005), the horror film Lentera Merah (Red Lantern; 2006), Kamulah Satu-Satunya (You Are the One and Only; 2007), Legenda Sundel Bolong (Legend of Sundel Bolong; 2007), and Get Married (2007).

In 2008, Bramantyo directed the Islamic romance Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), based on the novel of the same name by Habiburrahman El Shirazy. The film, seen by 1.5 million in its first 9 days, has been credited with starting a wave of other Islamic-themed movies. Other Islam-themed films he has directed include 2009's Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (The Girl With the Keffiyeh Around Her Neck) and 2010's Sang Pencerah (The Enlightener), a biopic of Muhammadiyah founder Ahmad Dahlan.

In January 2010, Bramantyo was called as a witness in relation to a Ponzi scheme run by Lihan. One of Bramantyo's films, Asmaul Husna, was reported to have used profits from the scam.

In 2011, Bramantyo released the film ?, which follows three families from different religious backgrounds and carries a pluralist message. Later that year, he released two sports films: the football themed Tendangan dari Langit (A Kick from Heaven), and Pengejar Angin (The Wind Chaser), a film sponsored by the South Sumatran government meant to promote the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. As of November 2011, he is working on a film adaptation of Dewi Lestari's novel Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat).