Julio Rionaldo
Writing
Biography
Julio Rionaldo is a filmmaker whose work spans cultures and continents, from Indonesia to the United States. Influenced by filmmakers such as Giuseppe Tornatore, Vittorio De Sica, Andrei Tarkovsky, Guillermo del Toro, Terrence Malick, Wim Wenders, Spike Jonze, and Hirokazu Kore-eda, he approaches cinema as both an emotional and philosophical practice. Through stories shaped by cultural nuance and universal themes, Julio explores memory, time, and what it means to be present in the world. His films are frequently described as thoughtful and poetic, combining philosophical reflection with accessible storytelling. His body of work has been compared to “a Søren Kierkegaard treatise written by Charles Dickens,” reflecting a balance between intellectual rigor and vivid, human storytelling that continues to echo after the credits roll.
Known For
An anthology of seven stories exploring the unseen spaces that shape us: between memory and desire, departure and return. Each lifetime captures fleeting moments of connection and transformation across time and space, where meaning hides behind invisible skies
The Shape of Invisible Skies
When a young girl walks home alone at night, something sinister lurks in the shadows, which beckons along with the ringing of bells, to remind her the true meaning of oblivion.
To Whom the Bell Rings (Oblivion)
When a girl who's afraid of the dark gets a visit from a sinister fiend from her nightmares.
Hallowed Be Thy Nightmares
In a film about monsters, an actor’s greatest enemy is his own grief, a beast that grows stronger with every scene.
Bestiary
When Death talks about the meaning of life.
Philosophy of Death
When a man tries to cheat on his girlfriend with the alluring and mysterious Scarlet, he soon realizes that she is a serial killer targeting unfaithful men. As he desperately tries to escape her grasp, he becomes ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, where the stakes are his own life.
Scarlet
Two people meet at the edge of goodbye. They don’t try to stop it. They just decide to make it evergreen.
This Didn't Happen
In their final night together, a boy and a girl create a tender universe under their blanket fort, blissfully indifferent to the world outside that is slowly coming to an end.
Frost
The life of an empty-minded man suddenly becomes fulfilled when a beautiful otherworldly figure appears in his life. Forever charmed, the man completely fell for her enchanting dark sorcery.
A Faerie's Wanderlust
An aspiring young actress trying to break into the film industry crosses paths with a miserable arthouse filmmaker to produce a film which manages to challenge both of their resolve to survive in the film industry.
The Secret Life of Daydreams
When a lady goes home to her apartment after a hard day at work, an apparition of one from her past appears in her presence. Her bittersweet memories then shows as flashbacks in the presence of the spectre, reminding her of what used to be.
My Dear Spectre
On her first night on the job as an escort, a young woman's unexpected encounter with an elderly man in his apartment sets off a chain of events that will forever alter the course of both their lives.
Escort
A gifted college freshman discovers an extraordinary connection within the infinite space where dreams and reality entwine, transforming fear into an unexpected romance that unfolds within the pages of her fairy tale storybook.
Vesper
He is an engineer, she is a machine. Brother and sister, lovers, father and daughter, inventor and invention. This is a story about them, trying to find eternity, before the end of time.
Engineering Eternity
As a young lady prepares to leave behind her childhood home, a playful and enigmatic elf from her past invites her into a nostalgic game of hide and seek.
Neverwhen
A group of volunteers unite to spread happiness through effortless measures from the internet.
They are Called Junkmobile
The Knight of Wands risks everything for the sake of his ambition when he steps into an unexpected 'soul exercise' session against the King of Swords.
King of Swords
A stranger walks into a club, he encounters two other strangers and a dungeon master who invites them all to play a sinister Tabletop RPG game.
The Afterlife Club
In the fading light of day, a climactic duel between a legendary pirate captain and his first mate becomes a metaphor for the battle between dreams and reality.
Vagabond Buccaneers
Two friends, set on a journey to find the tastiest coffee flavor in the archipelago.