New Guinea; 27/8/25: The Papua New Guinea Oscar Selection Committee, under the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat, National Culture Commission, is proud to announce that Papa Buka has been officially selected to represent Papua New Guinea in the International Feature Film Category at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars). This marks a historic milestone as Papua New Guinea’s first-ever submission to the Oscars, coinciding with the nation’s 50th year of independence.
Directed by the internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker Dr. Biju and produced by Mrs. Noelene Taula Wunum from Papua New Guinea and other Producers from India, Mr. Akshay Kumar Parija, Mr. Pa Ranjith and Mr.Prakash Bare, Papa Buka is a groundbreaking feature film that captures the cultural richness, storytelling strength, and cinematic vision of Papua New Guinea.
The film has been selected by Papua New Guinea Oscar Selection Committee, which is an officially recognized body under the National Culture Commission of Papua New Guinea. Its mandate is to review eligible films each year and select one film to represent the nation in the International Feature Film category of the Academy Awards.
The Committee’s decision follows a rigorous evaluation process of submissions, with Papa Buka emerging as the film that best represents the identity and creativity of the nation on the global stage.
“This is a historic moment for Papua New Guinea cinema. Papa Buka embodies our stories, our traditions, and our artistic voice, and we are proud to present it to the world through the Academy Awards platform,” said Dr. Don Niles, Chairman of the PNG Oscar Selection Committee.
Papa Buka is a non-commercial feature film that tells the story of an Indian Historian who sets out on a journey across the Indian Ocean into the Pacific and lands on the biggest Island in the Pacific, Papua New Guinea (PNG). This Indian Historian was on a mission to find out where her late grandfather was buried because her grandfather served as a soldier in World War II in New Guinea and had never returned home after the war. Papa Buka Producer Ms. Noelene Taula Wunum from the Native Arts and Fashion Academy highlighted that the film would paint a clear picture of Indians who were also part of the war between the Japanese and the Australians.
“Indians are very resilient people and not noticeable in the history of WWII, and this film will tell of how Indians also contributed to the freedom of this beautiful Island country, Papua New Guinea.” Ms. Wunum stated that Papa Buka Film’s journey started back in 2019 with film preparation and collaboration with Native Arts and Fashion Academy in Papua New Guinea for which she is the Producer and has worked in partnership with the three Indian Producers.
“The amazing part about the movie is that all other actors in the movie are from PNG.” Ms. Wunum also added that the Papa Buka Film was 100% shot on location here in PNG, with 20% of the film shot in Port Moresby at the National Museum, National Library and Archives, and 80% outside the city, few scenes at the Pacific Adventist University and almost the rest were shot at the Variarata Park at Sorgeri with the Koiari people. “In this Papa Buka film, we also want to showcase PNG’s identity, culture, and our history to the outside world,” said Wunum. “The movie is 90% Tok Pisin and 10% India, with only a few dialogues between the two Indian casts”.
