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In a landmark cultural moment, Papua New Guinea has officially selected Papa Buka, a feature film directed by acclaimed Indian filmmaker Dr Bijukumar Damodaran (Dr Biju), as its first-ever submission to the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.
The film, co-produced by filmmaker Pa Ranjith and shot entirely in Papua New Guinea, follows an ageing war veteran named Papa Buka. It explores how Papa guides two Indian historians in uncovering untold World War II stories that connect India and Papua New Guinea.
“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 Papua New Guinea Oscar Selection Committee Chairman Dr Don Niles. Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Beldon Norman Namah, added that the recognition would give a major boost to the country’s emerging film industry.
The Oscar submission announcement was made at a press conference in Port Moresby by Norman Namah, National Cultural Commission Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda, and Dr Don Niles. The submission coincides with Papua New Guinea’s golden jubilee of independence in 2025, making the recognition especially symbolic.
Dr Biju, a three-time Indian National Award-winning director, expressed his gratitude. “We are deeply humbled and honoured by this privilege to represent Papua New Guinea on the Oscar platform, and we dedicate this recognition to the resilience, creativity, and cultural heritage of its people,” he said. He also noted the rare honour of being the first Indian filmmaker to direct a film representing another country at the Oscars.
A Papua New Guinea–India co-production, Papa Buka was produced by Noelene Taula Wunum (NAFA Productions) along with Akshay Kumar Parija (Akshay Parija Productions), Pa Ranjith (Neelam Productions), and Prakash Bare (Silicon Media).
Shot entirely in Papua New Guinea, the multilingual film is presented in Tok Pisin, Hindi, Bengali, and English. The ensemble cast is led by 85-year-old tribal elder Sine Boboro, alongside Bengali actress Ritabhari Chakraborty and Malayalam actor Prakash Bare. Supporting actors include John Sike, Barbara Anatu, Jacob Oburi, Sandra Dauma, Clement Jima, and Max Maso.
The technical crew features a powerhouse team: three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej as composer, Yedhu Radhakrishnan as cinematographer, Davis Manuel as editor, and Daniel Joyner Dagt as co-writer. The producers emphasised the project’s inclusive and capacity-building approach, with over 40 university students trained on set and more than 60% of the crew being women.
The film is set for theatrical release in Papua New Guinea on September 19, 2025, followed by international festival screenings and Oscar campaign events in Los Angeles.