In support of improving the National Film Institute’s role in documenting and preserving Papua New Guinea’s cultural heritage through film, the National Cultural Commission (NCC) presented a Toyota Land Cruiser, a new camera, an archive machine, and additional materials on the 17th of March 2025.
Steven Enomb Kilanda, the Executive Director of National Cultural Commission, Jenny Jeffrey, the Executive Manager of Corporate Services NCC, Precilla Jogere, the Acting Director of the National Film Institute, John Doa, the Director of NPAT, and other managers and employees from the organization were present at the handover ceremony.
Kilanda emphasized the significance of the NFI in carrying out its constitutional obligation to identify and catalog the nation’s cultural resources.
“Preserving and recording the cultural stories of our nation is a vital role the NFI plays, and we are better equipped to do so with these new resources.
One enormous industry that can bring in millions of kinas for the nation is the film industry.
We can meet the expectations and produce results if we make good use of this opportunity.
This equipment is only the first step. We must collaborate, carry out initiatives, and create material that highlights our country’s distinctive and varied cultural legacy,” Kalinda said.
As an illustration of a significant cultural event that has not yet been recorded, he cited the Goroka Show.
He issued a challenge to the technical officers, personnel, and management of the NFI to make the most of the new tools in order to record and preserve significant cultural events such as the Goroka Show.
Kilanda also urged that the National Performing Arts Troupe (NPAT) and the NFI work together more closely.
He called on the two groups to collaborate on a number of initiatives aimed at producing and disseminating material that will support the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage.
With the new equipment and a clear call to action, the NFI is now in an advantageous position to fulfill its mission of preserving and promoting PNG’s cultural heritage.