Wuwuk Film is an Indigenous film community driven by Minahasan Indigenous youth, both young men and women. The community is based in the Wuwuk Indigenous community in South Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Wuwuk Film serves as a creative space, a learning space, and a production house for audiovisual works rooted in the life, knowledge, and experiences of Indigenous Peoples.

The name Wuwuk comes from the name of the Wuwuk Indigenous community. The name itself is rooted in the name of a tree, the Wuwuk tree, a tree known for its fragrant scent and for producing aromatic resin. This tree is also known as one of the resin-producing trees, or damar trees. Therefore, the name Wuwuk is not only a marker of place, but also a symbol of roots, life, memory, and the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and nature.

Meanwhile, the word Film represents the community’s identity as an Indigenous film community. Wuwuk Film was established to become a production house for audiovisual works that highlight the stories, knowledge, culture, and lives of the Minahasan Indigenous Peoples in particular, and Indigenous Peoples across Nusantara more broadly.

The main purpose of Wuwuk Film is to create a space for Indigenous Peoples to produce and tell their own stories. Wuwuk Film believes in the principle:

“Nothing about us without us.”
There should be no stories about Indigenous Peoples without Indigenous Peoples themselves.

This principle forms the foundation of Wuwuk Film’s creative work. Film is not only seen as an art form or a medium of entertainment, but also as a tool to preserve memory, document ancestral knowledge, strengthen identity, and voice the experiences of Indigenous Peoples from their own perspectives.

Through films, documentaries, photography, and other audiovisual works, Wuwuk Film seeks to present stories that are born from within the community. These stories include Indigenous knowledge systems, the relationship between humans, land, and nature, language, oral traditions, spirituality, food, agriculture, climate change, and various works inspired by the way of life of Indigenous Peoples.

Wuwuk Film also serves as a space for Indigenous filmmakers to learn, create, collaborate, and build confidence in telling their own worlds. With the spirit of creating from the village, Wuwuk Film seeks to show that Indigenous Peoples are not merely the objects of stories, but the main subjects, storytellers, knowledge holders, and creators of their own narratives.

With strong roots in the Wuwuk Indigenous community, Wuwuk Film continues to move forward in creating honest films that are close to the lives of the people and stand with Indigenous Peoples, nature, and the younger generation.

Meet the Team

The Indigenous Youth filmmakers behind Wuwuk Film share unique stories and perspectives. Together, we bring passion and creativity to every project.

Kalfein Maikel Wuisan

Kalfein Wuisan is an Indigenous youth of Minahasa from North Sulawesi, Indonesia. He is an Indigenous filmmaker, writer, and storyteller. Since 2009, he has produced 10 films to encourage and strengthen culture and Indigenous identity. He is the founder of the Smartphone Movement, a cultural movement led by Indigenous youth that shares knowledge on using smartphones to create photography, film, and graphic design as tools to protect and strengthen Indigenous Peoples. He has been involved in film activities at local, national, and international levels, and has been invited as a facilitator, trainer, and speaker on filmmaking, photography, and storytelling. His works have screened at national and international platforms, including the UN Climate Change Conference (COP), the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP), and film festivals. He is actively involved in global campaigns related to Indigenous Peoples.

Lisah Rumengan

Lisah Rumengan is an Indigenous woman from Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. She is actively involved in theater and film communities in the region, using art as a platform to amplify local voices and cultural heritage. In 2017, Lisah became involved with the Congregational Cinematography community, which focuses on documenting church life and religious traditions in Minahasa. Her engagement in cultural storytelling extends beyond the arts, as she is also a member of several Indigenous organizations, including Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara (BPAN) and Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN). Lisah is also an active member of Komunitas Film Orang Gunung, a creative collective dedicated to producing films rooted in local narratives and Indigenous perspectives. Through her work, Lisah continues to contribute to the preservation and expression of Minahasan identity in contemporary cultural spaces.

Rendy Iroth

Rendy Iroth is an Indigenous youth, sound designer, and music producer from Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. In 2017, he became an editor and sound engineer for short films about the social life of the Minahasan people. He has also produced several documentary videos about Minahasan culinary traditions, which were later uploaded to YouTube. Rendy is involved in theater performances and has received awards as Best Artistic Director at several theater festivals in North Sulawesi. As a music producer, he combines Minahasan ethnic music, including makaaruyen and kolintang, with modern orchestral nuances for theater soundtracks with Minahasan cultural themes. He is also active in writing Minahasan Indigenous language

Petra Rondonuwu

Petra Rondonuwu is an Indigenous youth from Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, known for his work as a filmmaker, photographer, and graphic designer. He began his career in the audiovisual field in 2017 and has remained committed to highlighting cultural issues and local identity through his creative work. Actively involved in cultural movements, Petra draws inspiration from his home village, using it as a foundation for his artistic journey. Through photography and film, he brings narratives of Minahasan identity to the national stage and strengthens the role of Indigenous youth in contemporary creative and cultural spaces. Petra is also engaged in national film organizations, including Digital Cinematography Indonesia (DCI). He serves as the Director of the Congregational Art Center, an art community based in Minahasa that focuses on digital arts, filmmaking, and theater. In April 2025, Petra was selected as one of the Local Directors for the global project A Day On Earth, organized by the U.S.-based organization If Not Us Then Who? His involvement reflects his growing impact in bringing forward local narratives from the perspective of Indigenous youth in Indonesia.

Aldi Egeten

Aldi Egeten is an Indigenous youth from the Minahasa people, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, who has been deeply engaged in literature and theater since an early age. With an academic background in English Literature, Aldi has developed a creative path as both a filmmaker and a dedicated theater artist. In 2017, he co-founded Manado Expression, a creative content collective focused on filmmaking and digital storytelling. His passion for cinema and cultural narratives has also led him to be active in various film communities, including Komunitas Film Orang Gunung. He is a former chairperson of the Congregational Theater Center, a Minahasa-based arts collective specializing in digital arts and performance. In addition, Aldi served as the Chairperson of Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara (BPAN) Regional Board of South Minahasa (2019–2024). As an Indigenous artist and cultural organizer, he continues to create films and photographic works that center on cultural memory, local identity, and the lived experiences of his community, grounded in the ancestral knowledge and storytelling traditions of Minahasa.

Our Films