Pune: Guilherme Canela, Director of the Division for Digital Inclusion, Policies and Digital Transformation at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, visited the National Film Development Corporation – National Film Archive of India facility in Pune as part of his official visit to India.
During the visit, Canela met Prakash Magdum, managing director of NFDC, and held discussions on the functioning and initiatives of the archive. Officials from NFDC–NFAI presented an overview of the institution’s work in film preservation and restoration, including ongoing projects under the National Film Heritage Mission.
A presentation highlighted progress made in restoring and digitising India’s cinematic legacy and emphasised the archive’s role in safeguarding the country’s audiovisual heritage.
Canela also toured the Phase II film preservation and restoration facilities at NFDC–NFAI, where he observed restoration and digitisation processes and interacted with technical teams involved in the work.
During the meeting, discussions explored potential collaboration between UNESCO and NFDC–NFAI, including the possibility of organising an international conference on film digitisation and restoration in partnership with national and international stakeholders. The proposed conference aims to bring together archivists, technicians, filmmakers, government representatives and cultural heritage experts from around the world to exchange knowledge and strengthen capabilities in audiovisual preservation.
The meeting also considered broader avenues for cooperation in preserving and promoting audiovisual heritage, including knowledge exchange, international partnerships and opportunities to showcase India’s rich film legacy on global platforms.
Speaking during the visit, Canela said the institution’s work left a strong impression. “It was a great pleasure to visit NFDC–NFAI. The leadership and staff demonstrated professionalism, commitment and passion towards the mission of protecting India’s audiovisual heritage. I was also impressed with the consultative process and the attention to multilingualism, which aligns well with UNESCO’s mandate.”
Magdum said the organisation looks forward to deeper cooperation with UNESCO. “We look forward to active collaboration between NFDC–NFAI and UNESCO in the areas of preservation and initiatives such as the Memory of the World Programme.”
The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of UNESCO and NFDC–NFAI to strengthening global cooperation in film preservation and advancing knowledge exchange in audiovisual archiving and restoration.
