Berita Film Indonesia

Berita Film Indonesia

Company type	State-owned company
Industry	Film production
Founded	October 6, 1945 (1945-10-06)
Founder	Indonesian Ministry of Information
Fate	Merged with Regerings Film Bedrijf to create Perusahaan Pilem Negara
Headquarters	Jakarta (later Surakarta and Yogyakarta during revolution) , Indonesia
Key people	RM Soetarto, Rd Ariffien
Products	Newsreels, documentary films

Berita Film Indonesia (BFI; translated as "Indonesian News Films") holds the distinction of being the first film production company owned by the Indonesian government. It was founded on 6 October 1945, shortly after the conclusion of the Japanese occupation. The company utilized the facilities and equipment inherited from the former Japanese studio Nippon Eigasha. Leadership was provided by RM Soetarto alongside filmmaker Rd Ariffien. Amidst the turmoil of the Indonesian National Revolution, BFI shifted its operations from Jakarta to Surakarta and subsequently to Yogyakarta. Following the Dutch acknowledgment of Indonesia’s sovereignty in December 1949, BFI merged with the Dutch-operated Regerings Film Bedrijf.

BFI specialized in creating newsreels and documentary films that captured pivotal moments in Indonesia’s history, many of which have been repurposed in subsequent productions. The company's story was later dramatized in Usman Effendy’s 1985 film Film dan Peristiwa.

History

During the period of Japanese control over the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese authorities took over the Dutch-run Multi Film company and rebranded it as Nippon Eigasha in Jakarta. Utilizing its resources, they produced one feature-length film—Berdjoang (1943)—along with six short films and several propaganda newsreels.

After President Sukarno declared Indonesia’s independence on 17 August 1945, indigenous staff members from Nippon Eigasha established BFI, taking with them an Evemo camera and rolls of film. On 6 October 1945, control of Nippon Eigasha was officially transferred to Indonesia’s Ministry of Information under Amir Syarifuddin. The newly formed company adopted the name BFI and was managed by RM Soetarto, who had previously served as deputy director at Nippon Eigasha, together with Rd Ariffien.

BFI promptly commenced production of newsreels and documentaries. However, when Allied Dutch and British forces occupied Jakarta in November 1945, BFI had to operate out of a hospital since its original studios were commandeered by Dutch firms Regerings Film Bedrijf (RFB) and South Pacific Film Corp. By December of that year, concerns for safety compelled BFI to relocate first to Surakarta and later to Yogyakarta, following other government agencies.

In Yogyakarta, Soetarto, Ariffien, and their team—including Soetarto’s brother Soeharto and cameraman Sutan Nazar—persisted in chronicling significant events despite facing shortages of essential supplies such as film stock due to ongoing conflict.

Once the Dutch formally recognized Indonesian independence in December 1949, the Indonesian government took over RFB and merged it with BFI to create Perusahaan Pilem Negara (which later became Perusahaan Film Negara; PFN). The BFI personnel returned to Jakarta to join PFN operations. As of 2012, this entity—then known as Perum Produksi Film Negara—remained legally active but dormant, with potential plans for liquidation.

Legacy

BFI was responsible for producing thirteen newsreels and documentaries that covered critical episodes including the Madiun Affair, Operation Product, Operation Kraai, as well as both the Linggadjati and Renville Agreement. These films laid the groundwork for numerous productions during Indonesia’s national revolution in the early 1950s. In 1951, these materials were compiled into a documentary titled Indonesia Fights for Freedom, which was distributed internationally at the United Nations. A semi-fictionalized account of BFI’s activities is depicted in Usman Effendy’s 1985 motion picture Film dan Peristiwa (Film and Events).