'Jason Knight' is thinking of you
Breaking new grounds in the Sri Lankan music scene British born artiste
Ishara De Silva popularly known as Jason Knight is back on track with an
eye-catching music video titled "Thinking of U".
This music video which has just been released on Swarnavahini's musical
programme "Heart Beat" was directed by Prasanga Gunasinghe and features
backup vocals of Thushara Kuruvitage and Samantha Ferdinand.
According to Jason Knight, his debut music video is expected to touch
the hearts of many Sri Lankans here and abroad. The lyrics, which were
written by JK himself, project real life emotions to anyone who can relate
to them, he said.
Jason Knight being the producer of the single "Thinking of U" and his
self titled album said it takes a lot of patience and team effort to materialize
one's vision. He thanks God for granting him a dream come true and extends
his special thanks to everybody who contributed to his entertainment comeback.
His original CD and audio-cassette is currently available with leading
music stores in Sri Lanka.
Reunion Concert of Amazing Grace and Purple Rain
'The One Concert', a mega show featuring Amazing Grace and Purple Rain
will be staged at Taj Samudra Hotel's main car park on March 8 and at pool
side lobby bar on March 9.
'Amazing Grace' and 'Purple Rain', who have been successful in the music
during the 70's and 80's era will be in Colombo for this grand reunion
show.
The members of Purple Rain and Amazing Grace are scattered around the
world.
Some still continue to be in the music scene heavily and others in different
fields. All the members are expected to be in Colombo by March 4.
The tickets for the March 8 concert are priced at Rs.750/- per head
and for the 9th show it will be Rs. 1000/-
Purple Rain comprises Derek, Michael, Kevin Almeida, Geoff, Damien and
Sudu( Manjula - being the last keyboard player of the former line up).
Guitarist Sharfi too will join the wagon on stage
Grace comprises Tony, Jiffrey Hussain, Hassan Musafer, Riza Deane and
Harsha Makalanda.
The One Concert' is sponsored by Dialog , C-vibes, and Taj Samudra
Left handed Linton makes a mark
By Susitha R. Fernando
Linton Semage who has done different roles on stage and screen has done
quite a new character playing the role of a pickpocket in his latest release
"Pickpocket" (Mage Vam Atha).
With his debut effort 'The Outcast' (Padadaya) Linton became an internationally
acclaimed director. In this he played four roles as the script writer,
director, producer and main actor. The film has been entered for a number
of international film festivals and won the Best Film and Best Director
awards at the 6th Dhaka international Film Festival 2000 in Bangladesh.
The film also won in five categories at the Presidential Awards 2000
here including one for Best Actor. The Sri Lanka Film Critics' Forum, affiliated
to FIPRESCI- the international Federation of Film Critics-awarded the film
its Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Director awards in 2000.
Starting on the stage as an actor, dancer and mime artist he produced
and directed an award winning play "Panchayudaya" (Five Weapons). The play
won him National Awards for Best Actor and Best play in 1991.
Entering the cinema scene as an actor in 1990 Linton won a national
Best Actor award for his role in "Mee Haraka" (Buffalo) in 1995 and he
was awarded with the same award the following year for his performance
in "Ayoma". Including the films which have not been released yet Linton
had shown his talent as an actor in twelve films some of which were internationally
reputed films like "Purahanda Kaluwara".
This young man's talent is not limited to the theatre and the big screen
but also to the mini screen. His television drama roles have also won him
plaudits and he won the National Best Actor award for his performance in
the teledrama serial "Itipahan" (Candles).
The award winning actor's latest effort is the "Pickpocket" (Mage Vam
Atha) in which Linton portrays the pickpocket, Kamal who is accused by
his pregnant wife of bringing misery on other families as well as into
their own home.
The pregnant wife is played by Dilhani Ekanayake. He has promised to
reform but he cannot find another line of work in the big city which will
earn him a living wage. His wife has not been in touch with her family
for many years, ever since her marriage to Kamal.
She yearns to go home to the village to be with them once she has her
child. One day, after a morning of picking pockets, Kamal finds a photograph
of his wife in one of the men's purses he had just stolen.
His whole world is thrown into chaos. He does not tell his wife about
his find instead he begins to distrust her and goes in search of the owner
of the purse. What he finds is only the beginning of his tragedy.
Asked about the latest attempt and difficulty of film making here Linton
said any artiste cannot escape the hardships when working on an any work
of art.
"It is the part of every actor or a director to face the difficulties
and no one can expect any extra glory for their labour from anyone," Linton
said. "And at last it is the people who are judges for all our labour at
last. The success of all our attempts depends on their judgment" he said.
The latest film is to be released next June on the prestigious circuit
theatres.
'You Can Do a Lot with Seven Women'
"You can do a lot with seven women", starring Richard Harrison is now being
screened at the Empire Theatre, Colombo.
The story continues as Maggie a lovely model and interpol agent is murdered
while investigating Dino's Dress Design. D.D.D. is a drug and prostitution
ring using fashion and modelling as their cover Mike Miller is called on
the job. He follows the outfit to Cairo where they go for a fashion show.
The Dino group is headed by Marquis Dino the master mind.
Betty his lovely accomplice, Crab his right-hand and of course the seven
lovely models. Mike and his side kick Giorgio, a photographer get into
all kinds of adventure and trouble, while having fun with the girls, they
discover that the gang uses the innocent models' beauty cases for smuggling
heroin.
Mike is caught up between the police and the gang. With the help of
the girls and Giorgio he manages to get rid of some of the gang in a fantastic
fight in a bakery, which exploides nearly killing our heroes.
Dany, Mike's favourite model, is kidnapped and held prisoner in the
local Casbah, where the locals try to rape her. While trying to free her
Mike is chased by the gang and Police through Market places, mosques and
Turkish baths.
In the end, Mike manages to direct the gang into the hands of the police.
Mike takes off with Danny as his prize, while Giorgio is left with the
seven girls.
Film importers in a crunch
Local film importers are faced with much inconvenience in being unable
to screen new films due to the absence of an authorised Film Censor Board
to pass them.
Nearly twenty five English and Tamil films are stuck in the queue since
the Public Performance Board (PPB) members resigned and the former Chairman,
Somaratne Balasuriya being removed from the post. From the beginning of
January no new films have been passed by the PPB despite the local film
importers attempts to bring some latest movies into the country.
A survey of the four leading film distributor companies in the country
showed they were faced with a serious problem of having no opportunity
to screen the films even after spending so much money to import films.
"Even if the board is appointed it would take a long time as the censor
board does not pass more than two films a day", said Ceylon Entertainment
Limited (CEL), Media Co-ordinator, Thusitha De Alwis. Films imported by
CEL that are in the queue include a number of latest Tamil films which
were scheduled to be released here and South India simultaneously and also
some English and Hindi films.
General Manager. Mr. Wilson, of one of the four distributor companies,
Lanka Film Distribution Company (Pvt.) Limited speaking to the TV Times
said the worst affected were the Tamil films which were to be released
simultaneously on the original releasing date in India. "We have bought
the right to release the films on the same date spending around Rs 1.5
million for each film" he lamented..
Spokesman for the EAP Films and Theatres Pvt. Limited said releasing
of new films ahead of the festivals which was a practice earlier will not
be possible during the Haj festival if the Censor Board and the Chairman
were not appointed immediately.
Another distributor, Movie Producers and Importers (Pvt.) Limited, said
that both the film importers and the industry had been crippled due to
the problem.
When inquiries were made from the PPB, the governing body which is in
charge of selecting the films that should be screened here, a spokesman
said that the Board comes under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and it
cannot exactly say when these vacancies would be filled.
Meanwhile the TV Times is informed that the Cultural Ministry is to
perform the role of censor-for films that need to be released simultaneously
in India and Sri Lanka. This move is meant to ease the burden of some importers.
Modern day 'Asoka' comes to Lanka
"Asoka", the Hindi movie, a fictionalised account of the eventful part
of the life of the legendary Indian emperor, is to be screened here soon.
Two Hindi copies with English subtitles will be released at Liberty
in Colombo and Milano in Kegalle and two copies of the Tamil version, "Ram
Raj Asoka" will also be released by the Ceylon Entertainment Limited (CEL)
next month.
The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Hrishtaa Bhatt, Danny
Denzongpa, Rahul Dev, Ajit, Suraj Balaje & Subhashini Ali. Directed
by Santosh Sivan and Music score of Ashoka by Anu Malik.
Grandson of Chandragupt a Maurya, Ashoka ascended the throne of Magadha
in the 13rd century BC. In his quest for power and more power, he waged
one of the bloodiest battles ever with the neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga,
killing thousands of innocent people. When realisation dawned upon him
about the futility of such power, he renounced the path of war and embraced
Buddhism to spread the message of peace across the world. It is this reality
about the life of Ashoka that's juxtaposed with a fictionalised account
of his love story.
In the film, Ashoka falls in love with a pretty girl, Kaurwaki, who
is the daughter of the king of Kalinga. Without knowing her identity and
also without revealing his own, he marries her but circumstances separate
the couple. Unaware of his real identity, Kaurwaki searches for him but
remains unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Ashoka gets news of his wife's death and
loses interest in life. Slowly but surely, he comes out of his depression
and is forced by circumstances to marry another girl. After his marriage
to her, his step-brother hatches a plot to kill his unborn child but his
mother is killed instead. This infuriates Ashoka so much that he kills
all his step-brothers and eventually launches the war against Kalinga.
After this war, in the battlefield a land strewn with corpses of people
of Magadha and Kalinga Ashoka is to meet someone who was much precious
to him at one time of his life.
Cosmic Ball 2002
'Cosmic Ball 2002' powered by DJ Effect was held at Mount Lavinia Hotel
recently.
Here are some of the actions at the 'Cosmic Ball' through the lens.
The music for the dance was provided by the DJs of DJ Effect Entertainers.
'The Golden Globe Awards' has blossomed into a truly big-time event
and ratings attraction, second only to the Oscars and described as one
of Hollywood's biggest parties of the year.
Dazzling with stars from both the television and motion picture industry,
the awards are selected and determined by the Hollywood Foreign Press association
and has, over the years become one of television's most memorable nights.
Some of this year's nominees include such well known names as Nicole
Kidman, Judi Dench, Sissy Spacek, Cate Blanceht in the best actress category
in both motion picture drama and musical or comedy.
The best actor nominees include Russel Crowe, Will Smith, Kevin Spacey,
Billy Bob Thornton and Denzel Washington.
This year's special award of merit - the Cecil B De Mille Award for
outstanding contribution to the entertainment field went to Harrison Ford
for his lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry with memorable
performances in films such as "The Fugitive", "Star Wars" and "Indiana
Jones" trilogies, "Air Force One", "Patriot Games", "Witness" and "Sabrina".
Sunday, February 17 at 9.30 p.m. on MTV and Saturday, February 23 at
9.30 p.m. on Sirasa TV
'Spring Time of Poets'
The theme of the fourth edition of Printemps des Poetes, which means 'The
Spring Time of Poets', is living poetry, notably in account of the bicentenary
of Victor Hugo's birth. The Printemps des Poetes 2002 thus expects an opening
of a variety of the following: the experiences and practices and demand
a proposal more firm and more clear on the social, ethical and intellectual
spheres of a particular art which is poetry.
In other words, The Printemps des Poetes brings up this year an artistic
orientation, giving place to diversity, but getting the public to show
throughout the festival the real place of the poem.
This French poetry competition is opened to everybody, whatever age,
level of French or academic standard they belong to. The work should be
strictly original. The candidates can participate under one of the five
following categories:
* Children (less than 14 years),
* Beginners (less than 200 hours of French),
* Intermediate (less than 400 hours of French),
* Advanced (more than 400 hours of French), and
* Native speakers and French teachers.
The entry forms for this competition along with the poems should be
received at the reception of the Alliance Francaise de Colombo before 5
o'clock on February 26. The first 100 people to have handed over the above
forms and the poems will receive a prize. A jury comprising several French-speaking
personalities will choose the three best poems from each of the five categories.
Each winner will receive a prize.
The prize giving will take place on Thursday March 14 at 5.00 p.m. at
a ceremony held with the presence of the jury. A reading of these poems
to the public will take place on the same day. Finally, a display and a
publication of these poems are proposed as well.
The entry forms are available at the reception of the Alliance Francaise
de Colombo at 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 7 from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on
weekdays. |
