Sarasaviya awards to honour Lankan cinema

Coming April 5 evening at BMICH would be another unforgettable day for Sri Lankan movie stars, crews, fans and everybody. Annual Sarasaviya Film Festival will make a glamorous evening selecting the 'Bests' for the years 2005 and 2006.

A scene from ‘Bherunda Pakshiya’

For the 31st Sarasaviya Film Awards ceremony fifteen films will compete for the year 2005 while twenty for the year 2006. President Mahinda Rajapaksa will grace as the chief guest at the festival which was started in 1964.

The Sarasaviya film week comprising selected movies screened in 2005 and 2006 will be held at the Regal theatre in Colombo from March 26 to April 1, with the participation of film artistes and technicians, while for the first time in the country's film history two regional film weeks are to be held in Kurunegala and Kandy.

A scene from’ Guerilla Marketing

The Kurunegala film week was held from March 14 to 18 at the Imperial Theatre at 6 pm daily.

The film screening in Kandy will be from March 23 to 25 at 6 pm daily at the Kandy Regal cinema. Udayakantha Warnasuriya's Hiripoda Wessa will be screened on March 23 Channa Perera's Anjalika on 24 and Wasantha Obeysekera' Sewwandi on 25. The programme will commence with a seminar on March 22 from 8.30 am to 12.30 by filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage and film critic Gamini Weragama at the Kandy Cultural centre.

The speakers will talk on various subjects including 'Youth and films', international cinema and local culture. In between the talks the audience will have a rare treat, a performance by veteran dramatist Anula Bulathsinghala who would sing a series of theatre songs.

The Sarasaviya festival will be sponsored by the People's Bank.

Films for the year 2005

1. Sanduni
2. Ira Mediyama
3. Asani Warsha
4. James Bond
5. Guerilla Marketing
6. One Shot One
7. Mihidum Wasanthe
8. Sudu Kalu Saha Alu
9. Samanala Thatu
10. Sulanga Enu Pinisa
11. Sulanga
12. Mata Thama Mathakai
13. Seethala Hadu
14. Samantha
15. Alu Yata Gini

Films for 2006

1. Naga Kanya
2. Hiripoda Wessa
3. Dedunu Wessa
4. Supiri Balawatha
5. Meddum Salu Atharin
6. Eka Malaka Pethi
7. Samu Noganna Sugandhika
8. Nilambare
9. Samara
10. Bherunda Pakshiya
11. Udugang Yamaya
12. Anjalika
13. Ranahansi
14. Sonduru Wasanthe
15. Dharma Puthra
16. Ali Petiyo Oyai Mamai
17. Double Game
18. Kurulu Pihatu
19. Sewwandi
20. Ammawarune