Sri Lanka and its cinema industry would receive world’s attention with its first ever international film festival 'Galle Film Festival' (GFF) which is to be opened on March 2009 with the participation of renowned film artistes around the world.

In the history of over 60 years, the country is to host its biggest international showcase with the GFF, which is to be attended by a large number of distinguished filmmakers, actors, technical artists from both Bollywood and Hollywod.

Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya (Colors of Passion)

In run up to the festival, a fund raiser-Gala Dinners with local and international celebrities with some of their opening films will be held on October 25, 26 and November 1 in the beautiful southern coastal city of Galle.

On Saturday October 25, Sri Lanka's very first annual International Film Festival will be announced to the world with a premiere screening of a major new Sri Lankan film which is yet to be announced. And on Sunday October 26, Asian premiere of legendary writer and director Paul Schrader's latest film, 'Adam Resurrected' will be screened.

Both the premieres would be followed by a celebrity-studded gala dinner with the director and cast of the Sri Lankan film attending and with special guest Paul Schrader and Shekhar Kapoor. At dinner Mr. Kapoor, Indian born director of 'Bandit Queen' and 'Elizabeth' is to speak on the challenges faced crossing over from South Asian cinema to Hollywood.

On November 1, Asian premiere of Ketan Mehta's new film 'Rang Rasiya (Colors of Passion)' will be shown. Having had its world premiere at the London Film Festival, the director and cast will hop on a plane to Sri Lanka to present their film to Sri Lanka and Asia. This will be followed by a gala dinner with director and cast followed by a party with painted dancers, nymphs, fire eaters, jugglers and music at Tamarind Hill. The film fans and film lovers are most welcome to sit together at the gala event.
The founders of this historical event are world renowned film producer, Damita Nikapota ('Flying Sottman') and Geoffery Dobbs (Founder of Galle Literary Festival) and Sri Lankan director Boodee Keerthisena, who is the Festival director.

Aamir Khan Taare Zameen Par

The four-day festival on March 2009 will showcase around 40 films with wide variety of international shorts, features, and documentaries, bringing together filmmakers and film enthusiasts from around the world which covers a number of genres including Sri Lankan 'village drama', award-winning feature films from international film-makers, including work from emerging film-makers and documentaries.
About a third of the films included in the festival will be a part of Universal Forum, a celebration of film's power to inspire change. And it will focus on the ways film as a medium can raise awareness about vital issues and effect change in our world and they would open eyes and hearts to world issues and the personal stories that accompany them.

While a specific topic relating to social justice will be highlighted each year, this forum in the inaugural festival will focus on issues particularly relating to 'Tolerance'.

In addition, the four-day festival will provide a full programme of workshops, lectures, panel discussions and post-screening Question and Answer sessions. Workshops will include sessions on screenwriting, directing, acting, cinematography, editing and the use of music in film. A panel discussion on directing with Paul Schrader, Shekhar Kapoor and Aamir Khan, a screenwriting workshop with Paul Schrader and Deborah Moggach and an acting workshop with Miranda Richardson.
At the maiden international film festival, a special homage will be made the 'Father of Sri Lankan cinema', Dr. Lester James Peries and his wife, Sumitra Peries, veteran editor and filmmaker.

In competition section, the Golden Elephant Award will be presented to the best short film from a new Sri Lankan film-maker at the GFF 2009. Some of the films expected to be screened at the GFF 2008/2009 are Asian premiere of Ketan Mehta's 'Rang Rasiya' (Colors of Passion), Sri Lanka premiere of Aamir Khan's latest film 'Ghajini', Manish Acharya's 'Lions of Punjab'. And homage to legendary writer of 'Taxi Driver' and writer and director of 'American Gigolo', Paul Schrader and a South Asian Premiere of his latest film 'Adam Resurrected', Sergei Bodrov's 'Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan'. South Asian premiere of Nicola Roeg's 'Puffball'.

Lynch's 'Surveillance' and Elissa Down's 'The Black Balloon'. A special screening of Shekhar Kapoor's 'The Golden Age' and 'Bandit Queen' will also be held during the festival. The festival organizers also had invited Disney to hold a South Asian premiere for its family blockbuster 'Beverly Hills Chihuahu' at GFF 2008.

Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol

'The Festival team has selected in and around the historic city of Galle and its magnificent UN World Heritage site Fort as the festival location. "Galle offers the perfect location for a film festival providing a range of unique and memorable venues. Free from hustle and bustle of Colombo, the historical city will add much attraction to the festival' said director Boodee.

Among the main objectives of GFF is to raise awareness of the increasing depth and diversity of Sri Lankan cinema, its contribution to world cinema and showcase that talent side by side with key international film-makers, stimulate the local industry by facilitating interaction with the world industry and familiarizing it with Sri Lanka and its potential as a production location, expose Sri Lankans to films that are currently winning awards internationally but which are yet to have secured distributors in Sri Lanka and encourage young enthusiasts to experiment with film-making.

The festival has invited the sponsors to be a part of this land mark event and also to be a long-term strategic partner to the festival. "We are looking for an organisation that will partner with the Galle Film Festival and work with the team over a 3-5 year period to achieve both the long-term and the short term goals of the festival' the festival director concluded.