‘Burning Birds’ flies high in Tokyo
Young filmmaker Sanjeewa Pushpakumara’s second feature film ‘Davena Vihagun’ or ‘Burning Birds’ won the Special Jury Prize at the 17th Tokyo FILMeX International Film Festival which concluded last week. Along with the award, the film was given a cash prize of USD 5000. The Grand Prize (1st prize) won by Chinese film ‘Life After Life’ with the Cash Prize USD10, 000 while Korean film ‘The World of Us’ received Jury Mention and Audience award. The award ceremony held Saturday, November 26 evening at Ashai hall in Tokyo. The 17th Tokyo FILMeX International Film Festival held from Novemnber 19 to 27 in Tokyo, Japan.
Announcing the victory, the Jury also mentioned “the film is a loud cry of pain from a cruel war of 1980s. It shares the perspective of one woman, a wife who loses her husband and a mother whose struggle to hold her family together ultimately costs her the respect of her children. An under – reported story from yesterday is made urgently relevant in the modern world.”
The Jury of the TOKYO FILMeX 2016 competition, consisted of Tony Rayns (The Chairperson of the Jury: U.K. / Film Critic, Festival Programmer), Angeli Bayani (Philippines/ Actress, Voice talent), Park Jung-Bum (Korea /Film Director), Matsuoka Tamaki (Japan / Researcher of Asian Cinema) and Catherine Dussart (France / Producer, CDP).
‘Burning Birds’ world premiered at 21stBusan International Film Festival in South Korea last October, where the film nominated for the Best Film of the festival. Though the film did not receive an award, it won many hearts of critics and audience and became one of the much talked about movies in the festival.
Burning Birds is Sanjeewa’s second film followed by controversial ‘Flying Fish’ (IgillenaMaluwo).The film is a co-production between Sri Lanka, France, The Netherlands and Doha Qatar. Burning Birds film project selected to 2012- 2013, 25th Cinéfondation Residence Programe of Cannes Film Festival in Paris.
Burning Birds produced by Antonin Dedet and Dominique Welinski (France) on behalf of Neon Production and Sanjeewa Pushpakumara on behalf of Sapushpa Expressions
( Sri Lanka). The international sales agent of Burning Birds is Film Republic in London.
Mahendra Perera, Samanalee Fonseka, Anoma Janadari , Chandani Senavirathne,LeonieKotalawala, Pubudu Chathuranga, Priyanka Samaraweera,Dasun Pathirana,TissaBandaranayaka, Shyam Fernando, Dharshan Dharmaraj, Sanjeewa Dissanayake, Dharmapriya Dias are appeared in ‘Burning Birds’.
As the cinematograppher- Kalinga Deshapriya, editors – Ajith Ramanayake and Katharina Wartena, make up – Priyantha Dissanayaka , art director – Piyathissa Akurambada, costume designer – Ajantha Alahakoon, sound engineers - Nicolas D’halluin and Aruna Priyantha Kaluarchchi, color grading – Elie Akoka, assistant director – Aruna Thilakarathne, second assistant director – Niroshan Edirimanna and production manager- Harald Karunathilaka contributed to the film.