Matthew and Wijeweera on script for Oscars
Chandran Rutnam’s ‘According to Matthew’ and Anuruddha Jayasinghe’s ‘Ginnen Upan Seethala’ or ‘The Frozen Fire’ have completed the initial eligibility criteria for the Oscar awards.
Kamal Addararachchi playing Rohana Wijeweera
The two Sri Lankan films have been accepted to be considered for the 91st Academy award nominations as they have done commercial screenings in the States. The two films are in the list over 300 movies that have been screened throughout the year 2018.
The two, both biopic movies, one on the controversial Mathew Peiris, the Anglican priest who killed both his wife and lover’s husband and Rohana Wijeweera, the leader of political party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and who gave leadership to two youth uprisings.
‘According to Matthew’ is a romance, crime and thriller film based on the crimes of Father Mathew Pieris, Anglican priest of the Church of St Paul the Apostle, Kynsey Road, Colombo, who was convicted of the double murders of his wife ( Eunice Peiris) and Russel Ingram, the husband of his lover in 1979. The film stars Jacqueline Fernandez, a former Miss Sri Lanka Universe and Bollywood actress (who is making her English-language debut in the film) and Alston Koch.
Anuruddha Jayasinghe
The film was shot in Sri Lanka where the historical events took place.
Produced by Chamathka Peiris for Cinepro Lanka International ‘The Frozen Fire’ stars Kamal Addaraarachchi, Sulochana Weerasinghe Jagath Manuwarna and Sujeewa Priyalal in lead roles along with Priyantha Sirikumara, Jehan Sri Kanth, Dilhani Ekanayake, Deepani Silva, Prasannajith Abesuriya, Suraj Mapa, Thusitha Laknath, Chandrasoma Binduhewa, Hansamala Janaki, Manjula Moragaha, Anjana Premarathna, Chinthaka Kulathunga and Buddhika Jayarathne.
The film narrated around the late Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Rohana Wijeweera’s life, formation of the political party and other key leaders of the party.
The film was shot in Ranminithenna Cinema Village, and other locations in and around Haldummulla and Ulapane.
Rutnam directing According to Matthew