‘Vishama Bhaga’ wins 50th international award
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Lalith Rathanayaka’s maiden film ‘Vishama Bhaga’- ‘The Other Half’ bags its 50th international award at the recently concluded Out of the Can Film Festival in Britain.
The film won the Best Producer for Ven. Aludeniye Subodhi Thero for creating a movie that depicts a story of “living with the pain of a poisoned environment and a society that doesn’t understand the value of an individual”. ‘Vishama Bhaga’ had been nominated for the Best Non English Speaking Film and the Best Producer awards. This is the first time that a Sri Lankan film has been selected for the film festival that was started in 2017. Other films that were nominated for the award are ‘Aspire to the Sky’ by Dilip Khatri, ‘The Enemies’ by Alexander Machavariani, ‘The Adventurers’ by Jean Maye, ‘Safeguard’ by Fraser Precious and ‘Remembering Daisy’ by Monia Loana Lungeanu and Iman Khan.
Held at the Derby Quad Out Of The Can Film Festival awards in categories such as the Best Feature Film, the Best Short Film, the Best Animation, the Best Documentary, the Best Adventure/Action, the Best Thriller/Mystery, the Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi, the Best Director, the Best 1st Time Director, the Best Actor Best Actress, the Best Stuntman, the Best Visual Effects, the Best Cinematography, the Best Original Soundtrack and Best Screenplay.
“One of our Main Sponsors, Film Volt Media and The Film Industry Network will be offering the Winners an opportunity to get there work in front of some Top Worldwide Platforms including Netflix Amazon and HULU as part of this year’s awards,” stated the festival organisers.
Earlier ‘Vishama Bhaga’ was selected as one of the best five films at the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2019 and nominated for the Best Script Writer Award in the Asia New Talent Awards. Additionally it won the First Time Director (Feature), Best Narrative Feature and Best Picture awards at the Festigious International Film Festival in Los Angeles. At the same festival child actor Pansilu Wickramaratna won the Best Young Actor award and Kaushalya Fernando won the Best Supporting Actress award. At the Asian Cinematography International Film Festival in the Philippines, it won the Best Supporting Actor for Jackson Anthony, the Best Cinematographer for Palitha Perera, the Best Director for Lalith Ratnayake and the award for the Best Narrative Film. Last month Ratnayake also won the Best Director award at the Ostia International Film Festival at Rome in Italy.
Vishama Bhaga producer Ven. Aludeniye Subodhi Thero
Revolving around a young boy who lives with the pain of a poisoned environment, ‘Vishama Bhaga’ features destiny of those living in the North Central and other parts of Sri Lanka and who are suffering from the mysterious kidney disease. In a rural village in Sri Lanka, a family becomes poisoned by agricultural chemicals. This subsequently leads to the untimely death of Ruwansiri’s father who develops chronic kidney disease, leaving his mother works to support the family. At school, he struggles to understand his lessons in a rigid educational system that cannot go beyond rote learning. As an escape from the toxic environment around him, Ruwansiri finds solace in music. Can his passion help him overcome his circumstances?
‘Vishama Bhaga’ stars Kaushalya Fernando, Jackson Anthony, Hemasiri Liyanage, Pansilu Wickremaratne, Pankaja Wickremaratne, Priyantha Sirikumara and Thilakshani Ratnayake in the main cast.
The film is cinematographed by Palitha Perera, its musical score is written by C. Ruwanthilake and it is edited by Tissa Surendra.
Well-known for his award winning teleplays, Laith Ratnayake has earlier directed teledramas ‘Thaththa’, ‘Awarna’, ‘Sonduru Waanthaya’, ‘One way’, ‘Arungal’ and ‘Wet and Dry’.