‘Peacock Lament’ competes in Tokyo
View(s):
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
By Susitha Fernando
Internationally awarded filmmaker Sanjeewa Pushpakumara’s newest film ‘Vihanga Premaya’ or ‘Peacock Lament’ will be competing in the Main Competition of 35th Tokyo International Film Festival held from October 22 to November 2.
Starring Akalanka Prabashwara, Dinara Punchihewa Wettimuny, Lahiru Prasath, Amiththa Weerasinha, Mahendra Perera, Sabeetha Perera, yesteryear super star who make a return after several years and Italian star Lorenzo Acquaviva, the film have its World Premiere in Tokyo.
The Competition will showcase feature films that were completed after January 2022. Following a rigorous screening process, fifteen films were chosen from around the world for screening at the festival. This year TIFF received 1,695 entries from 107 countries and regions. The International Competition Jury, comprised of international cineastes, will award the prizes to the winners at the Closing Ceremony.
Throughout the festival, ‘Peacock Lament’ will have two press and industry screenings and three public screenings. Written by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara, the film is co-produced by Chiara Barbo of Pilgrim Film and Sanjeewa himself for Sapushpa Expressions.
The revolves around Amila who was born in a remote village. After losing his parents, he goes to live in Colombo. Here he works in a Chinese construction site and takes care of his four little brothers. His sister Inoka suffers from a congenital heart defect and the only way to save her life is an urgent and expensive surgery to be done in India. While Amila tries to find the necessary money, he meets the wrong person but at the right time, and finds himself involved in a trafficking of babies …
Earlier the film project was selected as one of the 24 film projects of the fourth edition of European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP) in Germany will be launched in the run-up of the 31th Film Festival Cologne.
The drama film narrates around Amila, a 19-year-old orphan who has to take care of his four siblings. When his sister falls sick and needs to undergo a surgery in India, Amila gets caught up in a child trafficking business, in a desperate attempt to earn enough money to save her life.
The fourth edition of European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP) was launched in the run-up of the 31th Film Festival Cologne. 24 film projects with the participation of 22 countries have been chosen by the selection committee, and the production teams now have the opportunity to present their films to an international industry audience.
EWIP is mainly supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, one of Europe’s leading film funding institutions. The industry event takes place in cooperation with Film Festival Cologne and AG Verleih, the association of German independent film distributors.
The selections are also made based on a jury and the jury is comprised of recognized industry representatives: long time Arte editor and director Alexander Bohr (Mainz) and Clémence Lavigne, co-head of sales and acquisitions for The Party Film Sales (Paris), will be supported by CEO and film distributor Daniel Melamed, New Cinema (Tel Aviv). Aranka Matits, founder of the Featurette agency (Amsterdam) and Fabian Massah, film producer and CEO of Endorphine Production (Berlin). The winner would be awarded prizes worth a total value of 52,500 Euros which include stage and room rental services, post-production services and publicity work at an international festival.
Searching for that next furry family member but couldn’t find one in your area? Hitad.lk has the solution with our extensive listings of dogs for sale in Sri Lanka!