TV Times

TV Times

Sarasaviya Festival: Show of splendour
Twenty-ninth Sarasaviya Film Festival is to be held on grand scale on August 19 at 6pm at BMICH. As a prelude to the festival, the organisers this year have arranged a number of events including a film week from August 11 to 17 and Sarasavi Cinema Pelahara- a two-day film carnival on August 17 and 18 at the BMICH.

Sarasaviya Film Week to be conducted at Regal cinema begining with Hitha Honda Pisso on August 11 and Sulang Kirilli will be screened on 15 (today), Wekanda Walawwa on 16 and Sakman Maluwa on 17.

This year’s film festival includes twenty-six films screened throughout 2003. Ashoka Handagama’s ‘Thani Thatuwen Piyabanna’ has been withdrawn from the festival. The awards will be given to thirty categories including the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Music Director and Most Popular Film and Most Popular Actor and Actress. The readers’ votes will choose the Popular Actor and Popular Actress. The other winners will be selected by an independent panel of judges. Ranapala Bodinagoda Memorial Literary Award will be given to a writer who has contributed to the development of cinema literature. The two ‘Ranathisara awards would be presented two artistes who have dedicated their lives to the Sri Lankan cinema.

The Sarasavi Cinema Pelahara, on August 17 and 18 at the BMICH would precede the finale on August 19. This would be a novel experience for all film lovers in the country. During these two days, workshops on cinematography, screenplay and acting would be held in addition to the exhibition depicting the history of Sri Lankan cinema. The viewers would have the opportunity to see studios, pictures, costumes and technical equipment, manuscripts of screenplay, posters of old films and souvenirs, cut-outs and also international awards won by Sri Lankan films. With a view to encourage up and coming actors and actresses the organizers have made arrangements to conduct screen tests. This would enable directors to unearth young talent without difficulty.

Indian filmmaker Adoor Gopalkrishnan will grace this year’s festival as a special guest of honour. For the first time the Sarasaviya Film Festival will be accessed globally through the web site www.sarasaviya.com as the event would be given on the internet from 6.30 pm on August 19.

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