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Presidential film award jury resigns
By Chandani Kirinde
The 2004 Presidential Film Awards jury has resigned en masse over differences as to which local film or director deserves the awards. National Film Corporation Director General Dhammika Mataraarachchi said a new panel would be appointed after the Sinhala New year and the awards ceremony would go ahead as scheduled in July.

The Presidential Film awards ceremony is being held after a lapse of four years and four juries had been appointed by the NFC to make the selections for awards for each year from 2001 to 2004.

The problem arose in the 2004 panel over who should win the main awards such as the best film, best director, best actor and actress, a member of the panel who resigned said.

The panel, appointed two months ago had viewed more than 20 films . A member of the panel alleged that even though only six members were named to the panel, a seventh who they were made to understand was only to act as a co-coordinator was exerting much influence on the jury. The top four contenders for the awards were "Sooriya Arana", "Mille Soya", "Ran Diya Dahara" and "Sulang Kirilli" but there had been a close tussle between the first two films for several of the awards, The Sunday Times learns.

The panel consisted Tissa Liyanasuriya, Praneeth Abeysundera, Anoma Rajakaruna, Nilufer De Mel, Chaminda Welagedera, Ariyaratne Atugala and Asoka Serasinghe.

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