Join the New Year fun Move Scene After Dark

Join the New Year fun

Countdown has begun, for the fire works to begin with a couple more days to bid goodbye to 1998, and just one year away from the new millennium. So come what may (whether we are ready or not), let us pull out those old dancing shoes, and go where? Let's find out.

Trans Asia Hotel, Colombo

New Year Eve Dinner: 31st December 1998
Noblesse: Dinner (Set Menu) Rs.1,400/- nett.p.p.
Summerfields Coffee Shop: Dinner Buffet Rs. 1,100/- nett.p.p.
Long Feng: Dinner (Set Menu) Rs. 1,500/- nett.p.p.
New Year Eve Dance: 31st December 1998
Beira Lounge with Champagne: No cover Charge, Corkage: Rs.600/- p.b.
Beira Terrace with Entertainment Unlimited and DJ Viran: Rs. 1,400/- nett.p.p.

Holiday Inn, Colombo

New Year Eve Dinner Dance: 31st December 1998
Liberty Ballroom "Blast Thru '98" with Mirage, Super Pink N Purple, and Thattaya: Rs.2,850/- nett p.p., Dance only Rs. 1,500/- nett p.p.
Grand Gypsy Ball, Colombo
New Year Eve Dance: 31st December 1998
Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre with Gypsies, Ecstasy, & Corrine: Rs. 1,250/- nett p.p. (Food & Beverage Court available)

Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo

New Year Eve Dinner Dance: 31st December 1998
Lotus Room with Dream Team: Dinner Buffet & Snack at 4.00 a.m. Rs.1,500/- nett p.p.
Harbour Room "Harbour Ball" with Milano & DJ: Dinner Buffet Rs.1,200/- nett p.p.

Mt. Lavinia Hotel

New Year's Eve dance - 31st December 1998
Terrace "Moonlight Magic" with Steelers: Rs.1,300/- Adults, Rs.650/- Children includes snacks.
Little Hut "Rock the Hut '98" with Fatal Nights and DJ's from Entertainment Unlimited: Rs.800/- Gents & Rs.600/- Ladies.

Airport Garden Hotel, Katunayake

New Year Year Dance: 31st December 1998
At Harbour Bar "Kiss Off '98 Welcome '99" with Chandimal & Second Connection, Chandani & Chaminda: Rs. 600/- nett p.p. (Sumptuous food stalls at the Horbour Bar)

Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Kandy

New Year Eve Dinner Dance: 31st December 1998
Banquet Hall " Reach....99" with Super Jets, Ranyl & Kara: Rs. 1,800/- nett p.p.

Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya

New Year Eve Dinner Dance: 31st December 1998
Grand Dinner Hall "Goodbye 1998 Welcome 1999" with DJ 's Good Groove: Dinner Buffet Rs. 1,600/- nett p.p.
New Year Eve Dinner: 31st December 1998 Supper Club " Chef's Special Gala Dinner" with Arabesque: Rs. 1,800 nett p.p. (Set Menu)
The members of TJ Gymnasium will hold their annual New Year Dance at their Gym in Rajagiriya

Move Scene

• NFC gears up to import quality films
• Reputed film personalities at IFFI
• No new films for festive season
• UNDA Awards Ceremony

NFC gears up to import quality films

A programme to screen quality foreign films will be launched by the National Film Corporation (NFC) during 1999,NFC sources said.The first of this package will be with 'Train to Pakistan' directed by Pamela Rooks.Based on the historical partitioning of India.The film has won several awards."We have imported several feature films which would be screened on a commercial basis.'Train to Pakistan' is listed to be screened at the Majestic Cinema"NFC sources said.

Nirmala Panday,Mohan Agashe,Rajit Kapur,Smriti Mishra,Divya Dutta and Magol Dhillon play the main roles in 'Train to Pakistan'.Cinematography is by Sunny Joseph while the musical score is composed and orchestrated by Kuldep Singh and Taufiq Quirashi.

The film is sub titled in English.

Two other films scheduled to be screened are 'Some Birds Cannot Fly'(Yugoslavia) and'The Possessed' (France)

Two films produced in French are listed to be screened at Mahaweli Centre Auditorium,Colombo.'Un Heros Drss Discreet' ( 1996) directed by Jacques Aneiord is scheduled to be shown on January 4 at 5.30 p.m.

'Bad Blood' ( 1986) directed by Leost Corax on January 5 at the same time.The two films shown at Mahaweli Centre Auditorium will be shown free of charge on a first come first served basis.

Reputed film personalities at IFFI

By Kumaradasa Wagista.

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) '99 which commences with the New Year will be held at Hyderabad from January 10 to 20.As it is the 30 edition of IFFI and the last IFFI of this millennium a wider delegate participation is expected.As usual several delegates from Sri Lanka will be attending the event.

Producer actor Sanath Gunatileka, Asian Film Centre Secretary Ashley Ratnavibhishana,and Prasanna Vithanage comprise the Sri Lanka delegation.Prasanna Vithanage's 'Purahanda Kaluwara'(Death On A Full Moon Day) is listed to be screened.

'Pura Handa Kaluwara with Vasantha Obeysakera's "Dorakada Marawa'(Death At The Doorstep) have been selected to be screened at the 10th.Palm Springs International Film Festival,Califonia.According to informed sources director Vithanage has been invited to attend the festival. He is expected to first visit California and then attend IFFI'99.

India's evergreen director producer actor Dev Anand is scheduled to inaugurate the festival at Necklace Road Garden where about 10,000 delegates from many parts of the world are slated to attend.

The Directorate of Film Festivals has made arrangements to screen about 200 films in the various sections of the festival.

A highlight in the festival is the tribute to the Japanese film legend Akira Kurosawa and the veteran Polish writer -film maker Wojciech J Has. It's for the first time that Wojciech J Has's films are been screened in IFFI.His debut film' Petia' (The Noose) who won the prestigious Grand Prix award at Panama (1969) and Trieste (1974) besides the Golden Gate at San Franciso,1963 are to be screened at IFFI.

A tribute to South Indian film producer actress Bhanumathi is also scheduled in the programme.

Films made by prominent foreign film directors will be screened in the Vision of India section. Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi', George Cukor's Bhowani Junction',Renior's 'River'and "Siddhartha' directed by Condrad Rooks are some of the titles that will be screened in this section.

No new films for festive season

Usually December is considered to be a friendly month for films as it is a festive month followed by the New Year.Usually a local film is released for festive entertainment in December.But it was not so during this month.

Sixteen local films were released during 1998,National Film Corporation sources said.

The year started with 'Gini Avi saha Gini Keli'.It was followed by 'Udha Gini Meda','Eya Obeta Bharai','Dehana','Dawal Migel Re Daniel','Sathutai Kirula Ape''Vimukthi','Sagara Peraliya','Channa Kinneri', Girl Friend','Julietge Bhumikawa','Anthima Reya','Ege Wariya 3','Dorakada Marawa',''Ragini'and Mohaten Mohata'.

Prasanna Vithanage's award winning film is scheduled to be released in the Fifth Circuit in mid January which may be the first new film for the New Year,National Film sources said.

UNDA Awards Ceremony

The annual awards ceremony for Radio and TV artistes and for their creations,'Unda Abhinandana '97 is scheduled to be held on December 30 at the Indoor Stadium of St.Joseph's College commencing at 6.00 p.m.

The event will be held under the patronage of veteran broadcaster and TV personality H.M.Gunasakera.

Organised by UNDA, Sri Lanka (Catholic Office for Radio and TV) was founded by OCIC (International Catholic Film Office in 1928).The OCIC Sri Lanka Branch was founded in 1958.

National Director OCIC/UNDA Sri Lanka Rev.Fr.Cyril Gamini has organised the event.

After Dark

• British Steel rocks Lanka
• "Blast Thru '98"

British Steel rocks Lanka

By Sanath Weerasuriya

The British based 'BT Melodian Steel Orchestra' is now in Sri Lanka to perform at various venues in Colombo and outstations.

At the moment they are performing at the Club Palm Bay Hotel Marawila and will be moving to Beruwela, where they start action at Eden Hotel on December 29.

The Melodians Steel Band comprises of six musicians, sponsored by British Telecom Overseas, and will perform on December 29 at Eden Hotel, 30th and 31st at Riverina Hotel and on January 1 at Club Horizon, 'BT Melodians' will perform at the New Year's Eve Dance at Riverina Hotel, Beruwela.

With a repertoire that included classical, modern, calypso, pop and jazz, the aim of the band is to provide opportunities to young people from a variety of social and racial backgrounds to develop their musical skills and techniques.

The group have won several awards including two performing rights society awards - the B.T. innovation awards and Her Majesty the Queen's fortieth anniversary challenge award.

What gives the BT Melodian Steel Band their unique sound is the steel drums they play. The sound originated in Trinidad where people experimented by making instruments out of old car parts, garbage cans and empty oil barrels. In the 1930's, Spree Simon added the sound of steel in the form of biscuit tins and car hub guards when he found that these pieces of metallic junk could be transformed into melodic instruments. Today, the modern steel drum, a skillfully hammered 45 gallon oil caps, provides sophisticated tones and can play virtually any type of music.

They were in action at Colombo Hilton last week before they left to Marawila.

The BT Melodians will definitely be a unique Christmas experience. They will be playing at Hilton Colombo again on January 2 and 3 at the Il Ponte Ristorante.

They will also be in action at the Mount Lavinia Hotel beach Surf Club premises on January 3.

This charity project is organised by Nafets Motel & Inns Management Company and will be sponsored by 'John Player'.

"Blast Thru '98"

It is a hallowed tradition at the Holiday Inn - Colombo to make the festive season a period to bring back to many, the warm atmosphere and joyousness synonymous with this time of the year.

The show promises to be something special with scintillating music provided by the ever popular Mirage - who have flown in specially for their assignment at Holiday Inn and will be in action at the 31st night dance after a lapse of 3 years. Sharing the bandstand with Mirage would be Super Pink N Purple and the energetic Ronnie Leitch "Thattaya" .

In keeping with the tag "the Dance of the Year", the "Blast Thru" offers fabulous prizes including 20 air tickets - with 4 tickets to London, 1 to Dusseldorf, 1 to Paris, 1 to Rome, 2 to Singapore, 3 to Bangkok and 1 ticket each to Kuala Lumpur, Madras, Male, Delhi, Amman with a special open air ticket to any Asian destination of the winners choice.

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