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1-3 of 3
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born in 1962, Prasanna Vithanage became involved in theatre on leaving school. He translated and directed Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" in 1986, and Dario Fo's "Trumpets and Raspberries" in 1991. In 1992, he directed his first film "Sisila Gini Gani" (Ice of Fire). It won nine OCIC (Sri Lanka) Awards including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Four years later in 1996 was his second feature "Anantha Rathriya" (Dark Night of the Soul), which he wrote and directed. It was based on Leo Tolstoy's last novel "Resurrection". It participated in several international film festivals and won a Jury's Special Mention in the First Pusan International Film Festival. The film also won all the main awards at the 1996 Sri Lanka Film Critics Forum Awards (affiliated with FIPRESCI) including awards for Most Outstanding Film, Best Director and Best Screenwriter. "Pawuru Walalu" (Walls Within), his third feature in 1997 won the Best Actress Award for Nita Fernando in her role as Violet, at the 1998 Singapore International Film Festival. It even won ten out of eleven awards including Best Picture and Best Director at the Sri Lanka Film Critics Forum Awards. His fourth feature "Purahanda Kaluwara" (Death on a Full Moon Day) of the same year, 1997, which he wrote and directed was produced by NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation). It won the Grand Prix at the Amiens Film Festival. Initially banned by the minister in charge of film industry, it was released after a yearlong legal battle. It was given the release under the supreme court verdict. Since it has become one of the most successful film in the more than half a century history of cinema in Sri Lanka. Prasanna Vithanage completed "Ira Madiyama" (August Sun) his fifth film in 2003. It went on to win many international awards and was featured prominently in the world festival circuit. In 2007, Vithanage co-produced the hit film "Machan" a comedy about a group of working class con artists posing as a handball team, directed by "The Full Monty" producer Uberto Pasolini. "Machan" premiered at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008. It was shown widely all over the world winning 11 international awards. 2008 also saw the world premiere of Prasanna Vithanage's sixth feature film as director, "Akasa Kusum" (Flowers of the Sky) in Pusan, Korea and screened over forty film festivals to wide acclaim winning numerous international awards. "Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka" (With You, Without You) is his seventh feature. His feature debut Documentary "Silence in the Courts" was the first Documentary film which had a theatrical run in Sri Lanka, despite being initially banned from public screening by the Colombo District Court of Sri Lanka. His historical drama film 'Gaadi - Children of the Sun' (2019) won Cultural Diversity Award at Asia Pacific Screen Awards and ran for 98 days theatrically in Sri Lanka. 'Paradise' (2023) is his first Indian language film in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Sinhala. 'Paradise' had its World Premiere at the 28th Busan International Film Festival 2023 and won the Kim Jeseok Award.- Composer
- Music Department
Narendra Gunarathna is a Sri Lankan Musician, Composer and Percussionist. Narendra was born on 3 June 1985 in Panadura, Sri Lanka as the youngest child in the family. His father Priya Ranjan Gunarathna was a music teacher and mother Weerawaradhana Manel Silva was a dancing teacher. Narendra studied in Mahanama College in Colombo. He started his carrier as a Tabla artist by joining as a young student at the age of 12, near Dharshanapathi Wijeratna Ranathunga who was a great Tabla artist in Sri Lanka. Later, Narendra was admitted to Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University, India where he got his degrees in BPA & MPA.
He performed musical events in several cities in India & won several Gold medals like Pt. Krishan Maharaj and Pt. Sadashiva Rao for 1st Place-Tabla-Bhathkande University Exam (BPA) & also awarded 1st Place certificate in Tabla competition from Sangeeth Natak Academy, Uttar Pradesh in 2012. He further gained practical skills in playing percussion, brass-the classical instruments & also other western instruments. Under the guidance of Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan from Lucknow Gharana & Pt. Ravinath Mishra from Beranas Gharana, he learned more techniques in handling the musical instruments to a very proud level. He is the music director of the Sri Lankan movie 'Love in Soul'. He performed in India & Sri Lanka.- Animation Department
- Art Department
Sanjaya Gunarathna is a Contemporary Artist. He has expertise in painting, animations, graphic designing and video editing. Sanjaya was obsessed with drawing and painting as a kid with the influence of his grandfather who was a well-known local artist.
After finishing college education he attended a three-year course of Traditional Art Work which was conducted by the Cultural Department under the guidance of Mr. S.P Charles, who was a renowned artist in Sri Lanka. During that training course, Sanjaya sharpened his skills in different aspects of art including traditional art conservation and restoration, life drawing, sculpture and landscape drawing. He successfully completed the course with a 1st Division Certificate.
Sanjaya started his art career by joining an advertising. After gaining some valuable hands-on experience and insight in the commercial arts, he developed a fascination with the newly emerging capabilities of graphics and animations. He won the state award for the Best Animator at the 15th Sri Lanka State Television Arts Awards.