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| Saturday, 26 April 2003 |
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Inoka's maiden film flies high at Montevideo : Sky's the limit for Wind Bird
Her film achieved this success at the XXI Montevideo International Film Festival also known as XXI International Film Festival of Cinemateca de Uruguay. "This is really encouraging and it would further boost the local film industry which is making efforts to reach to new heights," Inoka says with confidence. Inoka's film won the Major Opera Prima award presented to the Best Film in the category of Director's First Film at this festival while sharing the OCIC(The International Catholic Bureau of Film), an award presented to the Best International Film in the main competition. Inoka shared this award with Canadian film maker Andre Turpin. Inoka was pleased with her achievement as this festival which was highly competitive with films from Russia, France, Brazil, Italy, China, Japan, England, Israel, Canada and Argentina selected to the final round. The festival which began on April 12 ended on April 22." It was a huge competition with films of different aesthetics and kinds from various countries and I am happy that Sri Lanka was able to win these two awards." she added. Earlier, Inoka's film was selected to the Tokyo International Film festival and was screened at the main competition among final 12 films out of 2000 entries. While focusing on humanity, The Wind Bird talks about a rather controversial subject - abortion and issues twinned with it such as illegitimate marriages and children in the present society. " With a novel topic, the film itself dwells on social and aesthetic planes," Inoka added. The film depicts the dilemma of a young couple who become victims of ignorance while trying to enjoy their youthful life. " With the doors opening for the international festivals, Sri Lankan films have gained more worldwide recognition. This amply demonstrates the talent and creativity of our film makers. Therefore, they should be given further assistance and incentives," she added. Inoka paid a special tribute to the Film Corporation for extending assistance to make her maiden film a reality. Her film is produced under the 100 per cent loan scheme of the corporation. She expressed her gratitude to the former NFC Chairman Tissa Abeysekera who initiated this film project, the present Chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa and NFC's Film Coordinator Nadeeka Gunasekera. She also thanked the Foreign Ministry for the assistance extended to her. In the coming months Wind Bird is expected to feature in several international film festivals including the Austrian festival which will be held in June. The film stars Damitha Abeyratne, Linton Semage, Jayani Senanayake and Grace Ariyawimal. Music is by Nawaratne Gamage while the film was edited by Ravindra Guruge. The film is scheduled to be locally released within the next three months. ************************** "Agni Varsha" opens at the Liberty Cinema
Even though presented in the mode of celluloid director Sajnani hasn`t been able to shake off its theatrical presence during its adaptation from theatre to film. Even if this fact was not revealed in its titles "Agni Varsha" very evidently represents its theatrical roots lacking in "movie mechanisms" which varies largely from mechanisms of theatre. However its Magic Tale aspect contributes largely to it. With a finely selected star cast the film does not cease to entertain, shot against a rocky location of what is left of Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagar Empire which supposedly ended in the 16th century. Lacking of major blockbuster Hindi film qualities makes Agni Varsha refreshingly different and an experience one would want to sit throughout. The film opens with scenes of religious chanting by Paravasu [played magnificently by Jackie Shroff] together with a team of priests the film centres around a kingdom struck by drought for over 10 years and many sacrifices made to invoke the blessings of rain. Introducing the glorious fashion world presence of famous indian model Milind Soman into movies, Agni Varsha has to its credit a list of distinguished stars beside newcomer Soman. Amongst them are Ravina Tandon, famous South Indian actors Nagarujuna and Prabhu Deva, Sonali Kulkarni. Actor Amithab Bachchan makes a venerated appearance as Lord Indra. Agni Varsha is the first in a series of films released by Cinebella a company based in Los Angeles working on the theme Beyond Bollywood with a view of promoting films in the calibre of Lagaan which has had a positive impact in the west in recent times turning around the poor image that glossy blockbuster hindi films were earning in recent times. With its meaning Fire and Rain in English, Agni Varsha is a different kind of entertainer which offers its viewer a selection of ingredients that can be added up-to making a historical myth or a tangy romantic saga, which ever way you want it. Prasad Abu Bakr ************************** Adventure Film Festival Care for an adrenalin rush with mind boggling action ? Then head to the Deli Market on Sunday April 27, when Adventure Centre Asia presents a special film festival featuring some of the most dare devil stunts in adventure sports. The `Adventure Film Festival' organised to popularise the sport in the country, comes ahead of the mega adventure race scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka during August September this year. A joint collaboration of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and Adventure Centre Asia, the mega race, is expected to draw over 100 adventure sport enthusiasts from all over the world. The Festival is a pre-publicity event to the actual count down to give Sri Lankans, especially would- be enthusiasts a `dose of the real thing'. The selection of films which will be screened for the benefit of the public on April 22- 7pm to 10pm will feature footage from extreme adventure sports including river rafting, kayaking, canoeing and surf kayaking, undertaken by a talented group of professional athletes, who are currently in Sri Lanka doing similar feats. A special feature of this festival will be the screening of the award winning action movie `NORPU' and some of the most spectacular documentaries from National Geographic Channel and New Rider Productions, a US based movie company that specialises in adventure films. So if you are in the mood for some action, here's enough adventure without the risks ! Tharika ************************** Cry Freedom at ICES Cry Freedom, a film by Richard Attenborough focusing on " apartheid" which prevailed in South Africa will be screened at the auditorium of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) at 5.15 pm on April 29. The film begins with the stories of Donald Woods, editor of the East London (South Africa) Daily Dispatch, and Steve Biko, a young black leader who has founded a school and a clinic for his people and continues to hold out hope that blacks and whites can work together to change South Africa, in the more naive days of the 1960s and 1970s. His politics are seen as 'black supremacy' and Woods writes sanctimonious editorials describing Biko as a black racist. Through an emissary, Biko arranges to meet Woods. Eventually the two men become friends, and Woods sees black life in South Africa at first hand, something few white South Africans have done. The black leader dies at the hands of the South African police and the rest of the story centres on the editor's desire to escape South Africa and publish a book. The movie was mostly shot across the border in Zimbabwe. three Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actor Denzel Washington. Starring: Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington, Penelope Wilton. 155 minutes. |
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Produced by Lake House |
The Sri Lankan film industry once again was in the international
limelight last week when Inoka Sathyangani's maiden film "Sulang
Kirilli" won two main awards at a leading international film festival
held in Uruguay.
In a tale dramatically narrated through the medium of cinema by
Director Arjun Sagnani whose maiden attempt "Agni Varsha" is an
adaptation of a play by Girish Karnad based upon "The Myth of
Yavakri"from the Indian epic "Mahabaratha".
