Mad about movies

Cinema is a fast pacing industry. You need to know about the latest trends, marketing strategies, techniques and tastes of the public to make it big in the scene. Many individuals vie to become a part of this exciting and glamorous industry but only its true followers manage to leave a noteworthy mark within the folds of its history.

Tusitha de Alwis is a well known name among all the big wigs in the local movie scene today. This dynamic individual, a past pupil of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, has been Ceylon Theatres' Publicity and Promotions Executive for the past 30 years before stepping down from the post recently.

Tusitha has served five years at New Imperial Talkies, from 1978 to 1983, before joining Ceylon Theatres as a multi-duty clerk. His commitment to work soon caught the eye of his superiors and he was promoted to staff assistant and later as Publicity and Promotions Executive. His main task was to coordinate with the media and theaters about the release dates and publicity campaigns for movies released in the circuit as well as see that things ran smoothly as the movies unfurled at the CEL circuit theaters including the Majestic Cineplex which comprises four state of the art theaters.

Quire about any of the upcoming local or foreign movies and he will answer your questions in a jiffy. Meet him at an event and he will always greet you with a 'hello' and a few friendly words in exchange. His phone is always within reach when you want to clarify any matters with him. He even assists artistes by introducing them to his contacts so that they can seek assistance for any upcoming production.

Tusitha had learnt Sinhala from Arisen Ahubudu and D C Jayasekara. He says that his love for cinema lured him to a career in the industry.

Apart from movies his passion also lies in music. He is a lifetime member of the Old Thomians' Swimming Club for the past 28 years, serving as its social secretary for the past eight years. He and his team had put together many musical shows and sing alongs. He is also serving as an executive committee member of the STC OBA. He is a Founder Member of the OCIC and Asian Film Centre.

RJ