SPECIAL JURY AWARD, RITHIKA KODITHUWAKKU (EGE ASA AGA)

34TH SARASAVIYA AWARDS SALUTES TO THE LEGACY OF DR JAMES PERIES

SACHITRA MAHENDRA

When the 45-year old journalist who had already made his career as a filmmaker entered Asoka Hall in 1964, he sensed the limelight. He

was a mere Lester James Peries with no credentials to his name. Yet he could reach for many trophies with much ease. The limelight was soon to be in his favour.

The strange turn of fate brought another audience member who was only 20 years back then. 54 years later, he graced the occasion as the country’s Prime Minister to recall how things unfolded

back then a few metres away from the conventional VIP lecture pedestal. The 34th Cargills Sarasaviya Film Festival, held at the BMICH on August 3, was themed to pay tribute

to Dr Lester James Peries. Dr Peries is known not only for his meteoric rise to

the ecclesiastical echelons of local cinema but also for the illumed presence right through-

out the Sarasaviya Film Festival chronology.The country’s oldest film festival returned to the

stellar gallery following a brief spell of absence. The return was not easy as quite a few festivals have already joined the ring to steal the show. The Sarasaviya fest was nevertheless armed with superior weaponry. The cultural segments were choreographed meticulously with a sub-tle aesthetic sense. The souvenir issued to coincide with the ceremony remains unique and would last for at least a century. The 3D revival of Dr Peries bidding his farewell (with his voice aired in the background) is simply mind-boggling.

As two armchairs sink to the ground and the lamp-shades evaporate into thin air, the traditional ancestral mansion setting fades into oblivion to pave the path for contemporary upholstery on the BMICH stage. With that, the players come to the fore to breathe life into the much-celebrated short narrative which made a long way to the much-talked-about film, Nidanaya (The Treasure). The creative stimulus of Lester James Peries and Tissa Abey-sekara was deconstructed into a ballet-like tale.

The souvenir was devoted to the memory of Dr Lester James Peries. It is unique on several grounds. The souvenir which is, in fact, a coffee-table book, compiled by Dr Nuvan Nayanajith Kumara and Hemali Wijeratne, provides a comprehensive account of the Lester James Peries fil-

mography with no eye-sore advertisements in between. In his lifetime, Dr Peries often stressed the

need for a film archive. The coffee-table book is one step taken in that long journey.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, flanked by other eminent invitees, presented a special award to Sumitra Peries for her lifelong inspi-ration on Dr Lester James Peries in his epic journey.

The panel of judges (chaired by Gamini Weragama) was tasked with watching close to 50

films to handpick the best works of 2016 and 2017. The Sarasaviya 2018 had a special focus on most films overlooked at other festivals. Sayapethi Kusuma, Dekala Purudu Kenek

and Bahuchitavadiya were among the host of lesser known, yet

artistically ingenious, works intro-duced to the spotlight thanks to the jury

attention.The award for Best Actor for 2016 went

to Dasun Pathirana and Best Actress for 2016 to Pooja Umashankar who received their awards

from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Samanali Fonseka was adjudged the Best Actress for 2017 and Saumya Liyanage was

Best Actor for 2017. Boodee Keerthisena accept-ed the award on behalf of Liyanage.

Media and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Deputy Minister Lasan-

tha Alagiyawanna, Managing Direc-tor of Cargills Ranjit Page, ANCL

Chairman Krishantha Prasad Cooray, Editorial Director Chandrasiri Senevi- ratne and Sarasaviya Editor Aruna Gunaratne were present.

The Cargills Sarasaviya Film Awards was organised by ‘Sarasavi-ya’, the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited’s cinema weekly,

with Cargills, Sri Lanka’s leading retail and FMCG company.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe hands over a special award to Dr Lester James Peries’ wife, Sumitra Peries.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reminiscing the first Sarasaviya Awards Festival.

BEST DIRECTOR OF 2017, PRASANNA JAYAKODY (28)

BEST ACTRESS OF 2017, SAMANALEE FONSEKA (PREMAYA NAM)

BEST ACTRESS OF 2016, PUJA UMASHANKAR (SARIGAMA)

SPECIAL JURY AWARD RECIPIENT, PRASANNA VITHANAGE (USAVIYA NIHANDAI DOCUMENTARY).

Sarasvathi performance

Chairman of the Panel of Judges Gamini Weragama handing over the winners to Sarasaviya Editor Aruna Gunaratne. Sarasaviya Former Editor Deep-thi Fonseka looks on.

BEST DIRECTOR AND SCRIPTWRITER OF 2016, SHAMEERA RANGANA NAOTUNNA (MOTOR BICYCLE)

Sumitra Peries

RENUKA BALASURIYA ACCEPTING THE BEST ACTRESS AWARD OF 2016 ON BEHALF OF GAYANI GISANTHIKA (SARIGAMA)

Ballet interpretation to the Nidhanaya movie plot.

Distinguished audience

PICTURES BY Chinthaka Kumarasinghe, Tilak Perera, Marlon Karunaratne, Rukmal Gamage, Samantha Weerasinghe, Vipula Amarasinghe, Saliya Rupasinghe, Shan Rup-pasara, Shan Rambukwella and Nisshanka Wijeratne

MALITH HEGODA AND MALAKA DEVAPRIYA RECEIVING THE SPECIAL AWARDS FOR THEIR FILMS DEKALA PURUDU KENEK AND BAHUCHITAVADIYA

Saman Athaudahetti compering the ceremony.