The SAARC Film Festival was successfully concluded with the SAARC Film Awards at the National Film Corporation Cinema Hall on 25th November 2017. Mrs. Rosy Senananayake, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, former High Commissioner to Malaysia, former Parliamentarian and State Minister of Child Development and Media figure graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Film Artists of Sri Lanka from all walk of the Film Industry came to support the fellow artists of the SAARC Region and it was a gathering of luminaries and film enthusiasts.
A Panel of impartial Jury Members – Dr. Anne Demy-Geroe of Australia, Dr. Antonio Costa Valente of Portugal and Mr. Amir Masoud Soheili of Iran made the selections. The SAARC Film Awards 2017 are as follows:
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
“For a highly accessible representation of the important themes not only of colour but of women’s perceptions of body image”
PINKY BEAUTY PARLOUR – INDIA
SPECIAL JURY AWARD – SPECIAL MENTION
“For a brave debut feature about a controversial subject in a conservative society”
FRANGIPANI – SRI LANKA
BEST SOUND DESIGNER
“For the skilful interplay between the sound and the vision in a film full of many characters and crowded locations”
RAKSHIT THANTRI (PINKY BEAUTY PARLOUR) – INDIA
BEST EDITOR
“For its role in supporting the director with smooth storytelling and focusing on the main characters in a film shot in limited locations and over a short period of time”
BHUPENDRA ADHIKARI (DYING CANDLE) – NEPAL
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“For very effectively creating ambiance, using only existing light”
AHMAD ZIA ARASH (THE BIRD WAS NOT A BIRD) – AFGHANISTAN
SPECIAL JURY AWARD SPECIAL MENTION
“For the effective use of a range of cinematographic styles appropriate to the changes in mood”
SWAPNIL SONAWANE (TANDAAV) – INDIA
BEST SCREENPLAY
“For creating a very humanistic and coherent story combining a strong range of characters and complex interplay of moods”
TAUQUIR AHAMED (OGGATONAMA) – BANGLADESH
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“For its restrained use of traditional music to underscore the narrative”
JASON KUNWAR (BLACK HEN) – NEPAL
BEST ACTOR
“For the delicate ensemble performances of the 3 actors to convey an in-depth portrait of a marginalised group”
DASUNA PATHIALANA, JEHAN APPUHAMI & BHOOMI HARENDRAN (FRANGIPANI) – SRI LANKA
BEST ACTRESS
“For a highly credible performance that maintained the character’s deception until the final reveal for both the other characters and the audience”
AISHATH RISHMY (VISHKA) – MALDIVES
BEST SHORT FILM
“For a subtle portrayal of poverty that used metaphor to discuss the issue of education in Afghanistan”
THE WATER – AFGHANISTAN
BEST DIRECTOR
“For the creative bridging of script and film in handling a broad range character types”
ASOKA HANDAGAMA (LET HER CRY) – SRI LANKA
BEST FILM OPEN
“For its delicate depiction of political and social issues of a particular historical era through the eyes of a young untouchable boy”
BLACK HEN – NEPAL
BEST FEATURE FILM
“For its originality and the overall excellent execution of a complex narrative”
LET HER CRY – SRI LANKA
A Powerful and Unique Experience in Cultural Diversity
Dates: 21st to 25th November 2017
Venue: National Film Corporation Cinema Hall, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.
Entrance: Free
Since its inception in 2011, the SAARC Film Festival has been held in Sri Lanka, and with every year, it has gained a reputation for promoting and featuring some of the best films from the SAARC Region. The SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), in keeping with its mandate of promoting culture in the region through different modes of art, will once again showcase films from the Region as expressions of culture at its forthcoming SAARC Film Festival. The SAARC Member States will nominate some of their art work which showcases the cinematic imagination of the SAARC Region, using the medium of Film. A reputed panel of international judges select the best films, and several awards are presented as an incentive to continue producing quality, thought provoking and representational films for the Region.
This is an event unique to the Region and one that has caused interest and excitement amongst the people of South Asia since 2011. We now want to take it to the world, through the portal of South Asia and build it into a truly magnificent and international festival experience. The message of tolerance and the power of film is easily experienced through the screen with every Member State given the opportunity to screen and showcase some of their best creations and form a vibrant collage and tapestry of meaningful films from the Region. The Film Festival will focus on films first screened after 2015, from all Member States, inviting Directors of these movies to partake in workshops conducted to encourage and improve future productions.
We warmly invite you to join us as we explore the world of Film and Cinema indigenous to the SAARC Region. Most importantly, be present as we showcase a very special part of culture and art within our varying and wonderfully diverse Member States. We warmly invite you to join us, as we resume our journey in 2017 to bring South Asian Film to the forefront of the International Film World.
SAARC Film Festival Awards
The following Awards will be presented, following selection by an International Panel of Judges at the end of the Film Festival. The decision of the Judges will be Final.
SAARC Film Festival Catalogue
Since its inception in 2011, the SAARC Film Festival has been held in Sri Lanka, and with every year, has gained a reputation for promoting and featuring some of the best films from the SAARC Region. The SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), in keeping with its mandate of promoting culture in the region through different modes of art, will once again showcase films from the Region as expressions of culture at its forthcoming SAARC Film Festival. This Film Festival is different from other Film Festivals, as the SAARC Member States nominate some of their art work which showcases the cinematic imagination of the SAARC Region, using the medium of Film. A reputed panel of international judges select the best films, and several awards are presented as an incentive to continue producing quality, thought provoking and representational films for the Region.
It is an event unique to the Region and one that has caused interest and excitement amongst the people of South Asia since 2011. We now want to take it to the world, through the portal of South Asia specifically, and build it into a truly magnificent and international festival experience. This year in 2017, the Festival hopes to expand further, with workshops and parallel events that would enhance South Asian Cinema even more. The message of tolerance and the power of film is easily experienced through the screen with every Member State given the opportunity to screen and showcase some of their best creations and form a vibrant collage and tapestry of meaningful films from the Region. The Film Festival will focus on films first screened after May 2015, from all Member States, inviting directors of these movies to partake in workshops conducted to encourage and improve future productions.
We warmly invite you to join us as we explore the world of Film and Cinema indigenous to the SAARC Region. Please send in your nominations and benefit from the exposure this magnificent event will bring to the industry, artists, vision and creativity of the directors and movie makers of each valued Member State. Most importantly, be present as we showcase a very special part of culture and art within our varying and wonderfully diverse Member States.
Master Class on 3rd June at 10:30AM – 12:30PM at Russian cultural Centre in Colombo 07.
Topic : Contemporary Russian cinema and how to take part in International Film Festivals in Asia.
තේමාව: සමකාලීන රුසියානු සිනමාව හා ආසියාවේ ඇති ප්රධාන පෙලේ සිනමා උළෙලවල් පිලිබඳ වැඩසටහන.
தலைப்பு : சமகால ரஷிய சினிமா பற்றிய கலந்துரையாடல் மற்றும் ஆசியாவின் சர்வதேசத்திரைப்பட விழாக்களில் பங்குபற்ற வழிகாட்டல்
Conducted by
Andrei Vasilenko from Russia
Fabienne Aduago from France
Jinna Lee from South Korea
Limited seating
First come first serve basis.
| Date | Film | ||
| 1st June 2016 | 6.30 pm – Inaugural film – Feature Film Masaan (Adults only) (India/109min) Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan |
||
| 2nd June 2016 | 3.30 pm – Short film – Open Category City of Dust (Afghanistan/13min) Directed by Mohammad Jamil Jalla |
4.00 pm – Feature film – Open Category Jalal’s Story (Bangladesh/2014/109min) Directed by Abu Shahod Emon |
6.30 pm – Feature film Travellers and Magicians (Bhutan/2014/85min) Directed by Dzongzar Norbu |
| 3rd June 2016 | 10.30 am Master Class with the Film Experts at Russian Cultural Centre Colombo (for further details 0714539488 – Dhanushka Gunathilake) |
3.30 pm – Short film Goonga Pehelwan (India/45min) Directed by Mit Jani, Prateek, Gupta, Vivek Chaudhury |
4.30 pm – Feature film Mikoe Bappa Baey Baey (Maldives/2014/93min) Directed by Ravee Farooq |
| 6.30 pm – Feature film Ho Gaana Pokuna (Sri Lanka/2014/120min) Directed by Indika Fernando |
|||
| 4th June 2016 | 10.00 am – Short film Apple (Sri Lanka/15min) Directed by Chamila Priyanka |
10.30 am – Feature film – Open Category An Apple from Paradise (Afghanistan/85min) Directed by Homayun Morowat |
1.15 pm – Feature Film Nekabbarer Mahaproyan (Bangladesh/116min) Directed by Masud Pathik |
| 3.30 pm – Short film Living Without Life (Sri Lanka/28min) Directed by Eranda Mahagamage, Sajani Dulanjalee |
4.30 pm – Short Film – Open Category K2 and the Invisible Footman (Pakistan/ 59min) Directed by Lara Lee/Jawad Sharif |
6.00 pm – Short film Effas (Maldives/25min) Directed by Ravee Farooq |
|
| 6.30 pm – Feature Film Cinemawala (India/105min) Directed by Kaushik Ganguly |
|||
| 5th June 2016 | 10.00 am – Short Film – Open Category O Apara Kala (A dream of Apara) (India/ 24min) Directed by Abha Naktode |
10.30 am – Feature film Asham (Maldives/ 2 hrs 16min) Directed by Ali Seezan |
3.00 pm – Short film Benegal’s New Cinema (India/58min) Directed by Iram Ghufran |
| 4.30 pm – Feature film The Cup (Bhutan/1hr 31min) Directed by Dzongsar Norbu |
6.30 pm – Feature film Boradiya Pokuna (Adults only) (Sri Lanka /101min) Directed by Sathyajith Maitipe |
||
| 6th June 2016 | 6.30pm Award-Ceremony 8.00 pm Screening the Winning Film |
||
The SAARC Film Festival held in Colombo, has over the last four years gained momentum for promoting some of the best films from the SAARC Region. The SAARC Cultural Centre, in keeping with its mandate of promoting culture in the region through different modes of art, will once again showcase films from the region as cultural expressions at its forthcoming SAARC Film Festival. The SAARC Film Festival is different from the rest, in that SAARC Member States nominate some of their best films that showcase the culture of the SAARC countries, in the form of film. A reputed panel of adjudicators select the best films, and awards are given as incentive to continue producing good films for the region.
The SAARC Film festival in Colombo, marks an event unique to the region, where through the medium of cinema, the festival has become a forum of people to people interaction, as well as the understanding and savoring of culture through the medium of cinema, where the films from the different SAARC Countries, are not merely a tool of entertainment, but rather one of cultural awareness as well as something that would convey an inherent message indigenous to a particular member country of SAARC and to a particular region of the world. The Festival has over the years grown, and this year in 2016, the Festival hopes to expand, with workshops and parallel events that would further enhance South Asian Cinema. The Film Festival will give all member states an opportunity to screen some of the best films from the region.
Cinema is a form of art, and today with easy accessibility of advanced digital knowledge this medium of cinema has become very powerful. The SAARC Region has produced some films with a standard of excellence. In 2016, the SAARC Film Festival will focus on feature and short films first screened AFTER May 2014, from all Member States, inviting directors of these movies for workshops as well as recognizing the best movie- feature film/Short Film screened within the stipulated time frame.
The festival will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka over a period of 6 days from the 1st – 6th of June 2016. The Festival will also include a workshop with well-known film directors.
Copyright © 2015 SAARC Cultural Centre. All Rights Reserved.
Designed by FANATICZINE
