Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the Sri Lankan film industry. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with Kadawunu Poronduwa produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lankan films are usually made in Sinhala and Tamil languages, the dominant languages of the country. Cinema of Sri Lanka is also referred to as Follywood as many famous Sri Lankan actors had surnames starting with an "F."
Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Considered as the father of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester worked as a filmmaker from 1949 to 2006, and was involved in over 28 films, including shorts and documentaries.
Do Not Erase is a 2006 short film written and directed by Asitha Ameresekere. Do Not Erase won Best Short Film at the 60th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
Navaratne Rajakaruna Wasala Mudiyanselage Tikiri Bandara Ilangaratne, popularly as T. B. Ilangaratne, was a Sri Lankan politician, author, dramatist, and theater actor. He was a Member of Parliament for Kandy, Galaha, Hewaheta and Kolonnawa in Colombo district. He served as the Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Labour, Housing, Social Services, Finance, Commerce, Food, Trade and Shipping and in other government positions in a career spanning three decades. He established the Employees' Provident Fund, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and the People's Bank while in office. As a writer, Ilangaratne is best known for writing Amba Yaluwo (1957), a popular children's novel.
Gresha Schulling is a Sri Lankan musician. She has been hailed as a rising star from the world of popular music in South Asia.
Kala Keerthi Sumitra Peries is the first Sri Lankan female filmmaker and is known by all as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She also held the post of Sri Lanka's ambassador to France, Spain and the United Nations in the late 1990s. Of her films the more popular ones are Gehenu Lamai, Ganga Addara and Yahaluvo. She was married to the most prolific Sri Lankan film director Dr. Lester James Peries.
Chandran Rutnam is a Sri Lankan filmmaker and entrepreneur.
Kala Keerthi Iranganie Roxanna Meedeniya,, popularly as Iranganie Serasinghe, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Since her debut in Rekava, Serasinghe has become recognized for playing motherly figures in various films and television serials. She is the aunt of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe.
British Tamils are British people of Tamil origin. The term is used to denote people who have their homeland in the northern areas of Sri Lanka or the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
British Sri Lankans are a demographic construct that contains people who can trace their ancestry to Sri Lanka. It can refer to a variety of ethnicities and races, including Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors/Muslims and Burghers.
Air Vice-Marshal Ekanayake Edward Rohan Ameresekere, was a senior officer in the Royal Ceylon Air Force. He served as the third Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force. He previously served he had served as a navigator in the Royal Air Force during World War II, before qualifying as a pilot in the newly formed Royal Ceylon Air Force.
Deshanabu Tissa Ananda Abeysekara was a Sri Lankan filmmaker, actor, writer, director, screen playwright and political activist. He is better known as a script writer for the cinema as well as a film director. In 1996, his book Bringing Tony Home won the prestigious Gratiaen Prize for the new creative writing in English. He was the chief coordinator of FOSWAL in Sri Lanka and honoured awardee of SAARC Literary Award.
Sajith Premadasa, MP is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka and Member of Parliament for Colombo District. He is the current leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Ameresekere is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
The Edirimanne Corea Family Union (ECFU) is a group set up to 'foster interaction' among the members of the powerful Corea family in the island of Sri Lanka. The Corea family is one of the leading families of Sri Lanka. They trace their ancestry to Dominicus Corea also known as Edirille Rala who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in Sri Lanka - Dominicus Corea was born in Colombo in 1565.
Asitha Madusanka Fernando is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer. He made his international debut for the Sri Lanka cricket team in July 2017.
Kingsley Clarence Dassanaike, the first non-foreign Principal of the Ceylon School for the Deaf & Blind in Ratmalana, Sri Lanka was the inventor of the Sinhala Braille system, and served as the Chairman of the Extension Scout Committee for handicapped Scouts of the World Organization of the Scout Movement as well as National Headquarters Commissioner, District Commissioner for Colombo of the Sri Lanka Scout Association from 1958 to 1963 and acting District Commissioner of Moratuwa–Piliyandala in the 1960s.
Nimmi Harasgama is an actor, writer, and producer. The British National Television Awards nominated her for best "Drama Performance" for her portrayal of Nurse Mari in ITV's The Good Karma Hospital. She made her screen-debut through the English movie Mother Teresa in 1997 by portraying a supporting character. Her first appearance in Sri Lankan cinema. was as the lead in the Sinhalese movie Ira Madiyama (2003) for which she won Best Performance/Best Actress at several international and national award ceremonies - these included the 2004 International Film Festival of Las Palmas and 2006 SIGNIS Salutation Awards Ceremony.
Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television. He acted in many supportive roles in movies including Akkara Paha, Yuganthaya, Viragaya, Sri Siddhartha Gautama and Dharmayuddhaya.
The West Indies cricket team toured Sri Lanka in February and March 2020 to play three One Day International (ODI) and two Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The full schedule for the tour was confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket on 21 January 2020. The West Indies last toured Sri Lanka in October and November 2015.
