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 o f 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.
Rathnayake Arachchilage Victor, popularly known as Victor Rathnayake, is a Sri Lankan singer, composer, lyricist and a renowned musician. He was the first Sri Lankan artist to hold a solo concert; His concert known as "SA" was first performed in 1973, and was an instant success. Rathnayake credits his success to his "fitting blend of Western music with Ragadari classical music." His songs deal with diverse themes that vary from love, to patriotism and Buddhism.
Dahanayakage Nihal Ranjith Silva, popularly as Nihal Silva, was a Sri Lankan comedian and actor. He rose to fame playing Sajan Nallathambi in the play of the same name. The character was a stereotypical Tamil Hindu with a bald head, small moustache, police suit and Vibhuti, three lines of ash, on his forehead.
Sirisena Wimalaweera was a Sri Lankan filmmaker and theater master. He made several critically acclaimed films from 1949 to 1960. He is the first independent Sinhalese and Sri Lankan to direct a Sinhala film and first Sinhala Independent Producer.
Vasantha Doreen Peterson, popularly as Vasanthi Chathurani, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the most successful personalities on Sri Lanka's silver and small screen. At the age 16, she made her debut as a teenager in Sumitra Peiris's Gehenu Lamai.
Kolamba Sanniya is a 1976 Sinhalese language comedy film directed by Manik Sandrasagara that follows the lives of middle and upper-class people in rural and urban Sri Lanka. The film stars Geetha Kumarasinghe, Joe Abeywickrema and Denewake Hamine are notable for containing the first depiction of best comedy in a Sinhala film.
Presidential Film Awards is a film award ceremony held in Sri Lanka. It is organized by the National Film Corporation along with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was 1st awards in 1979 by President J. R. Jayewardene, and continue till 2004. The awards were not held from 2005 to 2014 when Mahinda Rajapakse was president. The award started to be presented again in 2015 by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Ahasin Polowata is a 1978 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dr Lester James Peries and written by Tissa Abeysekara. The film stars Tony Ranasinghe as Sarath, an abusive husband who is haunted by his wife's death.
Pathiraja Navaratne Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Ranjith Dharmasena was a Sri Lankan film director and screenwriter. He has been referred to as a 'rebel with a cause', an ‘enfant terrible of the '70s', and is widely recognized as the pioneer of Sri Lankan cinema’s 'second revolution'. He is also renowned as an academic, playwright and poet.
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.
Ahas Gauwa (One League of Sky) is a 1974 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja. It stars Amarasiri Kalansuriya and Swarna Mallawarachchi in lead roles along with Vijaya Kumaratunga, Wimal Kumara de Costa and Cyril Wickramage. Music composed by Premasiri Khemadasa.
Tamil cinema in Sri Lanka is not as developed as Sinhala cinema or its Indian counterpart, the Tamil cinema of Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This is especially due to the high production rates of the influential commercial Tamil films from Tamil Nadu, India and the long run ethnic civil war in Sri Lanka. Tamils contributed significantly to Sinhala cinema as well as Indian Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood. Only a few Tamil language films were produced in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Earlier Tamil movies produced were all most destroyed or unrecovered due to civil war.
Cyril Wickramage is an actor and director]] in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television as well as a singer. Wickramage is known for participating mainly in artistic Sinhala films. Performed as a charismatic actor in all three art forms: stage, cinema, and teledrama, Wickramage is most notable for the dramatic roles in the films, Bambaru Avith, Karumakkarayo, Seilama and Dheewari.
Patrick Tibertius Maximus Denipitiya was a Sri Lankan musician.
Dharmasiri Gamage was a journalist, poet, writer and film director.
Uththara is a 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhala family drama film directed by Sandun Rajakaruna and produced by Vaijira Rajapakse for Cinelka Films. It stars Suraj Mapa, debut actress Hashini Gonagala and Sanath Gunathilake in lead roles along with Anton Jude and Upeksha Swarnamali. Music composed by Rohana Weerasinghe. It is the 1134th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
Nikini Vassa is a 2013 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Aruna Jayawardana and produced by Dr Kusumsiri De Silva. It stars Chandani Seneviratne and Jagath Manuwarna in lead roles along with Thumindu Dodantenna and Bimal Jayakodi. Music composed by Nadeeka Guruge. It is the 1190th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema. The film had positive reviews from international and local critics and won many international awards as well.
Walapatala (Penumbra) is a 2008 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Vijitha Gunaratne and co-produced by Kasheyapa Gunarathna and Nelum Gunarathna. It stars Jayalath Manoratne and Jayani Senanayake in lead roles along with Saumya Liyanage and Gamini Haththotuwegama. Music composed by Tharupathi Munasinghe. It is the 1107th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
Visidela is a 1997 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama romance film directed by H. D. Premaratne and produced by Soma Edirisinghe for EAP Films. It stars W. Jayasiri and Anusha Sonali in lead roles along with Jackson Anthony and Daya Thennakoon. Music composed by Rohana Weerasinghe. It is the 887th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
Handaya is a 1979 Sri Lankan Sinhala black-n-white children's film directed and produced by Titus Thotawatte for Thotawatte Salaroo. The film is cited as a legend in Sinhala cinema history. It stars many child actors along with Henry Jayasena, J.H.Jayawardana and Pearl Wasudevi in lead roles along with U. Ariyavimal and Gemunu Wijesuriya. Music composed by Somapala Rathnayake. It is the 434th Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
