Best film award for "Ira Handa Yata"

(Under the Sun & Moon)

Renowned film director Bennett Rathnayake's feature film "Ira Handa Yata" ("Under The Sun & Moon") has won the best film award at the first edition of the Identities Film Festival, which was held in parma and barcelo in Italy from July 27th to August 1st 2010, with the view of promoting cultural identities of various societies from the very foundation of love and compassion which is universal to all societies. The identities film festival was organized by the Learn To Be Free Onlus (LTBF), a socially-ori-ented foundation of the aim of creating working opportunities for people in a difficult situation, Be it economical, social, or cultural and in particular for women.

It promotes the fusion of all the various cultural diversities into one single platform of Love and Compassion. The patron of the festival is former speaker of the chamber of deputies of Italy and president of the LTBF foundation Irene Pivetti.

Sixty feature films from all over the world competed for the final award of the best feature film 2010, of which six films were selected (3 German films, 2 Italian films, and one Sri Lankan film).

The jury, presided by Michele Guerra, Professor of History and Critique of cinema at the University of Parma, Italy and comprising renowned Italian film directors, unanimously decided to award the prize of "Best Film" to the film by Bennett Rathnayake, "Ira Handa Yata" ("Under The Sun & Moon").

This is the first time that a Sri Lankan film has been awarded the Best film award in an Italian film festival. The jury, explaining their decision, said that the film was awarded for "the sensitive and poetic manner with which he was able to deal with a difficult theme.

Prior to this "Ira Handa Yata" ("Under The Sun & Moon") won the Honorable Jury award at the Los Angeles film festival held on July and also nominated for the award of best performance at the 23rd Singapore International Film festival In April 2010. Also the film "Ira Handa Yata" ("Under The Sun & Moon") will represent Sri Lanka at the forth coming Pyongyang International Film Festival in Korea.

This film discusses the brotherhood between two soldiers during the conflict era of Sri Lanka, the loves and struggles of their lives with a powerful storyline centering on two soldiers who were held captive by LTTE between 1998 and 2004.

About the festival

In 1996 the VIENNALE, Vienna's International Film Festival, invited the festival to be part of their SPECIALS series. Until 2001 identities - though independent as such (artistically and as an organisation) - it was part of VIENNALE and its budget. Fast growing as it was - 25% more viewers and films in each edition - it soon became obvious that the festival needed to look for funding and financial resources of its own.

In 2003 it found strong partners - the cultural department of the City of Vienna and the Art Section of the Federal Chancellery as well as many media sponsors, reciprical donors and contributing partners. All of them and the festival's beloved audience have clear identities within Vienna's second largest international film event.

2007 marked a kind of anniversary. 15 years of New Queer Cinema and 14 years of Vienna's Queer Film Festivals. In eight packed days identities 2007 once againpresented a 'Best of Program' of the past two years and many special programs looking back and to the future of Queer Cinema.

2009 is an anniversary year. 40 years of Stonewall, and 15 years of Queer Film Festival in Austria's capital. (http://festival.identities.at/)