GFU's Festival of films and newsreels

by Ashley Ratnavibhushana

AFestival of outstanding documentaries and newsreels produced by the Government Film Unit will be held at the new auditorium of the Department of Information from February 20 to 23. The screening will begin daily at 4 p.m.

With the emergence of Sri Lanka as an independent democratic State in 1948, the existence of a well-informed, enlightened public opinion became a vital necessity. It became essential for the Government to keep the people informed of the development schemes that had been launched and also to instruct and educate the people on various aspects of life. The need for an organisation to achieve this goal was realised when the Government Film Unit (GFU) was set up in September 1948.

During this period two Italians came to the island with the aim of working in a Sinhala film. When they arrived the film production company had been closed and the Government assigned them to set up the GFU since there were no technical personnel. Initially it was housed in a room let by the Department of Irrigation in Jawatte Road, Colombo. The two Italians - Gulio Petroni and Federico Serra - functioned as film director and technician. The first newsreel they shot was the first anniversary of the Independence celebrations held on February 4, 1949.

During Petroni's stay of about three years, he made several short news films and two documentaries - Hill Capital and New Horizons. Hill Capital (24 mts) was a documentary film on the picturesque and historical city of Kandy. New Horizons (45 mts) dealt with the land reclamation and colonisation schemes of the Government. The two documentary films influenced several local film-makers to join GFU. By mid 1949, the GFU was well established in a large coconut estate, "Velona Estate" in Moratuwa. Later the Italian technician George Calabria, the British editor George Stuart, British documentary film-maker Ralph Keene and Spanish cinematographer Bob Navaro joined the GFU. George Wickramasinghe, Pragnasoma Hettiarachchi, Erwin Dasanayake, Abeykoon Seneviratne and Lester James Peries joined the GFU as directors.

The renowned German director Paul Zils joined the GFU during 1968-69. In the 1970s, D. B. Nihalsinghe, Tissa Abeysekara, Tissa Liyanasooriya, Ranjit Lal and Sugathapala Senarath Yapa also joined the GFU and made several documentary and news films.

The films produced by the GFU have won numerous awards at prestigious international film festivals in Venice, Berlin, Leipzig, Salerno and Karlovy.

A Festival of outstanding documentaries and newsreels produced by the Government Film Unit will be held at the new auditorium of the Department of Information from February 20 to 23. The screening will begin daily at 4 p.m.

A Sinhala book published by the GFU entitled Pratibehedekma (Reminiscences) covering the history of the GFU will be launched at the inauguration of the Festival.

The Festival will be opened by Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, on February 20 at 4 p.m.