Lanka’s biggest film event in the offing

By Anuradha Kodagoda

We are a few days away from the biggest happening in Sri Lankan cinema, the International Film Festival of Colombo 2014 from September 2 to 7 with 90 international films including six Sri Lanka’s latest films.

IFF Colombo 2014 will be the carnival of films which gives you the opportunity to experience the rich world cinema from more than 30 countries and the film package consisted of 46 films under the official selection category which are produced in 2013 and 2014.

IFF Colombo events

Film Screenings

International films will be screened at the official venues Regal Cinema, National Film Corporation Cinema, Empire Arcade, Majestic City Superior and Goethe Institute daily. There will be at least four screenings per venue each day, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm 7 pm and special screening at 10 pm at the National Film Corporation cinema, so that anybody who is interested has the opportunity to see a film of their choice.

Films for children will be screened at 10 am at the NFC Cinema and Regal Cinema from September 3-7. All films have been reviewed by the Sri Lanka Public Performances Board. All film ratings are given in the program of the festival catalogue.

Master classes

The IFF Colombo Master Class Series will begin on September 3 with Indian director and cinematographer Rajeev Ravi’s Master Class titled “Breaking the Rules with the Camera” at the Goethe Institut. The second Master Class will be held in two sessions on September 4 and 5 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The class will be conducted by internationally acclaimed film-maker Carlos Reygadas. The Master Class titled “Directing Moving Image in Cinema” targets budding film directors and students. The third and final Master Class will be conducted by Meenakshi Shedde, film critic and South Asia Consultant to the Berlin and Dubai Internationals Film Festivals. Her Master Class is titled “Better Screenplays and Festival Strategies”

Public Seminar

A public film forum titled “Goliath of Hindi Cinema from Bombay” will be held on September 4 at 4 pm at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The seminar will host an International panel consisting of prominent personalities in Indian Cinema and will be mediated by Bengali film actor Dhritiman Chaterji who starred in films such as Aparna Sen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black (2005).

The forum is open to the public.

Musical evening

A festival fringe event featuring the Chamber Music Society of Colombo headed by Artistic Director Lakshman Joseph de Saram will be held on September 5, at 7 pm at the Ductch Hospital, Colombo. The performance will showcase a selection of classical music that has been featured in films as well as film scores composed by the legendary composer Premasiri Kemadasa. It is open to the public.

Sunday Morning Brunch Talk

“Migration and cinema”, the IFF Colombo Brunch Talk with an international guest panel, will be held on September 7 at the Kingsbury Hotel at 9.45 am.

Exhibition: Film Museum

A Glimpse of Our Cinema; an IFF Colombo exhibition held in association with the Government Film Unit, National Film Corporation and National Film Archive will be open to the public from September 3 – 7 at the National Film Archive, Independence Avenue, Colombo from 10 am to 6 pm.

International guests at IFF Colombo

The Film Directors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has invited renowned personalities in the film world to attend the festival for the launch of IFF Colombo 2014. The special invitees will be a part of the opening of the festival, Master Classes, Seminars and Forums.

More than 30 international artistes are scheduled to be in IFF Colombo 2014. Mexican film director Carlos Reygadas, Indian actor Geetanjali Thapa, Indian cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, Indian Director Geethu Mohandas, Indian Actor Rasika Dugal, Israel director Tom Shoval, Indian director Kanu Behl, Indian Director Avinash Arun, Spain director Luis Lopez Carrasco, Indian director Subasri Krishnan, Singapore director Kan Lume, Pakistan director Farjad Nabi, Iranian Director Reza Dormishian, Indian actor Dhritiman Chaterji, Mexican editor Natalia Lopez and many other prominent figures around the world are planning to take part in IFFColombo 2014.