Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Sanjeewa Pushpakumara ,40th Rotterdam International Film Festival 2011
Born 5 May 1977
Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Occupation Film director, screenwriter & producer

Sanjeewa Pushpakumara (born 5 May 1977) is a Sri Lankan film director, writer, and producer. He grew up in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 2005. In 2008, he obtained his master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Kelaniya. From 2005 to 2006, Pushpakumara pursued a diploma in filmmaking from Sri Lanka's National Film Corporation, where he graduated at the top of his class.[1]

In 2007, Pushpakumara received a scholarship from the Korean Culture and Tourism Ministry under its Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI), to study film-making in the Asian Young Film Forum and also to learn Korean language at Chonbuk National University (Korea). In 2009, he again underwent training in the Asian Film Academy as part of the Busan International Film Festival. Pushpakumara is currently completing an advanced degree in film-making at Chung-Ang University in South Korea, under the Korean government scholarship program.[2]

Pushpakumara's first feature film, Flying Fish (Igillena Maluwo), received a grant from the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Hubert Bals Fund) to support its post-production costs. The film was subsequently honoured with a nomination for the festival's Tiger Award for new directors.[3] Based on the director's own life experiences, the film reflects the deep social and psychological trauma of the country's twenty-six-year-long civil war.[4]

It was said by Tony Rayns at the 5th Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival that "Sri Lankan Cinema has found its true modernist" and he has also said that "Flying Fish (Igillena Maluwo) is indecently beautiful".[5]

2012, Sanjeewa invited to Paris by Résidence programme of Cinéfondation of Cannes Film Festival to develop his second feature project.[6]

Biennale College – Cinema of Venice Film Festival of the Biennale di Venezia invited Sanjeewa in 2014 to Venice in order to develop his third film project<Peacock Lamenting> along with another 11 international film projects to Venice.Currently Peacock Lamenting is on advance script development.[7]

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Flying Fish

Touch

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ , Festival Scope Profile: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara, 2010
  2. ↑ "Profile: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara", Festival Scope, 2010
  3. ↑ Ben Walters, "War wounds", International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2011
  4. ↑ International Film Festival Rotterdam, "Tiger Awards Spotlight: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara", YouTube, 31 January 2011
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "Awards ceremony at the 2nd Saint Petersburg International Kinoforum", St.Pertersburg International Film Festival- KINOFORUM, 16 July 2011
  9. ↑ Martin Blaney, "Black Blood, A Separation triumph at Kinoforum", Screen Daily, 16 July 2011
  10. ↑ Susitha R. Fernando, "Sanjeewa wins Best Director", Daily Mirror, 17 July 2011
  11. ↑ "'New Territories' competition program will be a challenge for the audience", St. Petersburg International Film Festival "KINOFORUM", 24 June 2011
  12. ↑ Bryce J. Renninger, "Rotterdam Unleashes List of Fourteen Tiger Award Competition Films", indieWIRE, 10 January 2011
  13. ↑ Todd Brown, "Complete Tiger Awards Competition Announced For Rotterdam 2011", Twitch, 9 January 2011
  14. ↑ "SIFF Announces Film Competition Lineups For 2011 Festival", Seattle International Film Festival, 28 April 2011
  15. ↑ "Pesaro New Cinema Competition", 47a Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema, 19–27 June 2011
  16. ↑ "IFF Ars Independent", Ars Independent International Film Festival 2011 Katowice
  17. ↑ Susitha R. Fernando "'Flying Fish' take wings to Holland", Sunday Times, 30 January 2011

External links