Sri Lankan cinema in kudos in Australia

Sudath’s “My Red Comrade” wins the Best Feature film at 7th SAFAL Film Festival

The two main roles are played by film debutant  Asiri Allage and Tharindi Fernando. Asiri is a professional creative Sinhala copywriter who has specialised in advertising while being active also as painter, sculptor and  stand-up comedian; and Tharindi is an award winning teledrama actress who plays here her first major female protagonist role in cinema. Mahadivulwewa is the current Chairman of the National Film Corporation (NFC) of Sri Lanka

Sudath Mahadivulwewa’s latest film direction “My Red Comrade” won the Golden Lotus Award for the Best Feature Film at the 7th South Asian Film, Arts and Literature (SAFAL) International Film Festival. 

The festival which celebrates South Asian film, arts, and literature, highlighting powerful stories, bold voices, and cinematic brilliance, awarded Mahadivulwewa’s second film direction which discusses about the loss of an artistic human being in a social backdrop  haunted by youth uprising and years long bloody civil war.  

 “Presented the Best South Asian film award, honouring cinematic purity, beauty, and

storytelling excellence rooted in the cultural spirit of South Asia” the jury announced as it gave the Golden Lotus to “My Red Comrade.”

Mahadivulwewa made ‘My Red Comrade’ after decades of long silence since he made his debut ‘Sudu Kalu Saha Alu’ in 2005. During his silence the talented filmmaker was involved in teaching and sharing his knowledge with various academies and universitie, s producing several generations of filmmakers.

“My Red Comrade” is also an experiment in cinema as he made a film with two characters who were placed within one room for nearly 90 minutes. The 20X20 foot one and only location was set at Sarasaviya Studio of the National Film Corporation (NFC). 

The two main roles are played by film debutant  Asiri Allage and Tharindi Fernando. Asiri is a professional creative Sinhala copywriter who has specialised in advertising while being active also as painter, sculptor and  stand-up comedian; and Tharindi is an award winning teledrama actress who plays here her first major female protagonist role in cinema. Mahadivulwewa is the current Chairman of the National Film Corporation (NFC) of Sri Lanka. 

The winners were announced at a glittering gala awards night held at the Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill, in Sydney celebrating the best in South Asian and international cinema on Saturday, September 6. 

“This year’s festival showcased a curated programme of feature films, documentaries, and short films that highlighted the richness, diversity, and contemporary voices of South Asian storytelling,” the organisers announced.

“Representing countries including Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,Afghanistan and the diaspora, SAFAL once again reinforced its mission of promoting cross-cultural dialogue and inspiring new narratives,” the festival organisers announced.

The festival, now firmly established as a key platform for showcasing diverse cinematic voices, brought together short films and full-length features that highlight creativity, culture, and innovation.

After days of screenings and deliberation, the jury announced the winners in both the short film and full-length feature categories. The awards honoured exceptional storytelling, technical excellence,and the unique ability of cinema to cross cultural and generational boundaries, the festival announced. This year’s festival showcased a curated programme of feature films, documentaries, and short films.

Hosted by Australian South Asia Forum Inc. (ASAF) as an annual event, SAFAL fest highlights the richness, diversity, and contemporary voices of South Asian storytelling.

Representing countries including Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the diaspora, SAFAL once again reinforced its mission of promoting cross-cultural -dialogue and inspiring new narratives.

The evening was graced by Mr. Mark Hodges, Member of Parliament, for Castle Hill, Sydney as the Chief Guest , alongside filmmakers, industry professionals, and an enthusiastic audience.

The festival, now firmly established as a key platform for showcasing diverse cinematic voices, brought together short films and full-length features that highlight creativity, culture, and innovation.

After days of screenings and deliberation, the jury announced the winners in both the short film and ull-length feature categories. The awards honoured exceptional storytelling, technical excellence,and the unique ability of cinema to cross cultural and generational boundaries.

“The SAFAL International Film Festival is not just about cinema; it is about sharing the cultural dialogue, artistic excellence, and giving a platform to voices that need to be heard. I congratulate all the winners and the organisers for this remarkable achievement,” congratulating the winners  chief guest Mr. Hodges said congratulating the winners.

“Hosted by the not-for-profit Australian South Asia Forum Inc. and its team, SAFAL fest aims to promote and celebrate the rich and diverse, culture and languages of the South Asian region comprising the eight nations of the Indian sub-continent,” Founder and President of ASAF Inc. and SAFAL Fest, Ash Gholkar and Creator, Curator and Guide, SAFAL Fest, KedarnathPagaddinnimath stated. 

In addition to Mahadivulwewa’s ‘My Red Comrade,’ another Sri Lankan filmmaker Praharsha Induwara won the Jury’s Encouragement Award-New Horizons Jury Award for his film ‘The Empty Robe’. This award is presented in recognition of a promising film that reflects emerging talent and potential in South Asian cinema.

Among the other winners at the festival were; 

First Runner-up- Breaking Boundaries Award was won by Indian-Australian co-production ‘Lets Go Below The Rainbow’ directed by Julian Karikalan. The award honours films that challenge conventions and reflect the evolving cultural patterns of the new generation.

The Second runner-up-- Special Jury Recognition Award is won by the Indian film ‘Mog Asum’ directed by Radheshyam Pipalwa, and Agnelo Angelo Braganza. The award was given in honour of an outstanding film that demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and cinematic vision.

The Best Short film Award -- Voices of South Asia Award in recognition of outstanding storytelling and artistic excellence in South Asian cinema was awarded to  “The Pocket Watch” (India/Australia) directed by Sreejith Jayadevan.

The Best Short Documentary film Award, presented with the reflections of South Asia Award for Best Documentary Short Film in recognition of outstanding storytelling, artistic merit, and contribution to South Asian cinema was awarded to “NAAZ “ (Pakistan/Canada) directed by Bakhtawar Tagar.

The Best AI Generated Short film Award,   the AI Visionary Award for an outstanding short film that showcases the imaginative potential of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of cinema, was awarded to Indian director Harishankar Thiyagarajan’s “Prompted”. 

The Rhythm of South Asia Award—the Best Music or Musical Related short Film for a remarkable film that masterfully weaves music and storytelling, capturing the cultural spirit of South Asia was awarded to Indian film ‘Bhoom Shankara’ directed by Mahesh Raj. 

Iranian film “Shepherd” directed by Alborz Poursayad won the Beyond Borders Jury Award -- the Best Short film outside the South Asian Region. The award is presented in recognition of an outstanding short film that exemplifies artistic excellence and contributes to the global language of cinema beyond the South Asian region.