‘Riverstone’ roars at Singapore Film Fest
View(s):- Best Director and Best Actor awards for Sri Lanka
By Susitha Fernando
Acclaimed director Lalith Rathnayake’s ‘Riverstone’ brought yet another international glory to Sri Lanka winning two major awards at the recently concluded 36th Singapore International Film Festival.
Director Lalith Rathnayake
Rathnayake won the Best Director in the Asian Feature Film segment, while film’s main actor Mahendra Perera won the Best performance award. Interestingly one of the competitors of Mahendra was young upcoming actor Randika Gunathilaka who was nominated for the same award from ‘Riverstone’.
Set in the Asian region, Singapore Film Festival is special for Sri Lanka since veteran actress Nita Fernando won the Best Actress Award at the festival in 1998 for her performance in Prasanna Vithanage’s film ‘Pawuru Walalu’ (‘Walls Within’). This followed Sri Lankan cinema to be highlighted at Singapore Film Festival in consecutive years with Joe Abeywickrama winning the Best Asian Actor award for his outstanding performance as ‘Wannihamy’, the blind father who doesn’t want to accept the death of his soldier son in ‘Purahanda Kaluwara’ (‘Death on a Full Moon Day’) another direction by Prasanna Vithanage. This followed talented Anoma Janadari winning the Best Actress at the 16th edition of the festival in 2003 for her performance in Asoka Handagama’s film on a somewhat unspoken subject-‘Thani Thatuwen Piyabanna’ (Flying with One Wing).
Subsequently Prasanna’s ‘Ira Madiyama” (August Sun) won the FIPRESCI Award and the NETPAC Award at 17th Singapore International Film Festival 2004.
Lalith was able to break more than 20 years long silence on Sri Lankan cinema in Singapore by winning the Best Director award along with the Best Actor at this year’s festival.
‘The very reason I was able to win this award because I was trying my best to be honest with the subject I was dealing with’ Lalith Rathnayake told TV Times after returning to Sri Lanka with awards. He said referring to some of the citations that justified the reasons for selecting ‘Riverstone’ for awards.
While enjoying the victory he and his team achieved in Singapore, Lalith was also proud about film’s earlier recognition at the Kolkata Film Festival and 27th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards held in China.
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- Director Lalith Rathnayake
Competing at main competitive section, ‘International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images’ at 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) in India, Rathnayake won the ‘Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Director’. The award also carried a cash prize of 2.1 million Indian Rupees.
In July ‘Riverstone’ won two other awards at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards held in China. However one of the remarkable achievement for ‘Riverstone’ was competing at the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) and won the Crystal Simorgh for the Special Jury Award in the Future Frame section.
Along with Mahendra Perera and Randika Gunathilaka, the talented cast of “Riverstone” includes Shyam Fernando, Priyantha Sirikumara, Ananda Kumaraunnahe and Prabodini Chandrasena.
Produced by Prabath Roshan and Nimanthi Porage for Cinearts Films, ‘Riverston’ was shot in and around locations spanning Kandy, Digana, Medamahanuwara and the breathtaking ‘Riverstone’ mountain range.
Started as an assistant director in cinema, Lalith entered direction with his award winning one-episode television miniplay ‘Vishama Bhaga’ ‘The Other Half’ and went on to direct award winning teledrama series including ‘Theth Saha Viyali”, ‘Arungal’, ‘Thaththa’ and ‘Jeewithaye Ek Dawasak’ (One day in life).
Rathnayake extended his first one-episode drama to his debut movie under the same title ‘Vishama Bhaga’ in 2019 and it went on to win over 50 international awards.
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