A week of women’s cinema

Creating another much expectedcultural space for cinema lovers, Second Colombo International Women’s Film Festival will kick-off from today, March 15 in Colombo and last till March 22.

The film buffs will get opportunities to watch some of the rare international movies. Around 60 films from 28 Countries will be screened at Regal Cinema, Empire Cineplex, National Film Corporation Cinema, GoetheInstitut, Indian Cultural Centre and Alliance Franciase de Kotte.

The festival will feature films from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and USA and they will be screened throughout the week.

During the festival there will be two competitions for short films to award the Best National Film and the Best International Film.

Short films in competition - national films include ‘Deprimere’ by ParamieJayakody, ‘Carrot’ by by DumindraRidmi, ‘The Kahata’ by Yasodara Kariyawasam, ‘Light And Life’ by Upeksha Mahawaththa, Aruni Jayawardhana and RandiImalka, ‘Life On Land’ by Piyumi Sriyangani, ‘H20’ by Fathima Shanaz, ‘Fake ID Is Watching’ by by Fathima Kamila, ‘Two Curries’ by Narthanie Serasinghe, ‘It’s Not A Tall Short Thing’ by Shalini Divyanjalee, ‘Beyond The Mirror’ by K.L.H Maduwanthi, ‘Urumaya – Inheritance’ by Lanka Bandaranayak, ‘ Inside’ by Ayesha Suraweera, ‘The Ruins’ by Vanitha Senathirajah, ‘Green Umbrella’ by Hemamalini Manoharan and ‘We made the bomb ; we made the womb’ by Namini Panchala.

Short films in competition – international include; Maa Tuki (Find Me Mother) by Suchana Saha India, Posharini – The Saleswoman Bangladesh by Sreecheta Das, Driving Lessons (Iran) by Marziyeh Riahi, Meenalaap (Fish Monologue) Bangladesh by Suborna Senjutee Tushee, Ice Cream (Nepal) by Sangita Shrestha, Safed Sar (Afghanistan) by Atefah Hesari, ICE (Estonia) by Anna Hints, ‘Diadem’ Bosnia, Herzegovina by Milana Majar, ‘Once upon a time in Kurdistan’ (Iraq) byZhino Hadi Hassan, Dua (Pakistan) by Mona Javed, ‘ My Name Is Petya’ (Russia) by Daria Binevska, ‘Illuminati’ (Croatia|Serbia) Nina Belina, ‘Mamatva’ (Motherhood) (India) by Kirti Singh, ‘Performer’ (Bangladesh) by Tasmiah Afrin Mou and ‘Tenebrae’ (Singapore) by Nicole Midori Woodford.

Masterclass conducted by award winning filmmaker Tatjana Turanskyj (Germany) will be held at 10 am on March 20 at the Goethe Institute and the discussion on ‘Women Making Films’ will be at 10.00 on March 22 at the Indian Cultural Centre. The participants fro the discussions are Aparna Sen (India), Tatjana Turanskyj (Germany), Sumathy Sivamohan (Sri Lanka),

Leena Manimakalai (India), Suborna Senjutee (Bangladesh)

Susitha Fernando