Inoka Sathyangani
Encyclopedia
Enokaa Sathyangani Keerthinanda is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film
director
and producer. In the year 2002, she received critical acclaim for her maiden effort Sulang Kirilli
, which deals with the theme of abortion
. The film bagged the highest number of awards won by a single film in the history of Sri Lanka's film industry. She is an active member of "Colombo Independents Cinema Forum" which works towards a "better and wholesome Srilankan cinema". After a highly productive maiden venture, she is regarded as one of the few successful female directors in Sri Lanka.
, Colombo
for her secondary studies.
With her inborn talent and creativity for artistic work, she won almost all of the house competitions in her young days. However, going in the footsteps of her father and brother, who are both lawyers, she too was selected for the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo
.
Not very enthusiastic about law, she dropped off in her final year of studies, to pursue a career in film-making.
A brief profile of the director
Inoka Sathyangani is an award winning young woman filmmaker with several highly acclaimed productions to her credit.
Inoka entered the media in 1992 while being a final year law student at the University of Colombo Sri Lanka. She accepted the challenging position of television director at Telecine (Pvt) Ltd. the largest television production company in South Asia in 1992 and the pioneering TV production company in Sri Lanka. That was her first job as a television director. After one year's stint with Telecine, Inoka became a free-lance television director working with a wide range of TV production companies on a variety of subjects and themes in TV Films, TV Dramas and documentaries.
Inoka has written and directed several popular and creative Tele Films in Sri Lanka and had won the best director's award several times. And in 1997 one of her Tele Dramas achieved the highest audience rating in the 19 year television history of the Sri Lankan Independent Television Network (I.T.N.) the pioneering government Television Network in Sri Lanka.
As a storyteller, Inoka has paid much attention to the plight of underprivileged and disadvantaged women. In a country where very few women enter the film and Television field and even fewer establish themselves at the level of director, Inoka has been a single yet strong voice on behalf of Sri Lankan women.
As a well-known Television professional in the new generation, Inoka's latest creative contribution comes in the medium of cinema. Her newest project was named 'Sulang Kirilli' (The Wind Bird) a 35/mm Coloure Film. She scripted and directed it under the National Film Development Fund of the National Film Corporation. In this project she is the only woman filmmaker among the first ten filmmakers who had been selected for the hundred percent loan scheme project, which was introduced in the year 2001, by the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka.
“Sulang Kirilli”
(The Wind Bird)
National film awards won so far
• "Kala Suri National Award” given for the most promising honorable professionals in the country. This award is given by the President to the most artistic personalities in the nation.
• "Vishwa Keerthi” Golden Lion Presidential Award given for the internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film makers – Presidential awards ceremony 2005.
29th Sarasaviya Film Festival in Sri Lanka - 2004.08.19.
• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
* Nominations:
• “Vakanda Walawva” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sakman Maluwa” Mrs. Sumithra Peris
• “Sulang Kirilli” Ms. Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda.
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
* Nominations:
• “Vakanda Walawva” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sakman Maluwa” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sulang Kirilli” Ms. Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda.
• Best Actress Award
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.
• Nominated for three other main awards.
30th SIGNIS International Salutation (O.C.I.C. Film Awards) Film Festival in Sri Lanka - 2005.01.17.
• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Actress Award
• Best Actor Award.
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.
• Best Art Direction Award.
• Nominated for the Best Music award out of all ten awards.
Presidential Awards – 2005.09.09.
• Best lyrics Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Singer Award
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best Supporting Actress Award.
• Best Music Award.
• Nominated for all the other main categories including Best Screen play, Best Director & Best Film.
Cinema of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the films made in Sri Lanka. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with Kadawunu Poronduwa produced by S.M.Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone.Sri Lankan films are usually made in the Sinhalese language, the...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer. In the year 2002, she received critical acclaim for her maiden effort Sulang Kirilli
Sulang Kirilli
Sulang Kirilli is a 2002 Sinhalese language feature film directed by Inoka Sathyangani which won many Sri Lankan and international awards, deals with a village girl employed in a garment factory, who is caught up between the legal limits of abortion and societal reactions to an out-of-wedlock...
, which deals with the theme of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. The film bagged the highest number of awards won by a single film in the history of Sri Lanka's film industry. She is an active member of "Colombo Independents Cinema Forum" which works towards a "better and wholesome Srilankan cinema". After a highly productive maiden venture, she is regarded as one of the few successful female directors in Sri Lanka.
Early life
Keerthinanda had her early education at Sujatha Vidyalaya, before moving on to Visakha VidyalayaVisakha Vidyalaya
Visakha Vidyalaya is a girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a public school controlled by the central government providing primary and secondary education.-History:...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
for her secondary studies.
With her inborn talent and creativity for artistic work, she won almost all of the house competitions in her young days. However, going in the footsteps of her father and brother, who are both lawyers, she too was selected for the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
.
Not very enthusiastic about law, she dropped off in her final year of studies, to pursue a career in film-making.
A brief profile of the director
Inoka Sathyangani is an award winning young woman filmmaker with several highly acclaimed productions to her credit.
Inoka entered the media in 1992 while being a final year law student at the University of Colombo Sri Lanka. She accepted the challenging position of television director at Telecine (Pvt) Ltd. the largest television production company in South Asia in 1992 and the pioneering TV production company in Sri Lanka. That was her first job as a television director. After one year's stint with Telecine, Inoka became a free-lance television director working with a wide range of TV production companies on a variety of subjects and themes in TV Films, TV Dramas and documentaries.
Inoka has written and directed several popular and creative Tele Films in Sri Lanka and had won the best director's award several times. And in 1997 one of her Tele Dramas achieved the highest audience rating in the 19 year television history of the Sri Lankan Independent Television Network (I.T.N.) the pioneering government Television Network in Sri Lanka.
As a storyteller, Inoka has paid much attention to the plight of underprivileged and disadvantaged women. In a country where very few women enter the film and Television field and even fewer establish themselves at the level of director, Inoka has been a single yet strong voice on behalf of Sri Lankan women.
As a well-known Television professional in the new generation, Inoka's latest creative contribution comes in the medium of cinema. Her newest project was named 'Sulang Kirilli' (The Wind Bird) a 35/mm Coloure Film. She scripted and directed it under the National Film Development Fund of the National Film Corporation. In this project she is the only woman filmmaker among the first ten filmmakers who had been selected for the hundred percent loan scheme project, which was introduced in the year 2001, by the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka.
External links
- Inoka Sathyangani's Biography in Sinhala Cinema Database
- National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka - Official Website
- Colombo Independents Cinema Forum
“Sulang Kirilli”
(The Wind Bird)
National film awards won so far
• "Kala Suri National Award” given for the most promising honorable professionals in the country. This award is given by the President to the most artistic personalities in the nation.
• "Vishwa Keerthi” Golden Lion Presidential Award given for the internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film makers – Presidential awards ceremony 2005.
29th Sarasaviya Film Festival in Sri Lanka - 2004.08.19.
• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
* Nominations:
• “Vakanda Walawva” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sakman Maluwa” Mrs. Sumithra Peris
• “Sulang Kirilli” Ms. Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda.
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
* Nominations:
• “Vakanda Walawva” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sakman Maluwa” Dr. Lester James Peris
• “Sulang Kirilli” Ms. Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda.
• Best Actress Award
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.
• Nominated for three other main awards.
30th SIGNIS International Salutation (O.C.I.C. Film Awards) Film Festival in Sri Lanka - 2005.01.17.
• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Actress Award
• Best Actor Award.
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.
• Best Art Direction Award.
• Nominated for the Best Music award out of all ten awards.
Presidential Awards – 2005.09.09.
• Best lyrics Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Singer Award
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best Supporting Actress Award.
• Best Music Award.
• Nominated for all the other main categories including Best Screen play, Best Director & Best Film.