Malini Wins Silver Peacock for "Akasa Kusum"

Malini Fonseka was awarded the prestigious Silver Peacock at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for her subtle, emotional turn as forgotten film star Sandhya Rani in "Akasa Kusum". At the 39th IFFI, held in the holiday resort town of Goa, Fonseka was also saluted for her four-decade career in cinema in the Special Jury Award. Director Prasanna Vithanage also attended the festival, which concluded last night (02 December 2008).

"Ms. Malini Fonseka holds you from the first shot to the end of the film ," said the IFFI in its salultation. "You know right away that she is a diva whether you know Sri Lankan cinema or not. As the film unfolds, it is magical to see her younger film clips as a major star," it said.

Goa was the latest stop for the film, which is now garnering increasing popularity in the world festival circuit, following its October World Premiere in Pusan. The movie has been screened in New York, where actress Nimmi Harasgama said Fonseka's performance earned raves, garnering a great emotional response from its audience.

"Akasa Kusum" will continue its international rounds, slated for screenings at festivals in Palm Springs and Tiburon in the United States, Granada in Spain and the Brisbane International Film Festival in Australia.

More on the net:
News story on BBC Sandeshaya
Story, pictures on dajiworld.com

"Akasa Kusum" In New York

By Nimmi Harasgama

...It is the brushing away of a strand of hair, the fleeting look to the side that expresses so much more than words, the tears that fall, that made the entire audience feel the pain.

The first time I watched "Akasa Kusum" I was blown away by Malini Fonseka's performance!

Am I allowed to say that? Can I say good things about a film I am in? The first question I was asked during the Q and A session following the film's screening at the South Asian Film Festival in New York was what I thought of the film. And the first words that came to my mouth were " I was blown away by Malini Fonseka's performance. She is amazing!!!!"

So what I can say? I have to be honest and write from the heart!

It is a great privilege for me to work with Prasanna Vithanage again and I thank him from the bottom of my heart to be involved in a film with such strong female characters and strong actresses to take them on!!

In fact one of the questions from the audience was whether the screenplay to "Akasa Kusum" was written by a woman and if not then surely there must have been a female influence on the actual writing of it. They could not believe as another woman commented that a man had written with such sensitivity and understanding the pain and anguish, the happiness, the sexual subtleties of such a rich and varied ensemble of female characters. But as the credits state this Screen play was soley the work of Prasanna Vithanage. I wonder what reasoning we feminists can give for the commendation of a man's understanding of a woman's self? Do we put it down to the fact that it is 'someone's interpretation of 'woman' Or do we acknowlege as did the women in the audience at the SAIFF festival that he truly has captured a reality?

It was also interesting to note that the audience, which was made up of a varied group of people, found the themes more universal and empathasised with the central women in the film, although the themes and issues tackled by Akasa Kusum were localised to topics in Sri Lanka.

As the Q&A progressed, the audience were keen to learn more about Malini Fonseka's acting career, recognising her stunning beauty from the black and white films as the protagonist of the film. This twist, if you like in the film - the joining of the reality of the past celluloid to the present fiction - enticed the audience further into the depths of the film's darkness and then back again to the frail light that offers a sense of reality to the eventual out come that is "Akasa Kusum"...

Akasa Kusum Premieres to Applause and Acclaim in Pusan

Akasa Kusum held its World Premiere on Sunday October 05th, 2008 in Pusan, with the film being exhibited in three different cinemas simultaneously. Director Prasanna Vithanage, who was in South Korea for the screenings, said the applause the film received was rapturous.

The movie was screened to segmented audiences – with each cinema accommodating the general public, the critics and film festival directors.

Following the screening, Vithanage was part of a fruitful 30-minute Q&A session, with critics and festival personnel from all over the globe fielding their queries on the movie and its stars. Repeated acclaim emerged during these sessions for the strong central performance by Malini Fonseka, with the international media inquiring for more knowledge on the career of the Queen of Sri Lankan cinema, and her previous work.

The film also drew the attention of festival directors from the world over, with many film festivals requesting screener copies of the film for consideration. Akasa Kusum has also garnered the attention of a multitude of international festivals, including the Asiata Filmmediale in Rome, Italy, The Indian International Film Festival in Goa, the Kerala Film Festival, also in India, Palm Springs and Tiburon in the US, Granada in Spain and the Brisbane International Film Festival in Australia.

Akasa Kusum will next be screened on 25 October at the South Asian Film Festival in New York. The film will play at the AMC/LOEWS Theatre, on 890, Broadway and 19th Street at 3 p.m. Nimmi Harasgama will be present at the festival and will represent Sri Lanka at the festival.

"Akasa Kusum" to Make World Premiere in Pusan

"Akasa Kusum" will make its official world premiere in Pusan, South Korea next month.

The film is slated to screen on Sunday, 05th October at 10 a.m. at the P3 Cinema, as part of the 13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in Pusan, Republic of Korea. "Akasa Kusum" will screen in the 'Window on Asian Cinema' section, which aims to present current cinematic works from regional directors.

In recent years, Pusan has established itself as a hub of Asian cinema, with a prestigious reputation that sees films from all over the world being screened there. "Akasa Kusum" joins over 300 films from 60 countries at this year's festival. The film was initiated by the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) in 2007.

Click here for the "Akasa Kusum" page on the official PIFF website.

Director Prasanna Vithanage is no stranger to Pusan - it was here that he won his first international award, at the first Pusan International Film festival, where his second feature, "Anantha Rathriya (Dark Night of the Soul)," was awarded a Jury Special Mention for Best Asian Director. That film was screened in the New Currents section in 1996. Since then, all of Vithanage's films have been showcased at the PPP.

From there, the film will travel to New York for the South Asian Film Festival, following which it will see numerous other engagements in the festival circuit.

Plans remain on track for a Sri Lanka release in early 2009.

First "Akasa Kusum" Trailer Hits YouTube

The first international trailer for "Akasa Kusum" has hit the internet. The exquisitely cut, poetically flowing trailer gives audiences a taste of the film's central themes and conflicts, while enigmatically introducing us to its lead characters. Visually, it differentiates between the world of Sandhya Rani, her past, present and the long-forgotten secret that would change her life forever.

The film, meanwhile gears for its international release with director co-producer Vithanage along with the film's other backers actively pursuing the international festival circuit, as the movies exposure to international audiences begins with the online release of the trailer. The "Akasa Kusum" trailer has also hit the popular social networking website Facebook, where it has the potential of being seen by millions. The film was also recently screened in Colombo to a small test audience - to great acclaim.

You can catch the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duf-FeQ001A