Several productions received recognition at the SIGNIS Telecine Awards for 2019 and 2020 held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on Sunday (8), with 2020 movies like Avilenasului and Paangshu as well as 2019 movies like Vishama Bhaga and Dekala Purudu Kenek winning various awards.
The award ceremony covered both film and TV productions released in 2019 and 2020.
2020 movie awards
The best movie of 2020 went to Paangshu, directed and produced by Visakesa Chandrasekaram, who also won awards for best director and best script. Nita Fernando won the Special Jury Award for best actress for her role in Paangshu.
Avilenasului received awards for both best actor and best actress, for the roles played by Shyam Fernando and Samanalee Fonseka.
Avilenasului is a 2020 film directed by Chinthana Dharmadasa, who had high praise for both stars, saying they will always be his best actor and actress.
“Their goodness cannot be measured by an award. The support they gave this production with no facilities, in an old vehicle in the scorching sun, managing their own parts and gear, brings tears to my eyes,” Dharmadasa said on Facebook.
He added that what brought him most joy was the award for best music direction, which Indrachapa Liyanage received that night.
2020 teleawards
The portrayal of a youth amongst people struggling to achieve their life aspirations won Thanamalvila Kollek the award for best teleseries of 2020, as well as best director, for which Roshan Ravindra was nominated along with Sanjaya Nirmal for Sansararanya Asabada and Charith Abeysinghe for Sathya.
The Special Jury Award for best director went to Indika Dharmathilaka for his work in Giridevi.
Dhanuka Dilshan won best actor for his role in Thanamalvila Kollek, while Shalini Tharaka of Giridevi won the award for best actress in a teleseries in 2020. Samantha Kumara Gamage won the award for best script for his work in Giridevi.
Gamage, in a Facebook post, wrote that the praise Nethalie Nanayakkara received through the Special Jury Award for supporting actress exceeded the joy he felt over receiving the 2020 best script award. He also thanked all persons who were a strength to him when putting Giridevi to words.
2019 movie awards
Dekala Purudu Kenek, and Vishama Bhaga were nominated for best movie of 2019 and the former clinched the award. The movie was recognised for its minimalist acting, complementary imagery, rhythm, and colour configuration.
The award for best director went to Malith Hegoda, for his success in, among other things, capturing meaningfully the personal and collective behaviours and environments of the two main characters of the movie Dekala Purudu Kenek as well as their family members.
For his role as the older twin in Vishama Bhaga, Pansilu Wickramarathna received the award for best actor, with the other nominees including Bimal Jayakodi for his role in Dekala Purudu Kenek, Dharmapriya Dias for his role in Asandhimitta, and Kamal Addararachchi for his role in Ginnen Upan Seethala.
The award for best actress of 2019 went to Samadhi Laksiri, who plays the role of a middle-class woman from the suburbs who suffers from hysteria as a result of her husband’s morbid jealousy in Dekala Purudu Kenek.
Dekala Purudu Kenek also won the award for best script, in recognition of the work done by Boopathy Nalin Wickramage.
2019 teleawards
Weeraya Gedara Awith received the award for best television series in 2019 and the show’s director Ananda Abeynayake received the award for the best director. SIGNIS Telecine Awards recognised the show for the way it depicted the consequences and transformative effect of war on human life and the manner in which it manifests itself in human relations.
The best actor in a 2019 teleseries was awarded to Roshan Ravindra for his role in Weeraya Gedara Awith and Jayani Senanayake was adjudged best actress for her role in the show. The award for the best script in a teleseries in 2019 was awarded to Namal Jayasinghe, for his work in Weeraya Gedara Awith.
The show also received awards for best supporting actress, best editing, best art direction, and best music direction.
