Sri Lankan film director Vishvanath Buddhika Keerthisena, also known as Boodhe Keerthisena, has been selected to serve as a jury member at the 26th Kerala International Film Festival, through his celebrated work based on pressing social issues, racial conflicts with significant emphasis on the longstanding ethnic conflict, and the three-decade war that engulfed visual arts of generations. This is the second time that Keerthisena has represented the Kerala Netpak Jury at an international film festival.
The Kerala International Film Festival is to be held in Thiruvananthapuram, India, from today (18) till 25 March. The shows will be screened from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a 100% reservation basis on these days.
The festival will have four different juries; the jury for the international competition, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), and the FFSI KR Mohanan Endowment. Sensational filmmakers such as Amrit Gangar, Jacques Comets, Roya Sadat, and Mania Akbar are part of the jury this year.
Keerthisena will represent the festival as a member of the independent jury NETPAC. The other members of the three-member Netpak Jury will be Indian film critic Rashmi Doraiswamy and Indian film director Bobby Sharma.
Launched in 1994, the Kerala International Film Kerala Festival is one of the 22 International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF)-accredited “Competitive Specialised Feature Film Festivals” and one of the four major international film festivals in India (the other three being India-Goa, Kerala-Kolkata, and Mumbai). The festival is a wonderful platform to showcase numerous film cultures and is one of the most anticipated film events of the world.
This prestigious festival has so far featured nine Sri Lankans on 10 occasions as jurors. Among them are Tissa Abeysekera, Sumathi Sivamohan, Anoma Rajakaruna, Gamini Wijetunga, and Ranjani Vibhushan, the main official of the festival. Accordingly, Buddhi Keerthisena is the 10th Sri Lankan to represent a jury at the festival and the fifth Sri Lankan to represent its Netpak Jury. The appointment of members to the Netpak Jury at international film festivals happens on the recommendation of Asia-Pacific Cinema Centre or Netpak, Boralesgamuwa, Sri Lanka Co-Chair Ashley Ratnavibhushan.
Keerthisena is a recognised filmmaker in Sri Lanka. He completed his studies in the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York and moved to Sri Lanka to launch his career. He began his career drawing comics and then explored his skills in painting and dress designing before finally moving on to visual arts. With celebrated work like Alone in a Valley, Adventures of Ricky Deen, and Matha, he has directed and produced over 100 TV commercials, more than 30 documentaries, two TV series, and numerous music videos.
