The Sarasaviya Awards ceremony is recognised as an illustrious event in Sri Lankan cinema. The 35th Lux Sarasaviya Film Awards is set to take place at the BMICH on March 28 (today) at 6 pm. The festival and grandeur may last only a few days, though the groundwork commences nearly three months prior. Years ago, movie aficionados expressed their preferences by filling out coupons published in newspapers such as Sarasaviya (and Janatha, the now defunct evening Sinhala newspaper) to vote for their favourite films.
Prior to the festival, a series of pre-activities take centre stage in the organisational process. Key responsibilities included selecting a panel of judges and establishing rules and criteria for film evaluation used in assessing each award category.
Moreover, organisers are tasked with arranging screenings for the panel of judges to view each film, ensuring that they have ample opportunity to evaluate the entries thoroughly. Equally important was the preservation of confidentiality surrounding the final judgments and conclusions, ensuring the integrity and fairness of the evaluation process.
Inaugural festival
The inaugural Sarasaviya Film Festival took place on May 9, 1964, at the Ashoka Cinema Hall in Colombo. Sarasaviya Editor Vimalasiri Perera presided over the event. The ceremony witnessed the attendance of the famous Hindi actress Meena Kumari. This event marked a significant milestone in Sri Lankan cinema, particularly after 17 years following the emergence of creative indigenous films such as Podi Putha, Rekhava, Sandesaya, Ranmutuduva, Kurulu Bedda, Sikuru Taruva, and Gamperaliya on the silver screen. Before this period, most films screened in Sri Lanka were of Indian origin.