Sigera received the award for her performance in Asoka Handagama’s latest film ‘Asandhimitta’. The film was programmed under main competition of OAFF, with movies from Korea, Hong-Kong, China, India, Japan, Vietnam, Philippine and Taiwan. ‘Asandhimitta’ marked Sigera’s maiden appearance on the silver screen.
Based on a novella by Saman Wickramarchchi ‘Asandhimitta’ portrays the ‘fictional aspect of reality’. It is about a filmmaker who receives a request from one of his former acquaintances – Asandhimitta – to make her life story into a film. The director recalls that Asandhimitta is a large and voluptuous woman and is skeptical about her request till she confesses that she was recently involved in the murder of three women and will soon be taken into custody and probably hanged. She is willing to confess all and only to him so long as he makes her story into a film.
‘Asandhimitta’ held its World Premiere at the Busan Film Festival and was screened at many more international film festivals. It stars Nilmini Sigera, Dharmapriya Dias, W Jayairi, Shyam Fernando, Yashoda Wimaladharma, Rukmal Nirosh, Anula Bulathsinhala, Gayani Gisanthika, Sandali Handagama, Rithika Kodithuvakku, Widath Weerakon and Ahas Dissanayake ‘Asandhimitta’ is produced by H D Premasiri and will be screening at CEL circuit cinemas from March 22.
Shoplifters named best picture
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda’s masterful family drama Shoplifters won best picture at the 13th edition of the Asian Film Awards on a night when films from Japan, South Korea and China dominated proceedings.
Already winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and a nominee for best foreign-language film at this year’s Oscars, Shoplifters revolves around an impoverished household in Tokyo whose family members regularly resort to petty crime to survive. Koreeda and his lead actress, Sakura Ando, were on stage at TVB City, in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, on Sunday night to receive the award.
Two recipients of honorary awards ended up getting more than they had probably bargained for.South Korea’s Lee Chang-dong, already on hand to receive 2019’s lifetime achievement award, won best director for Burning. The slow-burning psychological drama, based loosely on a short story by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, was the leading contender for awards on the night, with nominations in eight categories.
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