Biography Born in 1962 to a Sinhalese family, Prasanna Vithanage became involved in theatre after leaving school. He translated and directed George Bernard Shaw’s play, Arms and the Man, in 1986. In 1991, he translated and directed a production of Italian Dario Fo’s Trumpets and Raspberries. In 1992, he directed his first film, Sisila Gini Gani (Ice of Fire). It won nine OCIC (Sri Lanka) awards, including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Four years later, he released his second feature Anantha Rathriya (Dark Night of the Soul) (1996), which he wrote and directed. It was based on Leo Tolstoy’s last novel Resurrection. It was shown at several international film festivals and won a Jury’s Special Mention in the First Pusan International Film Festival. The film won all the main awards at the 1996 Sri Lanka Film Critics Forum Awards (affiliated with FIPRESCI), including awards for Most Outstanding Film, Best Director and Best Screenwriter. Pawuru Walalu (Walls Within, 1997), his third feature, won the Best Actress Award for Nita Fernando in her role as Violet, at the 1998 Singapore International Film Festival. It won ten of eleven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, at the Sri Lanka Film Critics Forum Awards. His fourth feature, Purahanda Kaluwara (Death on a Full Moon Day, 1997), which he wrote and directed, was produced by NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation). It won the Grand Prix at the Amiens Film Festival. Initially banned in Sri Lanka by the minister in charge of film industry, it was released after a yearlong legal battle. It was released by the ruling of the Supreme Court. It has become one of the most commercially successful films in Sri Lanka. Vithanage completed Ira Madiyama (August Sun, 2003) as his fifth film. It won many international awards and was featured prominently in the world festival circuit. In 2007, Vithanage co-produced the hit film Machan,a comedy about a group of working class con artists posing as a handball team, directed by Uberto Pasolini, who produced The Full Monty. Machan premiered at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008. It won 11 international awards. Vithanage’s sixth feature film as director, “Akasa Kusum” (Flowers of the Sky) premiered at a festival in Pusan, Korea. It was screened at more than 30 film festivals and won numerous international awards. Personal life Born in Panadura, Sri Lanka, a suburb outside Colombo, Prasanna attended D.S. Senanayake College, in Colombo, a leading national school for his secondary education. In 1991 he married actress Damayanthi Fonseka, a younger sister of Malini Fonseka,arguably the most popular actress of Sinhala Cinema. Filmography Director Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka'' (With You, Without You) (2012) Akasa Kusum (2008) Ira Madiyama (August Sun) (2003) Pawuru Wallalu (Walls Within) (1997) Purahanda Kaluwara (Darkness on a Full Moon Day) (1997) Anantha Rathriya (1996) Sisila Gini Gani (1992)