Inoka Sathyangani

Keerthinanda had her early education at Sujatha Vidyalaya, before moving on to Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo for her secondary studies.

With her inborn talent and creativity for artistic work, she won almost all of the house competitions in her young days. However, going in the footsteps of her father and brother, who are both lawyers, she too was selected for the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo.

Not very enthusiastic about law, she dropped off in her final year of studies, to pursue a career in film-making.

A brief profile of the director

Inoka Sathyangani is an award-winning young woman filmmaker with several highly acclaimed productions to her credit.

Inoka entered the media in 1992 while being a final year law student at the University of Colombo Sri Lanka. She accepted the challenging position of television director at Telecine (Pvt) Ltd. the largest television production company in South Asia in 1992 and the pioneering TV production company in Sri Lanka. That was her first job as a television director. After one year's stint with Telecine, Inoka became a free-lance television director working with a wide range of TV production companies on a variety of subjects and themes in TV Films, TV Dramas and documentaries.

Inoka has written and directed several popular and creative Tele Films in Sri Lanka and had won the best director's award several times. And in 1997 one of her Tele Dramas achieved the highest audience rating in the 19-year television history of the Sri Lankan Independent Television Network (I.T.N.) the pioneering government Television Network in Sri Lanka.

As a storyteller, Inoka has paid much attention to the plight of underprivileged and disadvantaged women. In a country where very few women enter the film and Television field and even fewer establish themselves at the level of director, Inoka has been a single yet strong voice on behalf of Sri Lankan women.

As a well-known Television professional in the new generation, Inoka's latest creative contribution comes in the medium of cinema. Her newest project was named 'Sulang Kirilli' (The Wind Bird) a 35/mm Coloure Film. She scripted and directed it under the National Film Development Fund of the National Film Corporation. In this project she is the only woman filmmaker among the first ten filmmakers who had been selected for the hundred percent loan scheme project, which was introduced in the year 2001, by the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka.

For Sulang Kirilli (The Wind Bird):

• Best Film Award (GRAND PRIX) with the Cash Prize won at the Main Competition given by the International jury of The 8th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh – 2004 – January.
• The International Critics Award (FIPRESCI AWARD) as the Best film awarded to the Director given by The International Federation of Film Critics at The 8th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh – 2004 – January.
• Best Actress Award given by the International jury of The 8th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh – 2004 – January.
• The Award for the Best Film given by the jury of O.C.I.C. (Jury for International Catholic Bureau of Film) at The 21st Cinematica Del Uruguaya in Latin America – 2003.
• The Major Opera Prima Award for the Best New Director given by the International jury of The 21st Cinematica Del Uruguaya in Latin America – 2003.
• Silver Dhow award for the Best Feature Film given by the International jury of the Zanzibar International Film Festival in Tanzania – 2003. Zanzibar International Film Festival is the festival of the Dhow Countries, East Africa's largest cultural event.
• "Certificato Di Merito Silver" given by the International jury of the 12th Prix Leonardo International Film Festival.
• The Award for the Best Director given by the International jury of The 1st Tamil Nadu International Film Festival (Channi International Film Festival) in India – 2004 – December.
• Best Actress Award given by the International jury of The 1st Tamil Nadu International Film Festival in India – 2004 – December.
• Best Cinematography (Feature) award in the International Film category given by the International jury of The New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in USA – 2005 – November. (The largest International Independent Film Festival in the world.)

For Sulang Kirilli (The Wind Bird):

• Kala Suri National Award" given for the most promising honourable professionals in the country. This award is given by the President to the most artistic personalities in the nation.
• Vishwa Keerthi" Golden Lion Presidential Award given for the internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film makers – Presidential awards ceremony 2005.

29th Sarasaviya Film Festival in Sri Lanka – 2004.08.19.

• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Actress Award
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.

30th SIGNIS International Salutation (O.C.I.C. Film Awards) Film Festival in Sri Lanka – 2005.01.17.

• Best Director Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Scriptwriter Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Actress Award
• Best Actor Award.
• Best Editor Award.
• Best cinematographer Award.
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best New Actress Award.
• Best Makeup Artist Award.
• Best Art Direction Award.

Presidential Awards – 2005.09.09.

• Best lyrics Award. / Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda
• Best Singer Award
• Best Sound controller Award.
• Best Supporting Actress Award.
• Best Music Award.
• Nominated for all the other main categories including Best Screen play, Best Director & Best Film.