The Month of the Francophonie in Colombo is back on board with five exclusive and diverse art events throughout the month of March that goes from poetry to cinema through live music and even general quizzes which aim to celebrate French language and art and attract a different public each time. Over the past few years, the Francophonie Art Festival in Sri Lanka, has become an increasingly popular event among local art lovers and one of the most awaited art festivals in the country.
Speaking about France, French culture or French language always stimulates the mind of the person you are talking to. But behind the famous museums, the couture houses and the multiple heritage sites on its territory, do we really know what France has to offer culturally today? The whole idea behind the month Francophonie is to share a slice of the French culture through art with art lovers in Sri Lanka.
The second edition of the Colombo International Women’s Film Festival which is to be launched today will be held till March 22. The festival offers an incredible opportunity with a variety of movies, all directed by women around the world, which indeed is a treat for cinema lovers in Colombo.
The success of the first edition places the Colombo International Women’s Film Festival as a unique manifestation in Sri Lanka. Led by the iconic figure of Anoma Rajakaruna, the festival gathers women from different backgrounds, directors, critics and activists around the same table, for the sake of cinema. Last year, the first edition of the Colombo International Women’s Film Festival was an opportunity for cinema lovers in Colombo to experience more than 30 films, the majority of them internationally recognised films especially in the international film festival arena. This year too major cultural centres in Colombo are committed to the success of the Festival. The British Council, the Goethe Institut and the French Embassy in Sri Lanka and in the Maldives, as well as the Alliance Française de Kotte are partners of the event.
In addition, the National Film Confederation will provide its screening room for some of the sessions of the 2020 selection.
This year’s Colombo International Women’s Film Festival consists of 59 films from 28 countries, scheduled to be screened in the Regal Cinema, Empire Cinecomplex, National Film Corporation, Goethe Institut, Indian Cultural Centre and Alliance Franciase de Kotte. There are two main competition categories for Short Films that will be awarded for the Best National Film and Best International Film.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to world renowned female filmmaker Aparna Sen who will be in Colombo to participate in this year’s Festival. Several cinema discussions have been organised for the festival week. The Master class will be conducted by award winning filmmaker from Germany, Tatjana Turanskyj. Of the many short films received for the festival internationally and locally, 15 have been shortlisted for the international short film competition and the national short film competition. Short films shortlisted for the International Short Film Competition category are: Maa Tuki (Find Me Mother) / (00:04:00|2019|Animation) India by Suchana Saha, Posharini – The Saleswoman (00:27:00|2018|Fiction) Bangladesh by Sreecheta Das, Driving Lessons (00:13:00|2019|Fiction) Iran by Marziyeh Riahi, Meenalaap (Fish Monologue) (00:26:00|2018|Fiction) Bangladesh by Suborna Senjutee Tushee, Ice Cream (00:09:00|2018|Fiction) Nepal by Sangita Shrestha, Safed Sar (00:10:52|2019|Fiction) Afghanistan by Atefah Hesari, ICE (00:15:00|2017|Fiction) Estonia by Anna Hints, Diadem 
(00:29:53|2020|Documentary) Bosnia,Herzegovina by Milana Majar, Once upon a time in Kurdistan (00:09:33|2019|Fiction) Iraq by Zhino Hadi Hassan, Dua (00:30:00|2017|Fiction) Pakistan by Mona Javed, My Name Is Petya (00:15:00 |2019|Fiction) Russia by Daria Binevskay, Illuminati (00:14:00|2017|Fiction) Croatia|Serbia by Nina Belina, Mamatva (Motherhood) (00:30:00|2018|Fiction) India by Kirti Singh, Performer (00:30:00|2019|Fiction) Bangladesh by Tasmiah Afrin Mou, and Tenebrae (00:16:00|2018|Fiction) Singapore by Nicole Midori Woodford.
Short Films in National Competition are as follows: Deprimere (00:11:00|2019|Fiction) by Paramie Jayakody, Carrot (00:03:18|2019|Fiction) by Dumindra Ridmi, The Kahata (00:16:53|Fiction|2020) by Yasodara Kariyawasam, Light And Life (00:03:15|2019|Animation) by Upeksha Mahawaththa, Aruni Jayawardhana, Randi Imalka, Life On Land (00:03:08|2019|Animation) by Piyumi Sriyangani, H20 (00:06:00|2018|Animation) by Fathima Shanaz, Fake ID Is Watching (00:07:10|2019|Fiction) by Fathima Kamila, Two Curries (00:09:00|2020|Fiction) by Narthanie Serasinghe, It’s Not A Tall Short Thing (|2020|Fiction) by Shalini Divyanjalee, Beyond The Mirror (00:05:00|2019|Fiction) by K.L.H Maduwanthi, Urumaya – Inheritance (|2020|Fiction) by Lanka Bandaranayake, Inside (00:04:30|2018|Animation) by Ayesha Suraweera, The Ruins (00:09:31|2018|Fiction) by Vanitha Senathirajah, Green Umbrella (00:03:35|2018|Fiction) by Hemamalini Manoharan, and We made the bomb ; we made the womb (00:05:41|2020|Fiction) by Namini Panchala.
Museum Tour
March 28 and 29 Old Town Hall 3pm
The Embassy of Switzerland will be organising a French speaking tour inside the old Town Hall building (built in 1873) in the northern neighbourhoods of Colombo. The presentations will be held by Peter Rinderknecht, in French (on the 28th) and in English (on the 29th).
Pub quiz
March 18 at the Manchester Pub 8.30 pm
On the occasion of the Month of the Francophonie, the Alliance Francaise will organise its traditional Pub quiz at the Manchester Pub which will be dedicated to French Culture and French Heritage this time.
Heritage and performing arts
March 28 to 29 at the Old Town Hall From 3 pm both days
50 people maximum at Old Town Hall Tour
The Embassy of Switzerland is organising two tours of the Old Town Hall in the Pettah Area (Colombo 1). The performing artist will be Peter Rinderknecht, a singer, musician, actor and puppeteer.
The tour will be held in French on Saturday with a toast and a cocktail, and in English on Sunday.
Peter Rinderknecht is a Swiss artist. He has written, produced and acted in theatre for 35 years. His works are geared principally towards youngsters. Along with fellow theatre artists and musicians, he develops and performs his projects as a ‘Theatre for a growing public’ in various languages both in Switzerland and at festivals worldwide. He has created more than 30 productions.