The Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo buzzed with excitement on Friday evening, September 8. It marked the 8th edition of the Derana-Lux Film Awards. The night saw stars adding a touch of glamour to the event. The main aim? Celebrating the best of Sri Lankan cinema from 2022.
Top Contenders Lock Horns
Kalana Gunasekara’s performance in “Night Rider” created a stir. So did Shyam Fernando in “CineMa” and Tray Hicks in “Praana” (Seeds). They were the hot favorites for the Best Actor award. On the other hand, Yureni Noshika from “Night Rider”, Nethmi Roshel of “Adaraneeya Prarthana”, and Ishanka Jahanvi from “Ashawari” were in a tight race for Best Actress.
Movies That Made the Mark
The Best Picture award saw stiff competition. Ashoka Handagama’s “Alborada” stood out. “Night Rider” by Kasun Pathirana and “Praana” by Sanjaya Nirmal followed closely. “Praana” draws inspiration from the tragic 1544 Catholic Christian Massacre. “Alborada” and “Night Rider” also got nods for Best Director and Screenplay. They were joined by “Adaraneeya Prarthana” in both categories.
And The Winners Are…
| Title | Character Name | Release Year |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Yureni Noshika (“Night Rider”) | 2022 |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Tray Hicks (“Seeds”) | 2022 |
| Best Director | Ashoka Handagama (“Alborada”) | 2022 |
| Best Picture | “Alborada” | 2022 |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Wasantha Kumaravila (“The Game”) | 2022 |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Rithika Kodithuwakku, Anne Solen Hatte, Nimaya Harris (“Alborada”) | 2022 |
| Best Screenplay | Ashoka Handagama (“Alborada”) | 2022 |
| Best Editing | Ravinda Guruge (“Alborada”) | 2022 |
| Best Sound Design | Sashin Gimhan (“Seeds”) | 2022 |
| Best Original Music Score | Namini Panchala, Ajith Kumarasiri (“Alborada”) | 2022 |
| Best Visual Effects | Buddhika Wijerathna, Saminda Wathawanavithanage (“Seeds”) | 2022 |
| Best Art Direction | Dhammika Hewawaththa (“Seeds”) | 2022 |
| Best Short Film | Thesen Umagiliya (“Distance”) | 2022 |
| Best Short Film (Special Jury Award) | Keniston John (“Marcus”) | 2022 |
| Most Popular Actress | Nayanathara Wickramaarachchi | – |
| Most Popular Actor | Ranjan Ramanayake | – |
| Most Popular Actor in a Comedy Role | Rodney Warnakula | – |
| Most Popular Actor in a Negative Role | Bimal Jayakodi | – |
| Most Popular Song | Bathiya & Santhush (artist), Yasas Medagedara (music), Shehan Galahitiyawa (lyrics) | – |
| Most Popular Choreographer | Gayan Srimal | – |
| Blockbuster Movie of the Year | “Gindari” | 2022 |
| “Cinema of Tomorrow” Best Picture | Visakesa Chandrasekaram for “Munnel” | 2022 |
| “Cinema of Tomorrow” Most Promising Director | Jagath Manuwarna (“Rahas Kiyana Kandu”) | 2022 |
| Lux Glamorous Star | Shanudrie Priyasad |
