# 34th Sarasaviya Awards

The 34th Sarasaviya Awards festival (Sinhala: 34වැනි සරසවිය සම්මාන උලෙළ), presented by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, was held to honor the best films of 2016 and 2017 Sinhala cinema on August 3, 2018, at the BMICH, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka at 6:00 p.m. The ceremony was hosted by Saman Atahdudahetti. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe was the chief guest.
28 won the most awards, including Best Picture, for 2017 and Motor Bicycle won Best Picture for 2016.
The Sarasaviya Awards ceremony is one of the oldest film events in Sri Lanka. The awards were first introduced in 1964 and are often referred to as the Sinhala Cinema industry's equivalent to The Oscars.
The next edition 35th Sarasaviya Awards was award in 2024.

## Winners and nominees

The nominees were announced August 3, 2018, on the night of the awards immediately prior to the naming of the winners.

### Awards for films released in 2016

| Category | Film | Recipient |
| Best Film | Motor Bicycle | |
| Best Director | Obe Aesalaga | Asoka Hadagama |
| Best Actor | Motor Bicycle | Dasun Pathirana |
| Best Actress | Sarigama | Pooja Umashankar |
| Best Supporting Actor | Adaraniya Kathawak | Bimal Jayakody |
| Best Supporting Actress | Sarigama | Gayani Gisanthika |
| Best Script Writer | Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka | |
| Best Cinematographer | Sarigama | Wishwa Balasooriya |
| Best Editor | Motor Bicycle | Shamira Rangana |
| Lester James Peries Award for best film to be screen | Dekala Prudu Kenek and Bahuchithawadiya | Malith Hegoda and Malaka Dewapriya |
| Ranapala Bodhinagoda Memorial Literary Award | | Laxshman Wickramasinghe |
| Rana Thisara Award | | Suwaneetha Weerasinghe |
| Rana Thisara Award | | Robin Fernando |
| Best Music Direction | Motor Bycecle | Ajith Kumarasiri |
| Best Art Direction | Maharaja Gemunu | Rohan Samara Divakara |
| Best Makeup Artist | Sarigama | Vidura Abeydeera |
| Best Sound Effects | Sarigama | Aruna Priyashantha Kalu Arachchi |
| Best Lyricist | Motor Bicycle | Shamira Rangana |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Song Ammage Male for Motor Bicycle | Ajith Kumarasiri |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Song Sithuvili Pura for Adaraniya Kathawak | Kushani Sadareka |
| Best Emerging Actor | Sath Pethi Kusuma | Jehan Appuhami |
| Best Emerging Actress | Sath Pethi Kusuma | Yasoda Rasaduni |
| Merit Awards | Age Asa Ada | Sadali Hadagama |
| Merit Awards | Suhada Koka | Lal Kularatne |
| Merit Awards | Zoom | Sheshadri Priyasad |
| Merit Awards | | Boomi Harendra |
| Merit Awards | | Udara Samaraweera |
| Most Popular Film | | Paththini |

### Awards for films released in 2017

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).
| Best Picture 28 ‡ Dirty, Yellow, Darkness  Alone in a Valley  Dark in the White Light | Best Director Prasanna Jayakody – 28‡ Vimukthi Jayasundara – Dark in the White Light Boodee Keerthisena – Alone in a Valley |
| Best Actor Saumya Liyanage – Alone in a Valley‡ Jackson Anthony – Dharmayuddhaya Mahendra Perera – 28 | Best Actress Samanalee Fonseka – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness‡ Dilhani Ekanayake – Dharmayuddhaya Semini Iddamalgoda – 28 |
| Best Supporting Actor Roshan Ravindra – Sulanga Gini Aran (Dark in the White Light)‡ Dilhani Ekanayake – Dharmayuddhaya Kumara Thirimadura – 28 | Best Supporting Actress Yureni Noshika – Nino Live‡ Menaka Peiris – Aloko Udapadi Umali Thilakarathna – A-Level |
| Best Original Score Rohana Weerasinghe – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness‡ Lakshman Joseph De Saram – Alone in a Valley Deshaka Bamunumulla – 28 | Best Song Lyricist Rajeev Wasantha Welgama – Kaala‡ Sunil Ariyaratne – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness Rohan Perera – A-Level |
| Best Male Singer Dumal Warnakulasuriya – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness‡ Nadeemal Perera – A-Level Amarasiri Peiris – Aloko Udapadi | Best Female Singer Vidusha Nethranjali – Ali Kathawa‡ Uresha Ravihari – Heena Hoyana Samanallu Sachini Ranawaka – Kaala |
| Best Cinematography Chandana Jayasinghe – 28‡ Prabath Roshan – Aloko Udapadi Jaan Shenberger – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness Channa Deshapriya & Dhanushka Gunathilake – Dark in the White Light | Best Editing Rangana Sinharage – 28‡ Shan Alwis – Aloko Udapadi Chandana Prasanna, Udara Weeraratne – Alone in a Valley |
| Best Production Design Sunil Wijeratne, Asanka Nilavathura – Sarigama‡ Upul Chamila – Let Her Cry Bimal Dushmantha – Paththini | Best Sound Sasika Ruwan Marasinghe – Aloko Udapadi‡ Aruna Priyantha Kaluarachchi – Dark in the White Light Pravin Jayaratne – Bandhanaya |
| Best Makeup Jayantha Ranawaka – Aloko Udapadi‡ Kumara Galahitiyawa – Alone in a Valley Narada Thotagamuwa – 28 | Best Emerging Actor Dineth de Silva – Aloko Udapadi‡ Nino Live – Nino Jayakodi Thusitha Laknath – Metamophorsis |
| Best Emerging Actress Thisuri Yuwanika – Dharmayuddhaya‡ Suranga Ranawaka – Dirty, Yellow, Darkness Ruwangi Rathnayake – Dr. Nawariyan | Special Jury Award Rithika Kodithuwakku – Let Her Cry‡ |
| Lester James Pieris Award Not Awarded | Ranapala Bodhinagoda Memorial Literary Award Dharmasiri Bandaranayake‡ |
| Rana Thisara Award Dharmasiri Bandaranayake‡ Shriyani Amarasinghe‡ | Merit Award Senali Satharasinghe – Bandanaya‡ |
| Merit Award Keshali Rajapaksha – A-Level‡ | Merit Award Thisara Imbulana – Nino Live‡ |
| Merit Award Iroshan Madusanka – Ali Kathawak‡ | Merit Award Amiru Koralage – Paha Samath‡ |
| Merit Award Ranga S. Bandara – Dedunu Akase‡ | Best Popular Picture Aloko Udapadi‡ |