Malaka Dewapriya

Malaka Dewapriya (Sinhala: මාලක දේවප්‍රිය, IPA: [maːləkə deːʋaprijə] is a Sri Lankan film maker, visual artist, Sinhala Radio Play writer, short film and video director.
Born in Sri Lanka, Dewapriya graduated with a BA (Special) from the University of Colombo in 2005. After graduation, he received a scholarship named Baden-Württemberg for Video/Film/New Media at Akademie Schloss Solitude, in Stuttgart, Germany, from 2007 to 2008. He received an Asia Pacific Artists Fellowship, which partially supports his "short-term" residency as a visiting artist at the GoYang Art Studio, for visiting international and domestic artists, affiliated with the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea, from 2008–2009 ("5th period", "no. 671").
He first became involved in theatre in 1989 and has Performed, written and directed several short plays as a student. His later work engages a variety of the arts, including film, photography, theatre, and radio drama in his beginning .
As a visual artist, he has created short films and video installations, several of which have been screened in international student competitions, other competitions, festivals and exhibitions.
He has also done some other writing and editorial work in Sri Lanka, both as a student and later, according to his personal Website and his "CV" at GoYang Art Studio, both of which list such work and also screenings of his short films.
He came into the limelight of the Sri Lankan cinema first as a student filmmaker. His first Short film Anxiety (Sammanaru) was judged best film of the National youth center Video Production (NYSCO) team in 1998. He was a student of the acclaimed Sri Lankan film maker Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja. His short films have won international acclaim and helped establish a culture of student short films in Sri lanka. While he was still a student at the University of Colombo, on 9 June 2004, his short film Life Circle (5:31) was screened in the juried international competition program at the 10th International Student Film Festival, held from 5 to 12 June 2004, in Tel Aviv, Israel. An interview conducted by Sachie Fernando and published in the Sri Lanka Sunday Times on 25 July 2004, observes: "This is the first time Sri Lankan Student’s film took part Recognized International film festival in history of Cinema of Sri Lanka." According to another interview with Dewapriya, conducted by Susitha R. Fernando and published in the Sri Lankan Sunday Times, on 27 July 2008, "This was the first time a Sri Lankan student's film was chosen in an internationally recognized festival. And the selection was a big step to re-establish short film culture in Sri Lanka." Life Circle was also selected for screenings at Three other film competitions outside Sri Lanka like Chimera 25th Anniversary Digital Video Student Film Festival in New York and Cinestud the International student film festival Amsterdam, 2006 Osian Cinefan Film Festival: Talent Campus Forum, in New Delhi in 2004 and 2005.
Another interview with Dewaprija, published in the Sri Lanka Sunday Times on 5 September 2004, points out that Exchange, a short experimental film whose context is "colonial Sri Lanka under the British rule," which he presented under the auspices of the University of Colombo, was "The first Sri Lankan entry" in the Tokyo Short Shorts Film Festival held in October 2004. It was screened in Program A: Short Shorts: Ghost Short Shorts.
His 30-minute film Transference won the Best "Silver TEN Award" in the Short Films category at the Mumbai International Sport Movies & TV (FICTS) Festival, first held in Mumbai, India, in 2006, and was also screened at the South Asia Film Festival in New Delhi, Berlin Asia Film Festival, in Berlin and Karafilm Festival, in Karachi other festivals that year.
Today, another short film, which he made while at the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Germany, was selected to compete in "the final round of CinemadaMare Film Festival in Italy" in the summer of 2008; it competed "with over 150 directors around the world at the semi-final round" (10–14 August).
His article on the "Sri Lankan Experience of the Short Film", published in ArtSlant Magazine, states, "Recently, after I presented two of my short films titled 'Life Circle' and 'Exchange' in Tel-Aviv Student … Festival (2004), and Short shorts film festival Tokyo (2005), respectively, the dialogue about the short-film in Sri Lanka has resurfaced to a certain extent"; he goes on to focus on what having his films included in such student festivals meant to him personally and develops his own perspective on short film as an art form and an industry in Sri Lanka.
The film is explored how the global village has confused the expectations and unrealistic desires of the youth in a world of consumerism. Developed world, the youth here are striving to find greener pastures in alien cultural and economic worlds. Social networks have provided these youth an opportunity in search of virtual visa to their fantasized worlds.
Film was screen as world premier at the 40th Moscow International Film festival 2018 NETPAC(Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema)in competition section won Best Independent film award at Independents Film Festival in Karlsruhe, Germany won Lester James Peris Special jury award for Debut Film - 34th Sarasaviya Film Festival 2018, won Special jury award for Best Direction - 8th SAARC Film Festival 2018, won best Film at Cinema of Tomorrow 2017 Organized by Derana and Screened at 26th Loveisfolly International Film festival in Bulgaria 2018
Since his school days he has written a number of various radio plays and submitted to produce to Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. He Passed the Audition at SLBC in 1995 and qualified as a radio ply performing artist. Printed versions are available his number of original radio play collections named as"off with the head-(Uge hisa Ivarai)In 2005", "May you attain comforts of worldly life in Japan-(Nihon Sapa Labewa)"in 2012, "Balance Bareke Busheka Burul( wobbly bush in the balance bar)"in 2023. He Published "Earful of visual (Kanata Parak)" Radio play Audio Collection in 2016, Kanata Parak (Earful of Visuals), a dual audio CD anthology of 14 Radio Play collection an aesthetic revolutionary change in the sphere of Radio Plays in Sri lankan Radio history after 90 year. Earful of Visuals has vocally contributed nearly 60 Sinhala and Tamil prominent artistes. The Granted of this project by Artlink of FLICT aka GIZ (Facilitating Initiatives For Social Cohesion & Transformation) and presented by Contemporary Art Commune.
Malaka was declared as the Best Radio Drama writer award at the Sri lankan First State Radio Awards festival was held at the Nelum Pokuna Theater on 13 February 2017. It was organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, North-Western Development and Cultural Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs and the State Advisory Board for Radio.
Malaka Dewapriya was awarded again as the Best Radio Drama Scriptwriter in the 2nd State Awards festival at the Nelum Pokuna Theater on 12 February 2019. Iranganie Serasinghe and Ramya Wanigasekara won special jury awards for their performance in Dewapriya’s radio plays at the festival
Dewapriya was interrogated by the Police Organized Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) for approximately four hours on October 17, 2019, for the second time, following a complaint about his radio dramas broadcast by ITN FM in 2018. . The complaint had been lodged by a group of monks from the Buddhist Information Centre, led by Angulugalle Siri Jinananda monk. They alleged that the titles of Dewapriya’s dramas were blasphemous distortions of Buddhist terminology. It appears that the content of these dramas sparked controversy and led to criminal proceedings against him, with a filed case number B/98930/01/18 under relevant Sections 291A and Section 291B of the Penal Code and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR Act) No. 56 of 2007. The phrases “Tharuwan Saranai” and “Nihon Sapa Labewa,” a playful twist on commonly used phrases, were deemed offensive by those who interpreted them. However, the content of the radio dramas was far from religious. For instance, “Tharuwan Saranai” explored the public's obsession with superstars and reality shows, while “Nihon Sapa Labewa” satirized the consistent attempts of Sri Lankan youth to emigrate to Japan in search of greener pastures. In response, Dewapriya filed a human rights petition under case number SC(F/R)No349/18 in the Supreme Court, claiming infringement of his fundamental rights (FR). This case was taken up in 2019 before a three-bench comprising their Lordships Justices S. Thureraja, E.A. G. R Amarasekara, and presided over by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. However, the court refused to grant Leave to Proceed on 30 October 2019. Malaka Dewapriya’s creative work stirred controversy, leading to legal scrutiny. The International PEN organization and other social movements protested against the infringement on fundamental religious autonomy. Dewapriya’s commitment to defending his rights remains steadfast as he navigates the complexities of artistic expression and legal challenges in Sri Lanka.
He entered the field of stage drama as a child actor in 1989. He has experienced with eminent young dramatist and contributed as an actor in National youth festival and State drama festival award winning productions such as 1991 The Plague(Mahamariya)By Upali Gamlath, 1992 'Shadows and Men(Sevaneli saha minissu) By Prasanna Jayakody, and 1993 'Kaspa', by Markwart Müller-Elmau [1] 1994 Trojan of woman (Ghathakaswara) by Aravinda Hettiaachichi. As well He has involved as a stage manager with young dramatist Like Dhananajaya Karunaratna and Piyal Kariyawasam. As a student he has written and produced a number of short plays and he won awards in school, inter-school, all island competition as a best writer, director and actor. He Directed his debut full length play as Harold Pinter's 'One for the Road' play in 2001. Play was Performed at King George Hall, Colombo for Youth and State Drama Festival and won awards In 2001 as a University of Colombo production.