Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
Sanjeewa Pushpakumara was born on 05th May 1977 in North- Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, completed is Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka) in 2005. In 2008, he obtained his Master’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka) in Mass Communication. In 2014 he obtained Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in filmmaking from Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea as a Korean Government Scholarship Holder. In 2025 he received his Ph.D. in-film production at Chung Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
Sanjeewa’s debut feature film, Flying Fish was produced with the support of Hubert Bals Fund (HBF, the Netherlands). Flying Fish world premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam (2011) and was nominated for the Tiger Awards. The film garnered many accolades and the film was invited to more than 30 international film festivals around the world including London Film Festival, International Film Festival of Indian (Goa),Chicago Film Festival and Thessaloniki Film Festival.
In 2012, Sanjeewa was invited to Paris by Cinéfondation of Cannes Film Festival to develop his second feature film, Burning Birds (Davena Vihagun). The film was produced with the financial support of CNC (France), Hubert Bals Fund (the Netherlands) and Doha Film Institute (Qatar). The film world premiered at Busan International Film Festival and was nominated to the New Currents awards. Burning Birds received many accolades and was invited to more than 30 Film Festival including Locarno Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Munich International Film Festival, Göteborg Film Festival.
In 2014, Biennale College – Cinema of Venice Film Festival invited Sanjeewa to Venice to develop Peacock Lament (Vihanga Premaya) film. He produced Peacock Lament in 2022. It was the first official co production between Sri Lanka and Italy. The film also selected European Work in Progress in Cologne. Peacock Lament won Best Artistic Contribution Award at 35th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2022. Recently HBO max bought streaming rights of Peacock Lament for HBO Europe.
In 2018, Sanjeewa’s new film, Amma project won Open Doors Hub main prize (ex-aequo) at Locarno Film Festival. In 2019 Amma project invited to NIPKOW Art Residence in Berlin. In 2019 Global Madia Makers of Film Independent invited Amma to its LA Residence, Los Angelese. In 2023 spring CNC – Center for National Cinema, invited the same project to its Camera libre! Residence program in Paris. As an educator Sanjeewa Pushpakumara created first ever Sri Lankan film school – Colombo Film School early in 2019 in collaboration with Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. He worked as a Course Director. Unfortunately, due to political mediation he couldn’t continue the institution and had to leave the project.
So far, Sanjeewa have been invited several international juries including Cannes Residence Pitching Jury during the Cannes Film Festival, 2023. Further Sanjeewa as an author have published several books related to cinema in Sri Lanka.
International Residencies & Programs
- Asian Film Academy – Busan Film Festival (2009)
- Talent Campus – Berlin International Film Festival (2012)
- La Résidence Cinéfondation – Cannes Film Festival (2012–2013)
- Biennale College Cinema – Venice IFF (2014)
- The Jerusalem International Film Lab – Israel (2014)
- Nipkow Art Residency – Berlin (2019)
- Global Media Makers – Film Independent, Los Angeles (2019)
- Camera libre! – Paris (2023)
Scholarships Received
- Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI), Korean Cultural Tourism Ministry (2007)
- Korean Government Scholarship – KGSP (2010)
- Woojung Education and Cultural Foundation, South Korea (2024 – 2025)
Grants Received
- Postproduction Grant for Flying Fish – Hubert Bals Fund, International Film Festival Rotterdam
(2010) - Production Grant for Burning Birds – Doha Film Institute, Qatar (2013–2014)
- Postproduction Grant for Burning Birds – Hubert Bals Fund, International Film Festival
Rotterdam (2015) - Postproduction Grant for Burning Birds – CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image
Animée), France (2016)
Publications
- Athmabaddha Cinema Rupa (My Cinema) – A critical analysis on Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna
Vithanage’s cinema (2007, Sinhala – for Sri Lankan readership) - A Jump Cut – An introductory guide to global film trends and movements (2008, Sinhala – for Sri
Lankan readership) - Kim Ki-duk and Korean Cinema – An introduction to Korean cinema, exploring the work of Kim Ki-duk
and its cultural context (2009, Sinhala – for Sri Lankan readership)
