Biography

Dr. Sanjeewa Pushpakumara is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker, academic, and researcher, currently serving as Assistant Professor of Cinematography and Audiovisual Production at Canadian University Dubai. He holds a PhD in Film & Multimedia (Film and Media Production) and is the first Sri Lankan to earn a doctoral degree in film production. He also obtained his MFA in Film Direction as a Korean Government Scholarship recipient from Chung-Ang University, South Korea. 

Dr. Pushpakumara’s creative and scholarly work examines war, trauma, displacement, and socio-political memory, bridging artistic practice with critical research. His films, Flying Fish, Burning Birds, Peacock Lament, Asu, and Amma (in pre-production) have been screened and awarded at leading international film festivals and venues including Locarno Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Busan International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Museum of Modern Art – New York, and International Film Festival of India. His work has received major international awards, notably at Locarno Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival, and has also earned prestigious nominations, including the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival, the Ingmar Bergman Award at the Gothenburg Film Festival, the New Directors Award at the Seattle International Film Festival, the Golden Montgolfier Award at the Three Continents International Film Festival (Nantes), and the Lino Miccichè Award at the Pesaro International Film Festival. 

His film projects have been supported by prestigious international institutions, including the Cinéfondation Residence of Cannes International Film Festival, Biennale College Cinema of Venice International Film Festival, Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam, Locarno Film Festival, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), France, and the Doha Film Institute, Qatar.  

He has also participated in leading global professional programs such as Berlinale Talents of Berlin Film Festival, Global Media Makers - FiLM iNDEPENDENT, Los Angeles, and the Cannes Cinéfondation Résidence, and served on international juries, including the Cannes Résidence Pitching Jury (2023) at Cannes Film Festival. 

As an educator, Dr. Pushpakumara’s teaching portfolio spans film and media production, scriptwriting, film direction, the aesthetics of cinematography, editing and color-grading workflows (DaVinci Resolve), film narrative studies, geographical cinemas, global cinematic movements, trends and history, film theory, film business and policy, and art history. His teaching and research interests focus on emerging new media narrative forms, including AI-assisted storytelling, immersive and interactive storytelling, and web-based narrative formats such as webtoons. 

Filmography:

1. ‘AMMA’ Film Project (In Development) – Director, Producer, Scriptwriter 
Co Production: La Fabrica Nocturna Cinema (France), Velvet Films (Belgium), and Sapushpa Expressions (Sri Lanka) 

Winner: Open Doors Best Project (ex-aequo) – Locarno Film Festival, 2018 

Residence Program selected:  
Camera Libre! — Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), Paris, NIPKOW Art Residence, Berlin, LA Residence-Global Media Makers of FiLM iNDEPENDENT, Los Angeles 

2. ‘PEACOCK LAMENT’ Film (2022) – Director, Producer, Scriptwriter 
Co-Production: Pilgrim Films (Italy) and Sapushpa Expressions (Sri Lanka) 

Winner: Best Artistic Contribution Award at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival,2022  

Selected International Film Festival Screenings: 35th Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan (in Competition), 54th International Film Festival of India – Goa, India (in Competition), 39th Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, 21st FIFDH – Geneva (in Competition), 28th SCHLINGEL Film Festival, Germany (in Competition) 

3. ‘ASU’ Film (2021) – Director, Producer, Scriptwriter 
Co-Production: Petra Films (Hong kong) and Sapushpa Expressions (Sri Lanka) 

Selected International Film Festival Screenings: 34th Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan (in Asian Competition), Asian World Film Festival, Los Angelese (in Competition), Barcelona Asian Film Festival, Spain  

4. ‘BURNING BIRDS’ Film (2016) – Director-Producer-Scriptwriter 
Co-Production: France (Neon Film), Qatar (Doha Film Institute), The Netherlands (Hubert Bals Fund), Sri Lanka (Sapushpa Expressions) 

Selected International Film Festival Screenings:  
70th Locarno Film Festival, 21st Busan International Film Festival (in Competition), 46th  International Film Festival Rotterdam (in Bright Future Competition), 40th Gothenburg Film Festival (in Ingmar Bergman Competition), 35th Munich International Film Festival, 15th International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights -FIFDH (in Competition) 

International Awards 
Special Jury Prize – 17th Tokyo FILMeX 
Grand Prix – 17th FIFDH, Geneva 
Youth Jury Award – 17th FIFDH, Geneva 
Best Actress – 3rd Asian World Film Festival 
Special Jury Mention – 5th Lake Como IFF 
Best Actress and Best Editor – 9th SAARC International Film Festival, Colombo  

5. ‘FLYING FISH’ Film (2011) – Director – Producer-Scriptwriter 
Co-Production: The Netherlands (Hubert Bals Fund) & Sapushpa Expressions and Asia Digital Entertainment (Sri Lanka), 

Selected International Film Festival Screenings: 
40th International Film Festival Rotterdam, (in Competition) the Netherlands   
55th London Film Festival (BFI), United Kingdom, 47th Chicago International Film  
Festival, USA, 42nd International Film Festival (IFFI), India, 30th Vancouver   
International Film Festival, Canada, Museum of Modern Art (aka MoMA), 15th  
Tallinn Black Nights (Estonia)

International Awards 
Best Director – St. Petersburg International Film Festival- KINOFORUM 
NETPAC Best Asian Film – Bengaluru International Film Festival 
Blue Chameleon Award – CiniDi International Film Festival, South Korea 
Critic’s Choice Award – New Jersey South Asian Film Festival 
Special Jury Mention – CinDi International Film Festival, South Korea 

International Residence Programs, Fellowships and Workshops

• Camera libre! Paris (2023)
• Global Media Makers, Film Independent, Los Angeles (2019)
• Nipkow Art Residency, Berlin (2019)
• Open Doors Hub, Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland (2018)
• Biennale College Cinema, Venice International Film Festival (2014)
• The Jerusalem International Film Lab, Israel (2014)
• La Résidence Cinéfondation, Cannes Film Festival (2012–2013)
• Talent Campus, Berlin International Film Festival (2012)
• Asian Film Academy, Busan International Film Festival (2009)
• Asian Young Filmmakers Forum, Jeonju, South Korea (2007)

List of Publications 

• Burning Birds Film Script, Sarasavi Publishers, Sri Lanka, 2018. 
• Kim Ki-Duk and Korean Cinema – An introduction to Korean cinema, exploring the work of Kim Ki-Duk and its cultural context, Sarasavi Publishers, Sri Lanka. 2009 (Sinhala – for Sri Lankan readership). 
• A Jump Cut – An introductory guide to global film trends and movements, Godage Book Emporium, Sri Lanka, 2008 (Sinhala - for Sri Lankan readership). 
• Athmabaddha Cinema Rupa (My Cinema) – A Critical Analysis on Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage’s cinema, Godage Book Emporium, 2007 (Sinhala - for Sri Lankan readership). 

Professional Memberships  

• Executive Board Member, Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (FPA), China  

International Forum and Participation  

• Masterclass on International Co-Productions for Emerging Asian Filmmakers at Tokyo Talents, Tokyo FILMeX (2016)  
• Panelist on Colonialism and Modern Cinema at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), Geneva (2023)  

Grants Received  

• Production Grant for Peacock Lament film - Italian Culture and Tourism Ministry, 2022.  
• Postproduction Grant for Burning Birds film – CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée), France (2016)  
• Postproduction Grant for Burning Birds film – Hubert Bals Fund, International Film Festival - Rotterdam (2015)  
• Production Grant for Burning Birds film – Doha Film Institute, Qatar (2013–2014)  
• Postproduction Grant for Flying Fish film – Hubert Bals Fund, International Film Festival Rotterdam (2010)