Somaratne Dissanayake

Somaratne Dissanayake (born 15 November 1946) is a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter and producer. He was the Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the president of the Film Makers Guild of Sri Lanka (FMG). He is the winner of the most number of international awards for cinema in Sri Lanka. In 2007, he received Presidential award for directing Samanala Thatu.

Biography Somaratne abandoned his life in Australia to pursue a film career in his motherland Sri Lanka. He started the stage play, Mee Pura Wesio in 1984 and then a television drama, Iti Pahan in mid 1990s. He did not come to the cinema industry at once. He studied cinema for another 10 years. He earned his MA in performing arts from the University of Sydney, Australia. He also obtained his PhD in cinema from the University of Colombo.

He made his debut in the Sinhala film in 2000 with a controversial but blockbuster film Saroja (2000 film). He is also well known for other films he directed and screened such as Punchi Suranganavi, Sooriya Arana, Samanala Thatu, Siri Raja Siri, Bindu and Siri Parakum. In 2016, Dissanayake directed and screened the film Sarigama which was a sinhala remake of the world famous film The Sound of Music.In year 2020 he completed "Tsunami" the blockbuster film, and won many international awards for it. He still holds the box-office record of films in the history of Sri Lankan cinema.

He is married to producer and television host Renuka Balasooriya.

In January 2015, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), only to resign later, for personal reasons.

Awards and nominations

Awards Year and Film Award Category Result2000 Saroja Chicago International Children's Film Festival Liv Ullmann Peace Award Dhaka International Film Festival NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film Pyongyang International Film Festival Special Award of the Festival Iran International Film Festival Award for the Best Director Kerala International Film Festival Golden Crow Pheasant Prize Singapore International Film Festival Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Feature Film Vesoul Asian Film Festival Audience Award WorldFest Houston Bronze Award for First Feature

Awards Year and Film Award Category Result2003 Punchi Suranganavi Dhaka International Film Festival Jury Mention Award Kerala International Film Festival Golden Crow Pheasant Prize

Awards Year and Film Award Category Result2005 Sooriya Arana Houston International Film Festival Silver Remi Award for the Best Feature Presidential Awards Award for The Most Popular Film of the Year Presidential Awards Award for The Best Lyrics Presidential Awards Award for The Best Script (Somaratne Dissanayake)

Awards Year and Film Award Category Result2005 Samanala Thatu Mexico International Film Festival Best Film Award Carrousel international du film de Rimouski HumanitasCamerio Award Carrousel international du film de RimouskiJury Mention Golden Elephant International Children Film Festival Silver Elephant Award

Awards Year and Film Award Category Result2008 Siri Raja Siri Dhaka International Film Festival Best Audience Award for Best Film Asia Pacific Screen Awards Best Children's Feature Film Mexico International Children Film Festival Jury Mention Award for Best Film Argentina International Children Film Festival Signis Jury Award for the Best Film Carrousel international du film de Rimouski CamerioHumanitas Award Carrousel international du film de Rimouski Cifej Award

Filmography Year Film Role 2000 Saroja Director, screenwriter, lyricist 2002 Punchi Suranganavi Director, screenwriter 2004 Sooriya Arana Director, screenwriter, lyricist 2005 Samanala Thatu Director, screenwriter, lyricist 2008 Siri Raja Siri Director, screenwriter 2009 Bindu Director, screenwriter, lyricist 2013 Siri Parakum Director, screenwriter, lyricist 2016 Sarigama Director, lyricist 2020 Tsunami Director, screenwriter 2021 Jangi Hora Director, screenwriter 2024 Sinhabahu Director, screenwriter 2025 Kaputu Koho Director, screenwriter, lyricist TBD 18 Wanguwa Director, screenwriter