‘News from Jaffna’ (Director’s cut) selected for 14th Film South Asia’s Travelling Film Festival, November 2015
A young reporter dares to cover press freedom in one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists – Sri Lanka.
Blog Archive, page 2
‘News from Jaffna’ (Director’s cut) screened at Seattle South Asian Film Festival, 16 October 2015
A young reporter dares to cover press freedom in one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists – Sri Lanka.
Release of ‘The People’s Prophet’, The Guardian, 7 September 2015
Release of our Stateless Media shortreal ‘The People’s Prophet‘ on The Guardian, 7 September 2015
“Elections take place in November in Myanmar, with Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party expected to win most seats. But alongside the political debate, there’s another conflict – between each side’s astrologers, for whom advising politicians is a lucrative business. In a country with a long history of superstition, where major decisions have been made by leaders after consultation with astrologers, can three charismatic prophets influence the future of Myanmar?”
Release of ‘Citizen Mars’, Stateless Media, AOL Originals, Engadget, 1 September 2015
Latest series of shortreals, Stateless Media’s ‘Citizen Mars‘, commissioned by AOL Originals and Engadget. It was an absolute pleasure to capture would-be Marstronaut Shradha Prasad’s story from India, and the entire Stateless Media team.
“We go in depth with five of the finalists for the Mars One mission: everyday people determined to be the first to colonize the Red Planet. Through interviews and extensive vérité that spans India, Egypt, South Africa, Italy, and the U.S., discover the obsession with the future, adventure, and space that’s propelling them to leave everything – and everyone – behind.”
Myanmar: Portraits of Diversity, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 15 April 2015
Screening of my short films on religious co-existence with the amazing Buddhist monk, the Venerable Tayzar Dipati, leading the discussion.
Myanmar: Portraits of Diversity, Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. New York, NY 10011 on 15 April 2015
USIP screening of Myanmar Portraits of Diversity, Washington DC, 9 April 2015
Special screening organised by United States Institute for Peace (USIP) of Myanmar Portraits of Diversity, “Burma’s Peace Potential: Portraits of Diversity”, U.S. Institute of Peace 2301 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC, 9 April 2015
‘News from Jaffna’ commissioned by Al Jazeera English, broadcast on 29 September 2014
‘News from Jaffna’ (25 mins) was commissioned by the Al Jazeera Witness team under its Viewfinder Asia programme, and first broadcast on 29 September 2014.
A young reporter dares to cover press freedom in one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists – Sri Lanka.
Screenings and Q&A, ‘New South Asian Documentary: On and Off Screen’, New York University, 25-27 September 2015
Screening/Presentation: A selection of work by Kannan Arunasalam followed by Q&A with Kannan Arunasalam and Vasuki Nesiah (Gallatin Human Rights Initiative). ‘New South Asian Documentary: On and Off Screen’, New York University, New York, 25-27 September 2015
‘The Story of One’ selected for Travelling Film South Asia, 2014
After each FSA festival, a package of 8-10 films are selected to travel across the Subcontinent and the world as the at more than 50 international venues”>Travelling Film Southasia (TFSA) package.’The Story of One’ also won the inaugural Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation grant prize for documentary film in 2013.
Winner of the inaugural Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film annual prize for best documentary short, November 2013
NEW YORK, NY –(Nov 19, 2013) – In its inaugural debut, The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film today awarded Sri Lankan journalist and filmmaker Kannan Arunasalam its first annual prize for best documentary ‘short-short’ film. “Rooted in reportage and traditional documentary filmmaking, Kannan’s film doesn’t try to tone down these atrocities. Instead, he treats the viewer to the very voices of those that had been there and lost loved ones,” said Foundation Founder and President Manuel Rivera-Ortiz. “Kannan bears witness on our behalf reminding us yet again of the power of not only the moving voice, but of the moving picture. His work exemplifies the core mission of our foundation.”
