The Joyous Farmer [Shorts Session 2]
Ratnapala is an impoverished and alcoholic farmer living in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. Having sold all his possessions to drown his sorrows, he lacks industry and motivation. His environment is desolate and his future is bleak. After an encounter with a government official, he is prescribed an experimental drug to enhance his work ethic.
Director
Raised in Sri Lanka and based in New York, spending a little time in Edinburgh, San Francisco and London in between, Hiran has worked for a range of production and post-production outfits over the last few years, primarily honing his skills as an editor on a variety of short narratives and documentaries. The Joyous Farmer is his directorial debut.
Festivals/Awards
Jaffna International Cinema Festival (Best Short Film), Agenda 14 Short Film Festival (Best Short Film), Bucharest ShortCut CineFest, Goethe Institut Film Forum, Woods Hole Film Festival, Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema, Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival, Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Cinnamon Colomboscope, SiGNS Film Festival, Tirana International Film Festival, Blow-Up Arthouse International Film Festival, Amarcord Arthouse Television & Video Fest Awards (Best Narrative Short, Best Actor)