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FOUR HOLLYWOOD COMPANIES TO
FLY TO SRI LANKA IN SEARCH OF LOCATIONS AFTER THE FOCUS SRI LANKA SHOW
By Walter Jayawardhana
Warner Brothers executive
Bill Bowling having lunch with Sarala and Consul General Jaliya Wickramasuriya
at the Focus Sri Lanka show in Los Angeles
Four Hollywood companies will be going to Sri Lanka to
investigate suitable locations for future productions within the next
three months directly as a result of the Focus Sri Lanka Trade Fair
held in Los Angeles.
“Four Hollywood companies have agreed to go to the
island to investigate appropriate locations,” said Jaliya Wickramasuriya
the Sri Lankan Consul General in Los Angeles.
Bill Bowling, the World Wide Locations Executive of the Warner Brothers
Pictures has informed the
Sri Lanka envoys at the trade exhibition that four companies
working under Warner Brothers will be going to Sri Lanka to select proper
locations.
The Child actress of Water , Sarala was featured at the
Focus Sri Lanka Trade show as an attraction for the Hollywood film makers
to come and visit the fair.
Bill Bowlings , the Warner Brothers Locations executive
was invited to have a luncheon with the Sri Lanka child actress. .
Canadian Indian Deepa Mehtha’s Water, that won nominations
for an Oscar, but failed to win the award was the latest film to have
been produced on location in Sri Lanka . It was not only praised for
its cinematic value for telling the pathetic story of the Indian widow
in the 1930’s , and for its brilliant portrayal of the talented
acting of the Sri Lankan child star but also for the salubrious and
scenic beauty of the location it was shot.
Sarala made her presence during the two day exhibition
received an award presented by Hollywood’s Young Artist Foundation
as the best Child actor in any international film and received guests
at the showing of the film Water at the exhibition. Ms. Maureen Dragone,
the President of the Young Artist Foundation awarded two trophies, one
for the Director of the film, another one for Sarala at the cultural
show attached to the exhibition. Sarala accepted both trophies, as Mehtha
was busy working on another film.
The Sri Lankan Consul General said Bill Bowling and the
attached companies are expected to go to Sri Lanka before the end of
September.
When the team of location executives arrives in Sri Lanka,
every assistance will be given to them to meet people, travel to the
intended destinations to make their choices and ease their stay as well
as their future plans in the country, said Jaliya Wickramasuriya.
Bowling reportedly told Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Bernard Goonetilleke
the Sri Lankan ambassador who was also present at the show that they
already knew the value of Sri Lanka as a location by such Hollywood
epics like Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Doom, Bridge on the River
Kwai and Elephant Walk.
Exhibition officials said the two day fair had 600 guests on the first
day and 150 US buyers on the second day. Nearly thirty Sri Lankan exhibitors
participated at the fair.
Pradeep Vitharanage , a household linen manufacturer who ran a stall
at the exhibition said he did not expect to get any orders during the
first time experience in coming here and only came to get an education
about the market needs but his company Sadako industries (international)
private Ltd. received eight million pieces order from a California company
for hand towels to be shipped during a period of one year. Speaking
to this correspondent after one day of the show, the manufacturer said
he was also scheduled to meet many others whom he met at the fair to
further discuss other deals. His company does embroidery and printing
on cotton household linen before bed sheets, towels, house curtains
etc are exported.
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