• 22.04.2025 - 13:14

 

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Türkiye is pleased to announce the outstanding achievement of Mr. Eranda Mahagamage, a Sri Lankan filmmaker and researcher, who was awarded the Special Jury Award at the “Living in Türkiye” International Essay Competition.

The contest, jointly organized by the Turkish Language and Literature Association (TDED) and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), concluded with an award ceremony held at the historic Rami Library in Istanbul on 18th April 2025.

The ceremony was graced by the Minister of National Education of Türkiye, Hon. Prof. Yusuf Tekin, YTB President, Mr. Abdullah Eren and Mr. Ekrem Erdem, former Member of the National Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. The event was attended by distinguished diplomats, academics, jury members, and representatives from the international student community in Türkiye.

The competition received over 300 essay submissions from international students who had studied, lived, or held significant memories of Türkiye. Fourteen essays were selected for publication, with top honours going to students from countries where Turkish is spoken natively. Mr. Mahagamage’s essay was recognized for its depth, originality, and literary merit, earning him the prestigious Special Jury Award.

Mr. Eranda Mahagamage is an accomplished professional with a diverse career encompassing cinema, literature, and academia. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at Istanbul Medeniyet University. He previously served as a Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Kelaniya and holds an MA in Philosophy from Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, with a dissertation focusing on the phenomenology of cinema.

A celebrated filmmaker, Mr. Mahagamage’s works—such as Living without Life and Digital Womb—have received international recognition, including awards from the SAARC Film Festival, the Las Vegas International Peace and Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Real to Reel Youth Film Festival. He has also made significant scholarly contributions, notably as the author of VIMUKTHI CINEMAWA and as the executive producer of Her. Him. The Other (2018), an anthology film directed by leading Sri Lankan auteurs.

Mr. Mahagamage’s achievement not only highlights the intellectual and creative excellence of Sri Lankans abroad but also reflects the strengthening educational and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Türkiye

The Embassy extends its warmest congratulations to Mr. Mahagamage and wishes him continued success in his academic and artistic endeavours.