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President announces support for Sri Lanka’s first AI film

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during his address at the 20th Raigam Tele’es Awards ceremony held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, highlighted the global trend of AI integration in filmmaking. 

He expressed the government’s commitment to supporting the production of Sri Lanka’s first AI film.

President stated that the outmoded film corporation would be transformed using modern technology, and it would be developed into a film and teledrama industries development company in Sri Lanka.

Also, President Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of providing foreign training opportunities to artists and production designers. This measure seeks to equip them with the latest technological knowledge, emphasizing the need for the film and teledrama industries to embrace modern advancements for future progress.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took part in a group photo with all the award recipients from the arts and journalism fields, also engaged in a pleasant conversation with the guests, including veteran artists and singers.

During his speech at the Raigam Tele’es Awards ceremony, President Ranil Wickramasinghe elaborated:

“The award ceremony, initiated by the Raigam Group, is celebrating its 20th anniversary today. I would like to thank the Raigam Group for their contribution to this award ceremony. I extend my gratitude to the Raigam Group for their valuable contributions to this event.

Over the last twenty years, there has been a significant revolution in television. Nowadays, television faces competition from mobile phones and laptops. The world is advancing with platforms like Netflix and Amazon. We need to keep pace with these developments. Many countries are producing films in multiple languages, including smaller nations like Greece. We should also pay attention to this. It’s essential for us to take note of these trends and adapt accordingly.

Hence, our primary focus is on modernizing the outmoded film corporation and transforming it into a film and teledrama development entity. It is worth mentioning that we are actively working to facilitate the required expertise for this transition. During the inception of television, numerous individuals were offered training opportunities in Japan, which resulted in the emergence of new teledramas such as “Yasoravaya” during that period. We want to emphasize that we will be revisiting and working on similar initiatives in the near future.

Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become a part of the film industry since last year. “The Frost” short film is an example of a production created using AI technology, including the screenplay. India is also producing “Maharaja in Denims,” which will soon be introduced in Sri Lanka. It’s imperative for us to make preparations for these advancements as well.

I have instructed the committee that we appointed for the introduction of artificial intelligence in Sri Lanka to collaborate with the University of Moratuwa and the University of Beauty in producing Sri Lanka’s first AI film. It should be noted that the government is working to provide funding for this.

In this way, the film industry is undergoing a change that we did not anticipate. I invite everyone to embark on a new journey by modernizing the film corporation and creating the first AI film.

Transport, Highways, and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Professor Sunil Ariyaratne, Professor J. B. Dissanayake, numerous distinguished guests, veteran actresses including Mrs. Swarna Mallavarachchi, singers, artists, film directors, producers, and several renowned guests were present at the event.

–PMD–

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UN Rights chief türk to visit Sri Lanka this month

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The United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk will visit
Sri Lanka this month or early July, a Foreign Ministry source confirmed. No dates have been finalised for the visit, though the government has agreed to the visit by Mr. Turk.

It’ll be the first time in nine years that a UN Human Rights Commissioner will be visiting Sri Lanka, the last being Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in February 2016 during Maithripala Sirisena’s presidencyMr. Turk, an Austrian national who took up his duties in October 2022, will visit at a time the government grapples with how it will address human rights concerns raised by the international

community.

In his report to the UN body in August last year, just ahead of
Sri Lanka’s presidential and parliamentary elections, Mr. Turk said the newly elected government should recommit to addressing the root causes of conflict and undertake fundamental constitutional and institutional reforms to address the accountability gap and work towards reconciliation.

These include the immediate moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act and assurances that any replacement legislation is consistent with international human rights law, repeals or amends existing laws or proposed laws that unduly restrict the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, association, and peaceful assembly, including the Online Safety Act and the ICCPR Act.

Mr. Turk’s predecessor Michelle Bachelet requested a visit to
Sri Lanka, but the matter was put under consideration, and the visit did not materialise.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) set up the Sri Lanka accountability project, an external evidence-gathering mechanism within the OHCHR, during Ms Bachelet’s period in office, a move strongly opposed by the government.

The OHCHR says that as of July 5, 2024, the repository established within the framework of the OHCHR project comprises 96,215 items and contains information from more than 470 different sources (more than 220 witnesses and 250 organisations), including international and multilateral organisations.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who addressed the high-level segment of the UNHRC in March this year, rejected the OHCHR Sri Lanka project and outlined government plans for a credible and sound domestic process to address accountability issues in the country.

“We will ensure that the domestic mechanisms and processes established to address challenges emanating from the conflict will continue their work in an independent and credible manner within the constitutional framework,” the minister told the UNHRC.

Despite a visit by the Human Rights Commissioner, the government will remain opposed to any international legal options to advance accountability in Sri Lanka and maintain that there are adequate domestic mechanisms to address accountability issues.

(sundaytimes.lk)

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Trade unionist Ranjan Jayalal takes helm as Kaduwela Mayor

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Prominent trade union leader Ranjan Jayalal has officially been appointed as the new Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council.

Jayalal, a key member of the Ceylon Electricity Board Employees’ Union and a strong advocate for labor rights, was nominated by the National People’s Power (NPP) following their recent victory at the local government elections.

His appointment was formally confirmed through the government gazette issued by the Election Commission on May 31.

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Sri Lanka must take practical steps to join BRICS – Russian Ambassador

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If Sri Lanka is interested in joining the BRICS alliance, the country must take practical steps, says the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan S. Jagaryan.

Speaking during an event at the Bandaranaike International Centre for International Studies in Colombo, Ambassador Levan S. Jagaryan said Russia and China have been offering support to Sri Lanka, but he has not seen adequate interests from the Sri Lankan side.

Responding to a question raised by a journalist about Sri Lanka joining BRICS, the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka said, he has been questioned about the matter on several occasions.

Ambassador Levan S. Jagaryan said, “Last October, on the 1st, I met with President Anura Kumar Dissanayake and brought with me an invitation letter from the President of Russia, inviting Sri Lanka to participate in the BRICS summit. I spoke with a language interpreter, but I don’t know if the translation was accurate. The President told me that due to the upcoming general elections, he wouldn’t be able to visit Russia. If Sri Lanka is to join BRICS, it’s not just a matter of Russia; all the member countries need to agree, and there are several steps to take before that happens.”

Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jagaryan stated that he has not seen much interest at the moment and therefore requested Sri Lanka to take some practical steps, if it is serious about joining BRICS.

(adaderana.lk)
(This story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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