Renowned Kannada filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th Jaffna International Cinema Festival. This prestigious accolade will be presented during the festival's closing ceremony on September 9. The festival, which began on September 3, is celebrating Kasaravalli's profound impact on cinema by screening four of his acclaimed films and hosting a special master class for students at Jaffna University.

Currently in Sri Lanka for the event, Kasaravalli, who has earned fourteen National Film Awards for his groundbreaking work, will lead a master class offering students rare insights. The session will be hosted by Ankuran Dutta, Professor at Gauhati University and Director of the Vivekananda Culture Center at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka.

A highlight of Kasaravalli’s career, his acclaimed Kannada film Ghatashraddha, recently received international acclaim at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. This film, directed by Kasaravalli at just 26 years old, made history as the first Kannada film featured at the prestigious event. Celebrated for its narrative depth, Ghatashraddha was also recognised as one of the top 20 Indian classics by the Directorate of Films during the centenary of Indian cinema in 2009.

The film’s importance was further emphasised by its restoration, supported by Hollywood icons Martin Scorsese and George Lucas, in collaboration with Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s film heritage foundation, renowned for its work on Celluloid Man.