Akash Sunethkumara

Akash Sunethkumara (Akash Sk) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, writer and actor [1]. He is known for the short films that he created with his production team called the High School Junkies. Together the team are also known for being the first Sri Lankan filmmakers to have two consecutive short films screened at San Diego Comic-Con's Independent Film Festival [2].

Akash Sunethkumara
Born
Akash Sunethkumara

(1994-01-19) 19 January 1994
Colombo, Sri Lanka
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2015-present
Websitehttps://www.highschooljunkies.com

Early life

Akash Sunethkumara was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and raised in Negombo where he studied at St. Nicholas' International College [3]. Passionate about films from an early age, he attributes his interest in films sprang as a result of being in a household where watching movies during meals was the norm [4]. The 'larger-than-life aspect' was a mode of escapism in addition to his need to leave behind a legacy through film. In 2015 he joined the Raindance MA Program and graduated in 2017 but has stated that he is mostly a self-taught [4].

Career

Akash Sunethkumara created his first short during his MA program with his group of friends he had known through high school to help him with the production [5]. The good chemistry they had during Star_Crossed paved the way for their next production EIDETIC which went on to be his Masters thesis project [6][7]. Made on a budget of $300 this film ended up at various film festivals including San Diego Comic-Con's Independent Film Festival [8]. The film was also Sri Lanka's first film to be screened at San Diego Comic-Con. In addition to writing and directing the film, he played the role of Shane, the film's male lead [8]. The film was praised for its storytelling and "tinge of magical realism" [9].

In 2017, he started lecturing part-time at Raffles Institute of Design and kept creating films on the side with his team, High School Junkies [1] [10]. His next project, The Summoning was a change in genre, shifting from action to horror [11]. The film was also made on a shoestring budget and the press praised the short as being able to "create an idyllic horror atmosphere with some highly impressive framing, to keep you on edge" [12]. Akash has been propagating low-to-no budget filmmaking in Sri Lanka, stating that equipment is not so important as the concept and the people [13][14].

In 2018 he teamed up with Ruwanga Samath on a music for his SmoothBLAQ label titled Rise Up [15].

In 2019, he released a mini-follow up to The Summoning titled The Friend [16]. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Sri Lanka Foundation [17][4].

He has cited filmmakers Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan as an influence on his films and has been mentored by Hollywood veteran David Worth [4][18].

Upcoming projects

Ever since EIDETIC's release Akash has teased the prospect of a feature film [19]. As of 2019, he has been working on a feature film while focusing on more short films and music videos on YouTube [4][5].

Filmography
Year Title Notes
2015 Star_Crossed
2016 EIDETIC First Sri Lankan short film accepted in San Diego Comic-Con's Independent Film Festival
2017 The Case Unreleased
2018 The Summoning Second Sri Lankan short film accepted in San Diego Comic-Con's Independent Film Festival
2019 The Friend Published on Crypt TV
2020 The Knight Out
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References
  1. "Akash Sk". High School Junkies. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  2. "Sri Lankan filmmaker, Akash Sk's movie, "The Summoning" has been selected to the San Diego Comic-Con Independent Film Festival". Sri Lanka Foundation. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  3. "This time it's horror: High School Junkies strike again". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  4. JAYAWARDANA, Ruwini. "Screams on screens!". Daily News. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  5. Wirasinha, Harith (2019-07-10). "The Summoning of Some Epic Cinema – High school Junkies and Their Amazing Story". Pulse. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  6. Degree, Raindance Postgraduate (2017-06-01). ""Eiditic" to Screen at San Diego Comic Con". Raindance. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  7. "Eidetic". calendar.raindancefestival.org. Archived from the original on 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  8. "Akash Sunethkumara - Raffles Lecturer and His Film "Eidetic" - Raffles Colombo - Business and Design Education". Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  9. "Sri Lanka's Top Short Films of 2016". YAMU. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  10. "Akash Sunethkumara Interview with Chokolaate Magazine". Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  11. Charles, Baptiste (2019-07-11). "Raindance MA Alumni Akash Sk shoots horror short "The Summoning"". Raindance. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  12. "The Summoning – a testament to clever filmmaking". The Morning - Sri Lanka News. 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  13. Raffles Colombo (2019-03-18), Changing the Filmmaking Perspective with Akash Sk | Raffles Colombo | Success by Design, retrieved 2019-07-26
  14. Chokolaate Magazine (2019-01-15), Chokolaate 'In The Spotlight' - Akash SK, retrieved 2019-07-26
  15. "Sinclair – Rise Up (Official Video)". Decibel. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  16. "The High School Junkies Have A Short Film Out". Decibel. 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  17. "SLFS - Sri Lanka Film School". www.slfs.slf.lk. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  18. Degree, Raindance Postgraduate (2018-03-22). "Eiditic To Have a Live & Interactive Screening". Raindance. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  19. "EIDETIC". High School Junkies. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
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