19th Sarasaviya Awards

The 19th Sarasaviya Awards festival (Sinhala: 19වැනි සරසවිය සම්මාන උලෙළ), presented by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, was held to honor the best films of 1988 Sinhala cinema on August 16, 1991, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. His Excellency The President Ranasinghe Premadasa was the chief guest at the awards night.

19th Sarasaviya Awards
Date	August 16, 1991
Site	Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka
Directed by	A. D. Ranjith Kumara
Highlights
Best Picture	Palama Yata
Most awards	Palama Yata (8)
Most nominations	Palama Yata
Television coverage
Network	Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited

The film Palama Yata won the most awards with eight including Best Film.

Awards

Category	Film	Recipient
Best Film	Palama Yata	Geetha Kumarasinghe
Best Director	Palama Yata	H. D. Premaratne
Best Actor	Palama Yata	Sanath Gunathilake
Best Actress	Palama Yata	Geetha Kumarasinghe
Best Supporting Actor	Palama Yata	Joe Abeywickrama
Best Supporting Actress	Palama Yata	Sunethra Sarathchandra
Best Emerging Actor	Hima Gira	Ranjan Ramanayake
Best Emerging Actress	Dedunnen Samanaliyak	Dilhani Ekanayake
Best Script Writer	Palama Yata	H. D. Premaratne Kulasena Fonseka
Best Cinematographer (black n' white film)	Hima Gira	K. D. Dayananda
Best Editor	Palama Yata	Elmo Halliday
Best Art Direction	Christhu Charithaya	Lionel Silva Danister Perera
Best Makeup Artist	Christhu Charithaya	Shesha Palihakkara
Best Sound Effects	Christhu Charithaya	George Manatunga
Best Music Direction	Saharawe Sihinaya	Rohana Weerasinghe
Best Lyricist	Pem Rajadahana	Sunil Ariyaratne
Best Male Playback Singer	Saharawe Sihinaya	Vijaya Kumaratunga
Best Female Playback Singer	Saharawe Sihinaya	Nanda Malini
Most Popular Film	Hondin Nathnam Narakin	Thilak Eparatne
Most Popular Actor	People's vote	Freddie Silva
Most Popular Actress	People's vote	Geetha Kumarasinghe
Most Popular Emerging Actor	People's vote	Ranjan Ramanayake
Most Popular Emerging Actress	People's vote	Manel Chandralatha
Rana Thisara Award	contribution to Sinhala cinema	Ravindra Randeniya
		Denawaka Hamine
Merit Awards	Madhu Sihina	Roy de Silva
	Dedunnen Samanaliyak	Ajith Jinadasa
	Hondin Nathnam Narakin	Nihal Silva
	Chandi Raja	Harshani Dissanayake

Category	Film
Popular films included in the festival
	Hondin Nathnam Narakin
	Palama Yata
	Christhu Charithaya
	Madhu Sihina
	Chandi Raja
	Honda Honda Sellam
	Dese Mal Pipila