Sense & Centsability

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Canadian multi-hyphenate Fawzia Mirza, whose dramedy The Queen of My Dreams had its world premiere at TIFF, will direct ...
19/04/2024

Canadian multi-hyphenate Fawzia Mirza, whose dramedy The Queen of My Dreams had its world premiere at TIFF, will direct an adaptation of Su Dharmapala’s The Wedding Season that Sri Lankan-Australian actress Menik Gooneratne wrote and will star in.

To be launched for sales at Cannes, Written in the Stars takes place against the Sri Lankan diaspora in Melbourne, featuring Gooneratne as a woman who, when modern dating attempts fail, turns to Vedic Astrology and horoscope matching in the hopes of finding her true love.

Gooneratne, whose credits include Neighbours, Lion, and NCIS, is also set to produce alongside Leanne Tonkes of Sense & Centsability, and Jake Casey and Danielle Benedict of The Dazey Phase.

It comes more than five years after she optioned Dharmapala’s novel, about a 32-year-old singleton whose mother arranges a parade of 101 potential grooms for her to coincide with the Sri Lankan wedding season, leading to the discovery that love can come in many disguises.

“When I read the book, I was like, ‘This woman has written my life, in terms of my experience with my mother and being South Asian living in Melbourne, so I really wanted to bring that to life,” she told IF.

“It’s been a passion project of mine and I’m excited we’re taking it to the next step.”

While writing the early drafts, Gooneratne came under the mentorship of writer/director Gurinder Chadha, known for Bend it Beckham and Bride and Prejudice.

She received a further boost in 2021 when the screenplay was chosen as one of ten scripts for the third annual CAPE List, an initiative from the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and storytelling platform The Blacklist designed to draw attention to unproduced scripts Asian and Pacific Islander characters and experiences from writers from Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

According to Tonkes, the selection took the project to a new level, while also helping secure the involvement of Casey and Benedict.

“It was so good to see Menik get the recognition she deserves for writing her first feature script from scratch,” she told IF.
https://if.com.au/fawzia-mirza-to-direct-menik-gooneratne-in-melbourne-set-feature-written-in-the-stars/?utm_content=289244247&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-126714780683479

EXCLUSIVE: Coming off her SXSW US feature debut, and TIFF 2023 world premiere, The Queen of My Dreams, Fawzia Mirza has ...
19/04/2024

EXCLUSIVE: Coming off her SXSW US feature debut, and TIFF 2023 world premiere, The Queen of My Dreams, Fawzia Mirza has signed on to direct the Australian feature film, Written in the Stars.

Penned by and starring Menik Gooneratne, Written in the Stars is an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Wedding Season by Su Dharmapala. Set in and around the Sri Lankan diaspora in Melbourne, the film centers on a woman (Gooneratne) who, when modern dating attempts fail, turns to Vedic Astrology and horoscope matching in the hopes of finding her true love.

Gooneratne’s screenplay received industry attention after making the 2021 CAPE x Blacklist. The actor is best known for her work on the Peter Jackson sci-fi epic Mortal Engines and Oscar nominated Lion.
“Written in the Stars is a love letter to my hometown and community, and I am thrilled to have someone who brings such vibrancy and nuance to their work at the helm. I’m so excited to collaborate with Fawzia and shine a spotlight on the incredible South Asian talent we have here in Australia” Gooneratne says.

The film will be produced by Leanne Tonkes (The Second, My Mistress) of Sense & Centsability, alongside Jake Casey (And Just Like That…) and Danielle Benedict (Hell Is Empty, Aloo) of The Dazey Phase. Gooneratne is repped by The Rosenzweig Group, Global Artists Agency, LGNAFC and AAM in Australia. Mirza is repped by IAG, Strange Animal Entertainment and Granderson Des Rochers.

https://deadline.com/2024/04/written-in-the-stars-fawzia-mirza-to-direct-australian-book-adaptation-starring-menik-gooneratne-1235878633/

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