This website, registered and established on April 26, 2026, serves exclusively to promote the author's personal brand and entrepreneurial ventures. This website has no expressed or implied affiliation or rivalry with any art, cultural, or political organization.

2026 අප්‍රේල් 26 වන දින ලියාපදිංචි කර ස්ථාපිත කරන ලද මෙම වෙබ් අඩවිය, කතුවරයාගේ පුද්ගලික සන්නාමය සහ ව්‍යවසායකත්ව කටයුතු ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීම සඳහා පමණක්ම යොදා ගැනේ. මෙම ‌වෙබ් අඩවියට කිසිදු කලා, සංස්කෘතික, හෝ දේශපාලන සංවිධානයක් සමඟ ප්‍රකාශිත හෝ ව්‍යංග සම්බන්ධතාවක් හෝ එදිරිවාදිකමක් නොමැත.

award winning writer

creative producer

strategist

about me

/ Vasantha Wakkumbura

Vasantha Wakkumbura is a Colombo-based Sri Lankan multidisciplinary media producer, researcher, and State Award-winning writer. With a career that fluidly crosses the boundaries of academic research, filmmaking, theatre, and music, his work is driven by a profound commitment to critical analysis, social commentary, and cross-cultural communication.

01

Translation & Academic Research
Translation & Academic Research Building on a deep-rooted personal legacy in literature and language, Vasantha has established himself as a premier English-Sinhala translator and interpreter. In 2022, he was honored with the State Literary Award for Best Academic and Research Work in Translation (English) for his work on Janakaraliya: Theatre of the People. His rigorous approach to translation has led to extensive collaborations with international organizations—including GIZ Germany, the International Crisis Group, UNDP, and the World Wildlife Fund—as well as academic institutions like the University of Chicago and the University of Essex. His work bridges vital conversations surrounding human rights, post-war recovery, gender, and environmental management.

02

Film & Visual Media
As a visual storyteller and strategist, Vasantha brings both technical precision and a critical lens to the screen. His diverse filmography encompasses directing, editing, and composing for impactful documentaries such as The Story of Meethotamulla Garbage Dump, alongside extensive work in short films and web series. He has also played a crucial role in cinematic preservation and international distribution by translating and subtitling landmark films, including Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's Hansa Vilak for DCP restoration. He is currently in pre-production for his feature film debut, tentatively titled No. 2.

03

Theatre, Music, & Performance Art
A dynamic force in the performing arts, Vasantha serves as the Course Director at the TalentAsia Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. His theatrical contributions range from adapting Tennessee Williams’s Out Cry to translating contemporary Sri Lankan plays for global audiences. Beyond the stage and screen, he is an accomplished music composer, vocalist, and performance artist. His original scores, experimental vocal tracks, and public video installations - such as his work for the Theertha Open Studio - reflect an ongoing exploration of narrative and space.

portfolio

/ notable achievements & contributions
1. GIZ Germany

Translator [Sinhala to English] - Janakaraliya: Theatre of the People, An Analytical Study of Janakaraliya Performance by Ranga Manupriya - Awarded the Best Academic and Research Workin Translation (English) at the State Literary Festival 2022

Sinhala Translation of ‘Transformative Human Rights Education through Dance. The Right to Information. Sri Lanka’ by Helena-Ulrike Marambio, Mahesh Umagiliya, Vinothine Balasubramaniam and Lars Waldorf, (University of Essex 2023)

Interpreter – Sinhala/English – Making Ability Visible in four Sri Lankan districts. The project aimed to promote inclusion of people with disabilities by putting emphasis on their real abilities and added value for society.

Translation of Kamla Bhasin's Book Turning Dangers into Opportunities (English to Sinhala)

Translation of Andi Schubert's Book After the Waves - The Impact of Tsunami on Women in Sri Lanka (English to Sinhala, with Sepala Wijesekara)

Translation of Kumudini Samuel's Book A Hidden History - Women's Activism for Peace in Sri Lanka 1982-2000 (English to Sinhala, with Sepala Wijesekara)

Translation of Gender and Post-Tsunami Recovery (English to Sinhala, with Sepala Wijesekara)

Translation / Subtitling of Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's Hansa Vilak Film for DCP Restoration (Sinhala toEnglish)

Translation / Subtitling of Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's Dhawala Bheeshana Stage Play (Sinhala to English, with Oshadee Gunasekara)

Translation of A.C.Depp's Book Ceylon Police and Sinhala Muslim Riots of 1915 (English to Sinhala)

Translation of Research Material on Bindunuwewa Massacre (Sinhala to English)

Translation of ICG Reports on Sri Lanka War and Human Rights (English to Sinhala)

Translator / Designer / Audio Visual Producer - The Flood Green Guide Training Program of the WWF Environmental and Disaster Management Program

Translator / Audio Visual Producer - Water Voices Program

Script Writer / Translator / Audio Visual Producer for UNDP Biomass Project

Translator/Research Assistant - Ethnography of Sri Lankan Traditional Music by Jim Sykes,University of Chicago

Research Consultant - Impact of Leadership Styles on Apparel Sector Workers by Ishara Thilakarathna, University of Peradeniya

Research Consultant - Issues Faced by Children Raised by Single Parents in Post War Areas by Vinista Francis, National Institute of Social Development, Kilinochchi

Translation & Subtitling of Pankaj Sehgal's Moriarty (English to Sinhala)

Translation & Subtitling of David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (English to Sinhala)

Editor - Short Film Money Mind by Nimalananda Hettiarachchi

Editor - Short Film Ready by Nimalananda Hettiarachchi

Director - Short Film Kaputa

Director - Short Web Series Animal God

Writer / Director - Feature Film No.2 (Working Title) [Pre-Production]

Researcher/Translator - Burning Memories by S. Someetharan

Director, Co-Writer, Editor, and Music Composer - The Story of Meethotamulla Garbage Dump (Sinhala 20Mins.)

Researcher/Videographer/Recordist - What Remai ns: The Aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War byS. Someetharan and Priya Tharmaseelan [Post Production]

Translation and Adaptation of Tenessee Willams's Out Cry Stage Play, Directed by Susanga Kahandawalaarchchi (English to Sinhala) [Pre Production]

Vocals, Music Composition Team, Actor - Unseen Eye's by Kanchuka Dharmasiri

Actor - Curtain Call Short Play by Sarath Chandra Walpola

Translation / Subtitling of Buddhika Damayantha's 6456 Stage Play (Sinhala to English)

Course Director at TalentAsia Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

Composer - Short Web Series Animal God

Composer & Lead Vocals - Dead Fish (a musical rendition of a poem by Ahnaf Jazeem) [Post Production]

Composer & Lead Vocals - Chuu Sinduwa (with Shadeesha Kumarasiri)

Background Vocals - Dushtaya by Namini Panchala

Background Vocals - I Don't Wanna Fuck the System by Gihan Bulathsinhala and Ajith Kumarasiri

Lead Vocals - Baisikale - a Tribute to Ranjith Dissanayake with Ajith Kumarasiri, Namini Panchala, and Dileep Maan

Composer & Lead Vocals - Nawathumaka Premaya

Composer & Lead Vocals – Paaththare

Walking Through the Fire - A Public Installation/Performance and Video Installation on Final Days of the Sri Lankan Civil War for Theertha Eclair Open Studio 2020

Photographer/Videographer/Assistant - Conversations with Chelsea Manning by Lohan Gunaweera at Theertha Performance Platform 2019

articles

/ discover latest news