OFFICIAL TRAILER
Official Trailer
2:15
On April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka was devastated by a series of coordinated suicide bombings targeting churches and luxury hotels. Nearly 270 people lost their lives, including at least 45 foreign nationals, and over 500 others were injured. The world watched in horror as the nation was plunged into fear and mourning.
Sara Jasmine, a woman intertwined with the attackers, was meant to perish in the carnage. But as the explosions rip through the city, she makes a fateful decision—not to die, but to escape. Disguised and desperate, she takes refuge in the apartment of an unsuspecting young man, concealing the truth of who she really is.
As the country locks down and the search for the missing perpetrator intensifies, Sara must navigate a labyrinth of paranoia, suspicion, and betrayal, all while awaiting an unknown figure who holds the key to her fate. As time runs out, she must decide—will she flee the consequences of her past, or confront the forces that shaped her destiny?
Director, Writer, Producer
U.A. Palliyaguru is a fearless Sri Lankan independent filmmaker, writer, and producer known for telling emotionally raw, politically charged stories rooted in real-life events. With a strong presence in both creative and production roles, U.A. Palliyaguru has built a reputation for crafting socially conscious narratives that challenge conventions and provoke conversation.
Driven by purpose more than profit, his latest film, Red Easter (2026), is a self-funded political thriller inspired by the untold story behind the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka. Created with immense personal sacrifice—including pawning family possessions to complete the film—Red Easter is a testament to U.A. Palliyaguru's relentless pursuit of truth and justice through cinema.
International Competition
Cannes Film Festival
May 2026
U.A. Palliyaguru
Venice International Film Festival
September 2026
Original Script
Sundance Film Festival
January 2026
Best Narrative Feature
Toronto International Film Festival
September 2026
Technical Achievement
Berlin International Film Festival
February 2026
Social Impact
International Film Festival of Human Rights
March 2026
Official Selection - Competition
May 2026
Orizzonti Section
September 2026
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
January 2026
Special Presentations
September 2026
Panorama Section
February 2026
International Narrative Competition
June 2026
New Currents Section
October 2026
International Showcase
August 2026
Academy Awards
95th Academy Awards
March 2027
Non-English Language
BAFTA Awards
February 2027
Writing Achievement
Writers Guild of America
January 2027
Directorial Achievement
Directors Guild of America
February 2027
"For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open."
Some stories are not easy to tell. But silence, in the face of suffering, is complicity. Red Easter is my attempt to break that silence—with reverence, courage, and compassion.
On April 21, 2019, bombs tore through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, killing nearly 270 people, many of whom were devout Christians gathered in prayer on Easter Sunday. The attack was one of the deadliest acts of terror in modern history—and yet, beyond the headlines, the world quickly moved on. For those of us who lived through it, and especially for the families still grieving, forgetting was never an option.
Red Easter is not a film made for controversy. It is a film made for truth, remembrance, and justice. I did not set out to shock, but to illuminate—to give voice to the Christian victims who never got the full weight of international recognition, and to expose the spiritual and moral devastation left in the wake of the attack.
At its core, this film is about a soul in crisis—a woman tied to unthinkable violence who chooses, at the last moment, to live. Her escape is not a celebration of freedom, but a painful descent into guilt, fear, and reckoning. Through her, we explore the deeper questions: How is evil born? Can faith survive betrayal? And when confronted with the truth, will we have the strength to face it?
I undertook Red Easter knowing it would be dangerous—not just politically, but personally. But as a filmmaker, I believe in stories that serve a higher purpose. This is not just cinema. It is an offering. A small act of defiance against erasure. A call to never forget the lives stolen in God's house on that sacred day.
If this film moves even one heart to reflect, to ask questions, to pray for those lost—then every risk will have been worth it.
U.A. Palliyaguru
Director – Red Easter