Sinhala Cinema Database 2011 - Redesign

Project Overview

The Films.lk website was redesigned and developed by Isura Wickramarachchi in 2011 as the second generation of Sri Lanka's largest online Sinhala cinema database. Originally launched in 2009, the website had already established itself as the country's leading online resource dedicated to Sinhala cinema. Building upon that success, the entire platform was redesigned with a more modern user interface, enhanced database architecture, expanded multimedia features, and significantly improved content management capabilities.

The 2011 redesign transformed Films.lk from a traditional cinema database into a comprehensive entertainment portal. In addition to film and artist information, the new platform introduced online DVD sales, ring tones, song archives, trailers, image galleries, historical award information, cinema news, and community features. By this stage, the database contained over 7,000 artist profiles, more than 1,500 Sinhala films, and over 7,000 photographs, making it the largest online archive dedicated to Sri Lankan cinema.

Design & Structure

The redesigned website featured a modern entertainment-themed interface using white, gold, orange, black, blue, green, and red, providing a vibrant visual identity while greatly improving navigation and content discovery.

The homepage included:

Large rotating feature slider.
DVD Store showcase.
Featured classic cinema banner.
Featured latest films.
Film rating system.
Latest releases.
Upcoming films.
Artist directory by profession.
Sinhala Film List.
Ranmihithenna section.
Latest galleries.
Songs database.
Latest movie trailers.
Top artists.
Top films.
Cinema news.
What's Hot.
Artist birthdays.
Statistics panel.
Advertisement management.
Search facility.
Member login.
Shopping cart.
Multilingual support.

The redesigned homepage organised thousands of records into dedicated content modules, allowing visitors to quickly discover films, artists, songs, trailers, galleries, and historical information from a single interface.

Key Features

Dynamic PHP/MySQL database.
Comprehensive Sinhala film database.
Artist database management.
Award ceremony archive.
Theatre directory.
Interview management.
News publishing system.
Testimonials.
Online DVD Store.
Shopping cart.
Songs database.
Movie trailer management.
Ring In Tones.
Wallpaper gallery.
Artist photo galleries.
Film galleries.
User registration and login.
Community forum.
Birthday management.
Advertisement management.
Advanced search.
Statistics dashboard.
Administration panel.
SEO-friendly architecture.
Cross-browser compatibility.

Database Statistics

The platform contained one of the largest collections of Sri Lankan cinema information available online, including:

7,000+ Artist Profiles
1,500+ Sinhala Film Records
7,000+ Photographs
Thousands of gallery images.
Sinhala film songs.
Movie trailers.
Award ceremony archives.
Theatre information.
Historical cinema news.
Artist biographies.

Technical Highlights

PHP/MySQL database-driven architecture.
Custom-built Cinema Content Management System (CMS).
Advanced relational database architecture.
Film management module.
Artist management module.
Songs management system.
Gallery management system.
Movie trailer management.
DVD catalogue management.
Shopping cart integration.
Advertisement management.
User authentication system.
Forum integration.
Search engine.
Statistics module.
Image optimisation.
Search-engine-friendly URLs.
Cross-browser compatibility.

Significance

The 2011 redesign of Films.lk represents one of Isura Wickramarachchi's most significant achievements in web development and digital heritage preservation. After designing and launching the original platform in 2009, he completely re-engineered the website into a comprehensive cinema ecosystem that extended well beyond a traditional movie database.

The redesigned platform combined a massive relational database with multimedia services, e-commerce functionality, community interaction, and historical archiving. It enabled visitors to explore films, artists, songs, trailers, award ceremonies, galleries, and cinema news through a unified and highly organised interface while introducing entirely new services such as the DVD Store, Shopping Cart, Ring In Tones, and Songs Database.

With a database exceeding 7,000 artists, 1,500 Sinhala films, and 7,000 photographs, Films.lk became the largest online Sinhala cinema database and one of Sri Lanka's most comprehensive entertainment portals. Its continued growth and innovation reinforced its position as the definitive digital archive of Sinhala cinema.

The original 2009 version of Films.lk, designed by Isura Wickramarachchi, received national recognition by winning the Best Entertainment Website Award at the BestWeb.LK 2009 competition. The 2011 redesign successfully expanded that award-winning foundation into a richer, more scalable, and feature-complete platform that served filmmakers, artists, researchers, students, and cinema enthusiasts around the world.

Isura Wickramarachchi is a Sri Lankan author, historical researcher, web technology innovator, and social entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of "Mahawansa Pradeepikawa", a comprehensive historical publication that presents the genealogy, portraits, and history of nearly 200 Sri Lankan monarchs in a modern, visually engaging format. The project combines historical research with digital technology, featuring QR codes that connect readers to an online knowledge platform containing expanded historical content, videos, and interactive resources.

Beginning his career in the fields of tourism and information technology, Wickramarachchi later founded isandi CREATIONS, one of Sri Lanka's pioneering web development companies. Over the past two decades, he has designed and developed hundreds of websites for clients in Sri Lanka and overseas. His award-winning projects include films.lk, Sri Lanka's first dedicated Sinhala cinema website, and mahawansaya.com, a digital platform preserving and promoting Sri Lankan history.

Driven by a passion for making history accessible to younger generations, Wickramarachchi spent approximately ten years researching more than 300 historical sources to produce Mahawansa Pradeepikawa. The 650-page, full-colour publication contains over 200 reconstructed royal portraits, more than 180 family trees, and detailed references designed to help readers understand the evolution of Sri Lanka's royal lineage. The work integrates traditional scholarship with modern visual learning techniques to encourage children and young adults to appreciate the nation's heritage.

Beyond his work as an author and technology professional, Wickramarachchi has actively contributed to numerous community development initiatives, including educational support programs, projects for children with special needs, blood donation campaigns, school infrastructure improvements, and digital literacy initiatives. His work reflects a commitment to using technology, education, and historical knowledge as tools for national development.

Through his publications, digital platforms, and public initiatives, Isura Wickramarachchi continues to promote Sri Lanka's history and cultural heritage while demonstrating how technology can preserve historical knowledge for future generations.