The 'Paura' Short Film Festival organized by the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Kelaniya, the Election Commission and the Ministry of Education was held on the 21^st September 2019 at Tharangani Cinema Hall of National Film Corporation.

Among the hundreds of creations, short films selected to the final round were screened at the awards ceremony and awards were presented for the winning short films under the Open and School category.

The short film festival was conducted covering the all-island under the theme 'Country of securing Universal Sovereignty'. The veteran film director Mr. Ashoka Handagama, veteran cameraman Mr. M. D. Mahindapala, Professor Sumathi Sivamohan, Senior Lecturer Aruna Lokuliyana, Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Kelaniya and Mr. Nalin Semage were in the judging panel. Parallel to this event, a publication titled 'Paura' on theoretical and practical information on cinema also launched.

The Head of the Department along with the staff members of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Kelaniya, the President of the Elections Commission Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education  Mr. M. N. Ranasinghe, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Education Mr. Waruna Alahakoon, members of the Election Commission and the staff of the Education Ministry were present at the event.