Lawrence Valin’s ‘Little Jaffna,’ a feature-length debut based on his short film, delivers a compelling story about identity. Set in France, the film follows Michael, a Tamil-French police officer, assigned to infiltrate a crime syndicate funding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). As Michael enters this world, his long-suppressed connection to it resurfaces, leading to internal conflict as he balances his mission and heritage.

 

 

“I didn’t make it like it was my first film. I made it like it was my last.”

Lawrence Valin sat down with Tamil Guardian, returning from the Toronto International Film Festival having sold out two screenings of his debut feature film ‘Little Jaffna’. The groundbreaking film was also selected to be screened at the Zurich Film Festival and chosen as a closing film at the Venice International Film Festival.

 

 

Jaffna’s own 29-year-old Satkunarasa Pushanthan achieved an outstanding feat at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship 2024, winning an overall silver medal at the international competition. Pushanthan had a total lift of 827.5 kg, smashing three national records to solidify his place as one of the island's top powerlifters.

Sid Sriram joined a long list of illustrious names to perform at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula, last Sunday, to mark his biggest UK solo concert to date. The multi-talented versatile singer adds another feather to his musical journey progressing from last year’s performance at the OVO Arena, Wembley. 

Australian Tamil footballer Nishan Velupillay made a stunning international debut for Australia during their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match against China, as he bagged a goal in his first international match.

^{Photograph: @Socceroos}

TJ Gnanavel’s previous feature film, Surya starrer ‘Jai Bhim’ was received with widespread acclaim, causing a movement to submit the film as India’s official selection for the Academy Award for Best International Feature. The film did not work for me, however, and the entire movement felt like an extreme overreaction for a mediocre film - an issue which plagues the Tamil film industry, where the ‘message’ of a film often trumps the quality of it.

Vashanth Selvadurai, an Eelam Tamil who fled to Denmark during the armed conflict was honored with the Danish National Award in Education, marking the first time a Tamil individual has received this prestigious recognition.

C. Prem Kumar’s debut feature film entered the pantheon of the greatest romantic dramas produced by the Tamil film industry; 2018’s ‘96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha is a delicate film told by a first-time director with an assured and gentle tone.

The BBC recently announced the voice cast for the upcoming CBeebies animated sitcom ‘Nikhil & Jay’, a series that spotlights the adventures of two dual-heritage British Tamil brothers.

The sitcom is based on a series of young chapter books by Chennai Tamil author and storyteller Chitra Soundar, who told the Tamil Guardian in an interview, that "the show is going to be funny, culturally authentic, and showcase a really lovely blend of British and Tamil culture!"