COLOMBO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan movie, "Frozen Fire" has become the first Sri Lankan film to enter the mainstream category for "Best Picture" at the Oscars 2019, local media reported Saturday.

The film is directed by Anuruddha Jayasinghe and is based on the controversial life of Sri Lanka's Marxist politician Rohana Wijeweera who died in 1965.

The film encompasses Wijeweera's release from jail and the conflicted twelve years that followed, allowing the audience to view the film from multiple viewpoints including that of his family and close associates.

Produced by Sri Lankan producer Chamathka Pieris, the film's preview screening took place last week at the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka.

Cinepro, one of Sri Lanka's leading production companies, said it intended to further promote the film to a global audience in the hopes of displaying the Sri Lankan film industry's growth.

In the hopes of getting a prestigious Oscar nomination, Sri Lankan films "Mansion By The Lake" and "The Road from Elephant Pass" were submitted to the Best Foreign Language Film Category in 2002 and 2008 respectively.