IN CELEBRATION of the Philippines-Japan Friendship month this July, the "Eiga Sai 2010", a Japanese Contemporary Film Festival, was formally opened Thursday night at Shangri-la Plaza Cinema 4.
The event was organized by the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) and the Embassy of Japan for the Filipinos to further enhance their understanding and appreciation of Japanese arts and culture.
On it's 12th year, "Eiga Sai 2010" opened the festival with the invitational screening of "Always: Sunset on the Third Street" by Yamazaki Takashi. The event was attended by students, directors, representative from the Movie Television Review and Classification Board and film enthusiasts.
The film festival will run until July 11 at Shangri-la and all films will be shown with English subtitles and admission is free.
Other Japanese films scheduled to be shown in the coming days are "The Battery Future in Our Hands" by Takita Yojiro, "I just Didn't Do It" by Suo Masayuki, "How To Become Myself" by Ichikawa Jun, "The Bandage Club" by Tsutsumi Yukihiko, "Glasses" by Ogigami Naoko, "Fourteen" by Hirosue Hiromasa, "TOKYO TOWER Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad" by Matsuoka Joji, "Mayori in the Sacred Forest by Yamomoto Nizo and Yamamura Koji's "Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor."
After the Manila screening, "Eigasai 2010" will continue its Philippine leg to Gaisano South Citimall in Davao on July 23-25, Ayala Center in Cebu on August 3-8 and will end at the UP Film Institute in Diliman, Quezon City on August 18-21.
Aside from the film festival, JFM will also showcase Japanese contemporary photography, music and theater through the line-up of events.
A Japanese Contemporary exhibit "Out of the ordinary/extraordinary" is schedule at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from June 22 till September 30.
This photo exhibit will feature the works of eleven Japanese photographers who introduce one's individuality through a series of photographs depicting new forms of expressions.
The friendship month continues with the "Yamato: Drums of Japan" three-night performance at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage (July 8), SM Mall of Asia Music Hall (July 9) and SM City North Edsa Sky Dome on July 10.
Yamamoto is one of Japan's best taiko (Japanese drum) ensemble and is composed of 17 members who combine both classic and contemporary musical formats. After their presentation in the country, the group is set to visit Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to perform for their Asian Tour.
Other events are the "Virgin Labfest Year 6" at the Tanghalan Huseng Batute at the Cultural Center of the Phillipines until July 4 and the "In the Grove: Four Japanese Ghost Stories" on July 15 to 16 at the William Shaw Theater at De La Salle University in Manila. (Glaiza Jarloc/Sunnex)