Since its opening to the public in September, SM Mall of Asia’s drive-in cinema has hosted, a number of eager movie-goers who want to experience enjoying films on the big screen as well as several cross cultural events.
The first digital edition of the Japanese Film Festival Plus: Online Festival recently kicked off with an exclusive screening at the MOA outdoor theater.
The Japan Foundation, Manila, in partnership with the Embassy of Japan, SM Cinema, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and JT International Philippines, brought together the only hybrid Japanese Film Festival, which had an extended drive-in screenings of the opening film Project Dreams: How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hangar by Hanabusa Tsutomu.
The live-action Mazinger Z-inspired film by Hanabusa Tsutomu follows the journey of Maeda Corporation’s fantasy marketing department on a mission to make the impossible possible and challenge the boundaries between reality and fiction.
During the rest of the festival, Japanese film enthusiasts were treated with 28 full-length films online—ranging from comedy, romance, drama, thriller, documentary, animation, and classic movies, which were available for 24 hours in the newly launched JFF Plus website run by the Japan Foundation.
The Manila chapter of the foundation bid goodbye to the popular EIGASAI brand in March to embrace Japanese Film Festival with a fresh selection of fun and exciting films. In 2016, the Japanese Foundation has re-branded its most-anticipated film event as the Japanese Film Festival with the same mission to promote Japanese film around the world.
The Japanese Film Festival remains an avenue to celebrate Japanese culture in the Philippines and increase people’s interest in Japanese films, as well as bridge the Asia Pacific film market and the Japanese film industry for possible collaborations.