The Japan Foundation, Manila, in partnership with the Embassy of Japan, SM Cinema, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and JT International Philippines, brings together the first and only hybrid Japanese Film Festival this November at the SM Mall of Asia Drive-in Cinema.
With combined physical and online screenings, the Japan Foundation, Manila aims to share Japanese culture with the Filipino people in an exciting and innovative way amid the pandemic.
The Japan Foundation has carefully curated 28 full-length Japanese films from comedy, romance, drama, thriller, documentary, animation, and classic movies, which will be available for 24 hours in the newly launched JFF Plus website, https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/, run by the Japan Foundation to share Japanese films overseas.
Project Dreams: How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hangar by Hanabusa Tsutomu, the festival’s opening film, will have an extended run at the SM Cinema Drive-in at SM Mall of Asia from Nov. 20 to 22.
The story revolves around company employees including Doi of the Maeda Construction Company’s Advertising group, who has little passion for his work. One day, the group’s leader Asagawa, declares to build the for Mazinger Z, a giant robot star of a sci-fi manga and anime classic series. Having been dragged in by Asagawa, Doi and his co-workers begin living in an imaginary anime world while overcoming the hurdles of their groundbreaking project.
Admission fee of P100 per head is inclusive of popcorn, beef franks, and bottled water. Tickets are available online at https://smtickets.com/sm-drive-in-cinema.
Apart from the drive-in screenings, film enthusiasts from the Philippines, along with those from Malaysia and Thailand, will be the first among 20 countries to enjoy a diverse selection of Japan’s most acclaimed films as the Japanese Film Festival Plus: Online Festival features contemporary and classic films for audiences to enjoy in the comfort of their own space from Nov. 20 to 29.
The Japanese Film Festival is one of the exciting cross-cultural events at SM Cinema Drive-in at SM Mall of Asia.
