2013 Eiga-Sai - What films I look forward to

Confessions

My prayers were answered as this year's Eiga-Sai will feature 告白(Kokuhaku) aka Confessions. I've been longing to see it in film format and I've been pestering the Japan Foundation Manila's survey forms for two years. It's no big secret that I'm drawn with the movie - it's plot, characters, soundtrack and actors. It's a definite must for any Japanese Movie buff.

 Cast - Matsu Takako, Okada Masaki, Hashimoto Ai, Kimura Yoshino, Ashida Mana

Parade

Another I'm looking forward to is パレード aka Parade. This "flat" setting with mysterious ensemble of characters is another engrossing Japanese movie. Not as the caliber of Confessions, but it will ake you see social dynamics in a different light. 

Cast - Fujiwara Tatsuya, Karina, Kanjiya Shihori, Hayashi Kento, Koide Keisuke

ALWAYS Trilogy

ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日 (Always Sanchome no Yuhi) aka Always: Sunset on the Third Street - The Tour de Force Japanese Trilogy is making a comeback with all three movies (finally) being shown this year. I wish that the schedule would screen all of them on a common day but alas, I would just have to deal with it.

Cast - Horikita Maki,Yoshioka Hidetakam Tsutsumi Shinichi, Koyuki etc.

Rinco's Restaurant

食 堂かたつむり aka Rinco's Restaurant is just a charming movie. I think this is the first Japanese Movie I've had seen that was directed by a female Japanese director. Wonderfully made, it has this rustic and homey feel to it. Although not the strongest in this year's line-up it's this year's dark horse.

Cast - Shibasaki Kou, Yo Kumiko

2012 Taiwan Film Festival

2012 Eiga-Sai

It's that time of year(1st week July) again: ShangCineplex long queue of Eiga Sai enthusiasts (Movie Festival in Japanese).

It will be held again in EDSA Shangri-La - from July 5 'till July 15 (for the Metro-Manila leg).

Films for this year are: Villain, Railways, Tomorrow's Joe, Ninja Kids, Colorful, Abacus and Sword, Permanent Nobara, Happy Fligt, PEAK - The Rescuers and In His Charts. Admission is free just be an hour early as the queue tends to be long due to the event's popularity

For more information visit www.jfmo.org.ph

EIGA SAI 2012 Schedule

July 5 TH
Villain (Akunin) 7pm Gala Night

July 6 FR
Railways 2pm
Permanent Nobara 4:30pm
PEAK - The Rescuers 7pm

July 7 SAT
Ninja Kids 2pm
Tomorrow's Joe 4:30pm
Happy Flight 7pm

July 8 SUN
Colorful (Animated) 2pm
In his charts 4:30pm
Abacus and Sword 7pm

July 9 MON
PEAK - The Rescuers 2pm
Railways 4:30pm
Villain 7pm

July 10 TUE
Happy Flight 2pm
Tomorrow's Joe 4:30pm
Colorful 7pm

July 11 WED
Ninja Kids 2pm
Permanent Nobara 4:30pm
In his chart 7pm

July 12 TH
Abacus and Sword 2pm
Railways 4:30pm
Villain 7pm

July 13 FRI
Tomorrow's Joe 2pm
Happy Flight 4:30pm
PEAK - The Rescuers 7pm

July 14 SAT
Permanent Nobara 2pm
Ninja Kids 4:30pm
In his Chart 7pm

July 15 SUN
Abacus and Sword 2pm
Colorful 4:30pm
Villain 7pm

Cine Europa 2011

Yet another Film Festival week ahead, this time European Films! Starting September 9-18 at ShanCineplex in Shangri-La Mall, Edsa cor. Shaw Blvd. from 12nn to 9pm. First come first served basis. For more information check out http://www.shangrila-plaza.com/

5th International Silent Film Festival

This year I got the chance to see three of the six films which are my original choices: Nosferatu Germany(1922), Akeyuku Sora *Dawning Sky*Japan(1929) and L'Inferno Itally(1911).

Where to start, Nosferatu as a film itself is just amazing, and of course Marx Schreck's Graf Orlok is just legendary, they even made a fiction and a film about him being a real vampire back in 2000 with The Shadow of the Vampire which is another magnificent film but that is a different story. Goethe Institut flew in Stephan Von Bothmer from Berlin the man who's been doing the score for Nosferatu, a truly amazing musician.

Akeyuku Sora is just a darling of a movie, I finally understand the reason behind the love for melodrama by the Japanese film makers. Bandang Malaya brought in a captivating and unique sound to the whole movie.

Finally L'Inferno, the 100 year old film one of  a few surviving film from the early silent film period *and my oldest film that I've seen to date*. Ever since in 2nd year high school I've been a fan of Dante Alighieri's Divina Comedia. . The film is truly a landmark of film, a very important part of not only film history but of human culture as well. The accompanying music was done by the band Razorback. I was quite impressed on how they brought modern, pulsating, intense hard rock to make the film more interesting, unique and worthwhile. The Italian team clearly had done so much justice to the classic film with a modern day twist.

Sadly I cannot participate for tomorrow's films, I hope my dear readers/followers will be able to attend tomorrow, this is a truly once in a lifetime experience worth of your time and effort.

And now Razorback:

5th International Silent Film Festival

 

This will be tomorrow and it's going to be free!

2011 Eiga-Sai

 

This is a late post. July is Philippine - Japan Friendship month, Japan Foundation Manila organizes different activities and events such as concerts, workshops, exhibits and film showing which are usually free.

This year's Eiga Sai (Japanese for Film Festival) film selection: Departures(Okuribito)*AMPAS 2009 Best Foreign Language Film*, Your Friend(Kimi no Tomodachi), Feel The Wind(Kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru), The Chef of South Polar(Nankyoku Ryourinin), Climber's High, The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones(Tsurugidake: Ten no ki), One Million Yen Girl(Hyaku man en to nigamushi onna), Yunagi City - Sakura Country(Yunagi no machi Sakura no kuni), Summer days with Coo(Kappa no Ku to natsu yasumi) and Villion's Wife(Viyon no Tsuma).

I got to see The Summit: A Chronicle of stones, Departures, Feel the Wind, Your Friend and One Million Yen Girl during Eiga Sai's Shangri-La leg.

These said movies are my top choices, I didn't get to see Yunagi City and Chef of South Polar but I've downloaded them and they are amazing as well. I'd like to discuss more of these movies but I might spoil it to viewers who haven't seen them yet.

Departures is a magnificent film and I hope people will get to see it someday. But my personal favorite for this year's Eiga Sai has got to be Feel the Wind. I never had high expectations about the film but it got me good, a very well done film with a simple story yet the acting and direction is amazing.

That's all for now, see you all next year's Eiga Sai!