At the Osaka Asian Film Festival 2016, as part of a special program to shine a light on films from Southeast Asia, 18 films were selected for screening in the competition category and presented with subtitles. Out of the films selected, five were shown for the first time anywhere, while 10 had their first showings in Japan. Among the selections were six Vietnamese films and a very important Cambodian film from 1968. A symposium was also held on the subject of Filipino film, hosted by Kyoto University’s Center for Integrated Area Studies (CIAS) and the Asian Film Research Center, featuring the director, writer, and male lead of competition entry “Walang Forever” on a panel to discuss the ways in which Filipino culture and society are reflected in film. Organizers and press members of film festivals from ASEAN countries were also invited with the intent of improving awareness of the film festival and introduce the Japanese films that were being shown (almost all with English subtitles). In addition, lectures and information exchange meetings were held with the theme of Southeast Asian cinema in the three months leading up to the film festival.
Achievements of FY 2019 https://grant-fellowship-db.asiawa.jpf.go.jp/en/grant/cc1929/
Achievements of FY 2017 https://grant-fellowship-db.asiawa.jpf.go.jp/en/grant/cc1745/
- Related Countries
- Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, China, Hongkong, Taiwan etc.
- Co-organizer(s), Cooperator(s)
- Osaka City
- Osaka Asian Film Festival
- etc.
From the Organizer
Exceptional films from southeast Asia have been shown at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in the past, but thanks to the Japan Foundation Asia Center’s Grant Program for Promotion of Cultural Collaboration, we were able to show even more and more varied films from Southeast Asia, and invite a variety of guests, including directors and actors, to participate in talks and symposiums. We were also able to introduce elements of Southeast Asian culture and society to local visitors through these films, which were met with rave reviews despite their generally low awareness in Japan. It also provided an opportunity for young Japanese filmmakers to interact with filmmakers from Southeast Asia, which stimulated creators from both regions and will likely result in promising future collaborations. We’ll continue to introduce attendees to a wide variety of exceptional Southeast Asian films next year and beyond, opening the way to further film-based cultural exchanges.
