Manga, mystery and mayhem at Eiga Sai

Organizers of the Eiga Sai, the Japanese film festival held annually at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, are having a tough time drafting this year’s lineup.

“We had to find movies that were just as exceptional as our past offerings,” Shuji Takatori, director of the Japan Foundation, told the Inquirer.

Last year’s fest attracted at least 25,000 viewers, according to Roland Samson, program coordinator of the Japan Foundation.

Perfect film

Takatori said that organizers found the perfect film in this year’s curtain-raiser, Sang-il Lee’s “Villain,” a controversial and award-winning noirish crime drama, released in 2010.

“This year’s opening film won five awards at the Japanese Academy Awards—including best actor for Satoshi Tsumabuki and best actress for Eri Fukatsu,” said Takatori.

The goal

The films in this year’s list are mostly based on either novels or manga comics, Takatori said.

Choosing contemporary movies based on manga comic books is one way to attract younger viewers, which is the goal of organizers, explained Samson.

“We chose 10 films from various genres. We also made sure to get only the latest movies, released between 2008 and 2011,” Takatori said.

Eiga Sai will run from July 6 to 15.

All the screenings are for free.

Ted Granados, Film Development Council of the Philippines executive director, said that the government body is supporting Eiga Sai as part of its Film Cultural Exchange Program.

“The persevering efforts of our friends from the Japan Foundation strengthen the ties between their country and ours, through cinema,” said Lala Fojas, executive vice president and general manager of Shangri-La Plaza Mall.