The Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam hosted a screening event for the promotion of the Japanese Film Festival Online 2024 at the Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia.
The event saw the screening of Japanese movie Single 8, a movie about high school students making a film.
The event commenced with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by guest of honours Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hajah Nurul Amal Munjiatul Athirah binti Pengiran Sura Negara Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Bey Muntassir and Siti Kamaluddin, co-founders of Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia, and Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Maeda Toru.
The Japanese Film Festival started due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to provide easy access to Japanese films and dramas, said the ambassador. This year, the festival, marking 40 years of diplomatic relations between the Sultanate and Japan, covers over 20 countries including Brunei for the first time and will feature 23 films and two dramas, ranging from comedy and historical stories to anime.
The festival is a free online streaming platform run by the Japan Foundation, offering a number of selected Japanese films and dramas that can be enjoyed by the public until July 3 on the website jff.jpf.go.jp/watch/jffoffline2024/Brunei.
Students of Mahakarya, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Universiti Teknologi Brunei were present at the screening.
Meanwhile, the embassy will host an ikebana flower arrangement workshop at the end of this month, a Japan Week at Jerudong International School next month and a Japanese Food Fair at OneCity Shopping Centre on August 24-25. – Lyna Mohamad
