Japan Foundation on curating unique digital experiences across arts & entertainment in COVID times

With the coronavirus pandemic putting a stop at almost all award shows and film festivals of 2020, most took the digital route including the recently held Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2020. The Japan Foundation New Delhi brought the much-awaited festival, for its fourth edition with an expansive list of 30 Japanese films from genres of varied formats and subjects including romance, drama, action and more.

In a chat with WION, Kaoru Miyamoto, Director General of Japan Foundation Delhi, spoke of bringing JFF in a new format to India given pandemic-forced restrictions and looking to a brighter future courtesy technology.

WION: What was your experience with Japanese Film Festival going digital for the first time?

Kaoru Miyamoto: The unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a swift change in how we imagine, organize and curate cultural experiences. We have always held the festival in theatres across East Asia, but the opportunity to go virtual this year allowed us to expand our reach from select theatres in major cities to near and far homes across the region. It is an interesting and exciting landscape, and we are looking forward with great anticipation that how this new outreach can communicate with Indian audiences. Perhaps, in the future we may have both theatrical and online editions so that we can reach out to as many people as possible.

WION: With the world shifting to digital what are your thoughts on exploring the internet as a space for more than communication?

Kaoru Miyamoto: The internet has always been used for curating experiences beyond simple communication. The pandemic has simply boosted the opportunities to invest in and curate unique and creative digital experiences across arts and entertainment. It may not be perfect due to its specific challenges and novelty, but it is indeed an exciting frontier for so many people. However, while we should explore the possibilities on the internet, we should not also forget how the “real” communication is essential.

WION: How were the films selected this year for the festival?

Kaoru Miyamoto: Japanese licensors are still quite apprehensive about streaming films due to rightful privacy concerns. This was a particular challenge for us in negotiating and curating recent releases for the online edition as we have done the same in the past for theatrical editions. However, as always JFF has curated diverse titles from all genres and possible narratives which allows us to give an in-depth cross-section of content from this decade of the Japanese film industry.

WION: What was the biggest hit in Japan this year? Was there any Indian film that became a stellar hit in Japan?

Kaoru Miyamoto: The much-anticipated anime feature ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train’ was the biggest hit in Japan this year.
As for the Indian film that screened in Japan, ‘Baahubali’ became very famous. Many people repeatedly watched the film in theatres.

WION: What according to you is the future of cinema in times of COVID and do you feel digital watching is the new way of entertainment?

Kaoru Miyamoto: Digital platforms for streaming content have been around for quite some time and gradually expanded operations globally and locally. The pandemic has provided a much-needed boost to streaming platforms for garnering viewership. It is certainly a significant alternate form of entertainment avenue for generations. Whether the end of the pandemic will normalize theatrical viewing or will the current boost of streaming platforms will continue to persist is to be seen. The future is indeed brimming with exciting possibilities.

WION: What according to you is the future of cinema halls in COVID time?

Kaoru Miyamoto: Once the pandemic is curbed, one can expect theatrical viewership to return to normal while also expecting a competitive spirit amongst the various OTT platforms themselves.

This year, Japanese Film Festival was held between December 4-13.