Organized by The Japan Foundation Asia CenterContents

Greetings
A great number of young ﬁlmmakers are emerging across the world today, as digital ﬁlmmaking has

1

Greetings

become mainstream and ﬁlm production has become more widely accessible. In Japan and other
Asian countries, ﬁlm students increasingly see international ﬁlm festivals and co-productions as
career goals. Possibilities for international collaboration are also expanding. It is in this context

2

Program Repor t & Essay #1 - #2

that the Japan Foundation Asia Center launched the... and Action! Asia : Exchange Program forStudents in Film Studies in ﬁscal 2014. The program aims to create a platform for communicationand collaboration among ﬁlm students who will represent the next generation of ﬁlmmakers in Asia

5

Program Repor t & Essay #3 - #5

and to seek possibilities of co-production in the future.
The ﬁrst year of the program took place in March 2015 and was co-organized by the Japan

16

About the ﬁlms

Institute of the Moving Image. Seventeen university students from Japan, Indonesia, Thailand andthe Philippines were invited to learn about ﬁlm in each country, as well as to visit ﬁlm studios andﬁlm festivals and experience Japanese ﬁlm culture. The second year of the program was focused

19

REPORT
Looking back at our ﬁlm production in Southeast Asia

on group work, including research, presentation and analysis for production of a short ﬁlm set inTokyo. From the third year, the program was held in a different country each year: the Philippines,
Japan and Indonesia. Each year, for approximately ten days, students and teachers from four toﬁve countries were grouped in multi-national teams to produce short ﬁlms. Screening of thecompleted works allowed the members to interact and exchange ideas with local audiences and

20

DISCUSSION

ﬁlm professionals.

Role of international exchange ‒ from the perspective of ﬁlm studies in Japan

During this time, the environment for ﬁlm studies has changed dramatically in Japan. Japanese ﬁlm
institutes have experienced a surge of enrollment by foreign students, mainly from Asian
countries. International exchange has become an everyday part of student life. In addition, video

23

Par ticipants

26

VOICESand teachers opinions.

Feedback from Par ticipants

Over one hundred students and teachers of ﬁlm studies participated in this program in the paststreaming and social networking services provided by global companies continue to diversify theway moving images are produced and watched. In the group work of this program, students freely
used different apps to express their ideas and to share their visions while taking in their peers

ﬁve years. The participants encountered different values through ﬁlmmaking. After returning totheir local communities, they screened their ﬁlms produced in the program, introduced otherparticipants works, and created new opportunities for exchange in the ﬁlm industry. Exchange
programs between schools have also sprung up, demonstrating how the network among participants is steadily growing.
Finally, we would like to thank our co-organizers, our staff, and the lecturers who have given us
their greatest support to make this program happen. We also thank all contributors to this report.

June 2019
The Japan Foundation Asia Center1

Program Report
The ﬁrst year of the program was a trial run. With the support from the Japan Institute of the Moving Image, we invited
students majoring in ﬁlm studies from three Southeast Asian countries to Japan. The participants made presentationsand visited ﬁlm-related venues and events to further their understanding of the ﬁlm culture of each country. From thesecond year, the focus shifted to group work by multinational student teams. Each team pitched proposals for short ﬁlms
staged in Tokyo, whose plots were developed by Southeast Asian student. After conducting interviews in Tokyo, they
produced footage of the short ﬁlm. The Japanese students played the role of line producer from the preparatory stages
by researching prospective interviewees and planning their teams itinerary.

FY2014Sunday, March 8 - Tuesday, March 17, 2015
VenuesJapan Institute of the Moving Image (JIMI) and other sites in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, Japan

Participating
Institutions

INDONESIA/Jakarta Institute of the Arts, THAILAND/Silpakorn University,

Participants

12 students and 3 instructors

Co-organizer

Japan Institute of the Moving Image

Sunday, March 6 - Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Venues#1#

FY2015

Participating
Institutions

Japan Institute of the Moving Image (JIMI) and other sites in Tokyo, Japan

2

INDONESIA/Jakarta Institute of the Arts, MYANMAR/National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon,
THAILAND/Silpakorn University, THE PHILIPPINES/University of the Philippines Film Institute,
VIETNAM/Ho Chi Minh City University of Stage and Cinema, JAPAN/Japan Institute of the Moving Image[Intern] Waseda University and Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University (JAPAN)

Participants

25 students (includes 5 intern students) and 5 instructors

Guest Lecturers

Edwin (Director), Tengan Daisuke (President, JIMI), Ishizaka Kenji (Professor, JIMI)

Co-organizer

Japan Institute of the Moving Image

THE PHILIPPINES/University of the Philippines Film Institute, JAPAN/Japan Institute of the Moving Image

Schedule
March 7 (Mon)

Orientation, Welcoming Reception
Workshop by Mr. Edwin: Watch and Analyze the characters of

Schedule
March 9 (Mon)

March 8 (Tue)TOKYO scene / Project Group Discussion

Lecture by Mr. Sato Tadao (Honorary President, JIMI)

Visit National Film Archive of Japan (Sagamihara) and JIMI ﬁlmmaking workshop

March 11 (Wed)Presentations by students: Film culture and industry in each country, Discussion on student s shortﬁlms, Dinner with JIMI students

March 12 (Thu)

Visit the Ghibli Museum

March 9 (Wed) - 11 (Fri)March 12 (Sat)

Preparation for the presentation

March 13 (Sun)

Public Event: Film plot presentation at the Japan Foundation Sakura Hall
[Plot Theme] Discovery of Tokyo[Plot Title] Are you there in Japan? (Thailand), Pure (Vietnam), Mask (Myanmar),[Part I] Presentation by students: Film Industry and Culture in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand

How to make a passport? (Philippines), Maneki-Neko (Indonesia)[Part II] Film Screening: Own Night with a Shooting Star

[Guest Speakers] Mr. Suwa Nobuhiro (Director / Professor, Graduate School of Film and New Media,

Panel Discussion: Filming in Southeast Asia and International Co-production

Tokyo University of Arts), Ms. Fujioka Asako (Board of Directors, Yamagata International Documentary[Guest Speakers] Mr.Aizawa Toranosuke (Screenwriter), Mr.Tominaga Masanori (Director)

Visit Osaka Asian Film Festival and Cine Nouveau

March 16 (Mon)

Lecture by Ms. Tomita Mika (Professor (former), Ritsumeikan University) and visit the Shochiku Kyoto

Students Group session of ﬁlm plot planning and Research (Filming footages) in Tokyo
Instructors meeting (closed), Gathering Dinner

Public Event at the Japan Foundation Sakura Hall

March 13 (Fri) – 15 (Sun)Workshop by Mr. Tengan Daisuke: How to direct action ﬁlms (Camera blocking)Lecture by Mr. Ishizaka Kenji: Watch The World From Dawn Till Dusk and Discuss on How to cut out

Orientation, Welcoming Reception

March 10 (Tue)Blind Pig Who Wants To Fly

Film Festival), Mr. Yasuoka Takaharu (Producer / Professor, JIMI)March 14 (Mon)

Visit the Ghibli Museum and other sites

Studio2

3

...and Action! Asia
Participant’s Essay

International Co-production Is the Future
It s important for emerging ﬁlmmakers in Southeast Asia to meet and collaborate with one another because there are so many untold stories in our
region alone. "...and Action! Asia" was a fantastic
program that encouraged an exchange of ideas
and artistic practice among the participants. I
became a better ﬁlmmaker because of it, andwhat I learned was reﬂected in my practice after
that. I carry its lessons with me until today. In
fact, I m in Tokyo on tour with my band as I write
this essay.
One of the most important lessons I learned wasfrom Tengan

Daisuke's

workshop,

where

he

explained the Japanese way of acting and being
aware of one's movements, and moving slowly to be aware of each gesture. I applied this to my artistic process, not justin scriptwriting, but in music as well.
The translation support we were provided throughout the program was very helpful. Translation is a common dynamic in
my works, and I was able to visit different Filipino communities and spaces in researching for the pitch of my ﬁlm. I
wanted to hone in on what speciﬁcally exists between the Philippines and Japan today.
Two years after "...and Action! Asia", I would be pitching "Eerie" at the Bucheon International Film Festival 2017, where
we won the National Asian Fantastic Film Award grant. The director, producer, and I shared a vision of an international
co-production, where Asian ﬁlms can cooperate to create ﬁlms and distribute them across the region.
To put it short, let Hollywood be. International co-productions are the future, and programs like these are important infostering a sense of camaraderie and community with fellow ﬁlmmakers.

#

3 5
#

The third, fourth and ﬁfth years of the program featured production of shortﬁlms by Japanese and Southeast Asian students selected through a proposal
contest, as well as workshops by local ﬁlm producers. Students were divided
into teams and held preparatory online discussions before shooting andMariah Reodica (#2 participant)Mariah Reodica is an independent ﬁlmmaker, media archivist, video artist, and musician based in Metro Manila, theediting their ﬁlm in a short time frame. At the ﬁnal screening session, theyreceived comments on their works, and interacted with local audiences inquestion and answer sessions. Each year, the participating teachers

Philippines. "Eerie", which she co-wrote with Mikhail Red, premiered in the Singapore International Film Festival 2018exchanged ideas for prospective activities, developing new initiatives

and was screened across Southeast Asia. She archived Kidlat Tahimik s footage for his latest ﬁlm, "Lakaran ni

between schools and communities.

Kabunyan(Kabunyan s Journey)." Her works have participated at the Manila Biennale 2018, the Kuala Lumpur
Experimental Film Music and Video Festival 2018, and the Quezon City Pink International Film Fest, among others. In
photo : Joey Alvero

4

2019, she also toured Japan with her band, The Male Gaze.

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Program Report...and Action! Asia#

FY2016
Sunday, February 26 - Friday, March 10, 2017
VenuesParticipating
Institutions

University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and other sites in Manila, the Philippines

3

INDONESIA/Jogja Film Academy, MALAYSIA/Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, THAILAND/Bangkok University,
THE PHILIPPINES/University of the Philippines Film Institute, Ateneo de Manila University,
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, JAPAN/Japan Institute of the Moving Image,
Nagoya University of Arts and Science, Tohoku University of Art and Design and Waseda University

Participants

Facilitator’s Essay…and Action! Asia #03: Shaping Films in 13 Days
When it comes to cinematic collaboration, nothing is more exciting than putting together young, aspiring ﬁlmmakers
with distinct cultural backgrounds from across Asia, overcoming cultural and language barriers, to work together andmake ﬁlms.
The 3rd edition of the exchange program was the ﬁrst time to be held outside of Japan, with the University of thePhilippines Film Institute (UPFI) as the main academic institution partner, in cooperation with the Ateneo de Manila

19 students and 4 instructors

University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). Also a ﬁrst in the exchange program was the produc-

Guest Lecturers

Armando "Bing" Lao (Screenwriter), Bianca Balbuena (Producer), Carlos Siguion Reyna (Director)

tion of a 5-minute short ﬁlm. The theme of the program was International Linkages in Film.

Co-organizers

Co-organized by: University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI), UP College of Mass Communication

During the 13-day program, we had the privilege of having renowned Filipino ﬁlmmakers such as producer Bianca Bal-In Cooperation with: Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB)
Supported by: UP Ofﬁce of International Linkages, Sony Philippines

buena, director Carlos Siguion-Reyna, and screenwriter Armando Bing Lao share their knowledge and insights with thestudents. In addition to their lectures, these mentors gave feedback on selected ﬁlm plots. We also had young,award-winning directors Bradley Liew and Pepe Diokno grace our event to share their experiences.
We set parameters on what would be realistic for a 13-day program. In terms of production process the allocation was
as follow: 2 days pre-production (ocular, casting and rehearsal), 3 days of shooting, and 3 days of post-production(editing and sound mix). For practical and security reasons, we required the projects to be shot on location within theuniversity campus, where we could provide a blanket permit for the students, with our UP Ikot jeepneys ferrying theexchange students and equipment during their shoot proper. There was provision for a modest production budget, tobe allocated for production design expenses such as props, art supplies, talent fees, and special requirements.
Just like a graduation thesis ﬁlm or student ﬁlm festival, the culmination of short ﬁlms becomes exciting when it isprojected on the big screen. The participants presented their colorful short ﬁlms to a panel of ﬁlm professionals andgeneral public for feedback and criticism. Interesting questions on the ﬁlms diverse story lines touching on identity,

Schedule
February 27 (Mon)food culture, and unique cultural elements were raised by local students, to which the international students graciousOrientation, Presentations by Chaperon Instructors: Film industry of each countries,
Lecture by Ms. Bianca Balbuena & Mr. Bradley Liew (Director): On Producing & How to make a presentation
Welcoming Reception (Philippine Cultural Night)

February 28 (Tue)

Lecture by Mr. Carlos S. Reyna: On Directing the short ﬁlm and Perspectives on international ﬁlm festivals
Director s Talk and Camera demonstration by Mr. Pepe Diokno
Short ﬁlm Pre-production: Equipment check and group discussion

March 1 (Wed)Workshop by Mr. Armando Bing Lao: The Storytelling of Philippine movies (scriptwriting)
Short ﬁlm Pre-production: Group discussion, Location Scouting, Casting, Rehearsal

ly responded. The public screening is an important learning experience for the ﬁlm students; a chance to have a
discerning audience to watch their ﬁlms, to listen to and accept criticism, and to engage in discourse. This also prepares them for ﬁlm festivals that give awards, so competition becomes a part of the creative and learning process.
With the Philippines as chosen host country, this was the ﬁrst time that the UPFI co-sponsored an exchange program.
It was a formidable experience wherein we provided the main logistical support. The program wouldn't have been a
success without the cooperation and generosity of our co-organizers. UPFI took care of facilitating the lectures, workshop venues, shooting locations, and securing sponsorships, while DLS-CSB provided the basic shooting and soundequipment and Ateneo De Manila University provided the post-production facilities. We also could not have done thiswithout the support of Sony Philippines who kindly lend us the cameras and lenses.
The intensive workshop made it imperative for the students to overcome many barriers ‒ language, religious, andMarch 2 (Thu) – 4 (Sat)

Short ﬁlm Production: Shooting at UPFI Premises area

March 5 (Sun) – 7 (Tue)Short ﬁlm Post-production at Ateneo de Manila U, Instructors meeting (closed), Gathering DinnerMarch 8 (Wed)Public Short Films Screening and Presentation at UPFI Cine Adarna

cultural ‒ in order to achieve the goal of creating a short ﬁlm together. This sets the stage for future collaborative
practices, both within each participants respective country and also on an international stage; within the region andwithout. Fostering this type of open collaboration can only bring positive outcomes for international relations. Being
the ﬁrst institution outside of Japan to host this initiative, the UPFI also gains experience in holding these types ofinternational exchange activities ‒ invaluable knowledge gained that can be put to good use in other endeavors.

[Guest Speakers] Mr. Armando Bing Lao, Mr. Carlos Siguion Reyna, Mr. Mark Meily (Director/ Chairmanof Digital ﬁlmmaking, DLS-CSB) and Mr. Raymond Red (Director)
Networking Reception

March 9 (Thu)

Visit Mowelfund Film Museum: Walking tour on the History of Philippine ﬁlms by Mr. Nick Deocampo

Sari Dalena (#2 Instructor participant, #3 co-facilitator)
Sari Dalena is a ﬁlmmaker and educator. She graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman with anundergraduate degree in Film and obtained her MFA degree in Film Production at New York University. Her ﬁlms

(Associate Professor, UPFI/ Documentary ﬁlmmaker/ Film historian), Intramulos walking tour,

Memories of a Forgotten War (2001) and Rigodon (2006) have been screened in numerous local and international

Visit Sinag Maynila Film Festival: Opening ceremony and screening

ﬁlm festivals. In 2012, her full-length ﬁlm

Ka Oryang

won awards at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival. She

has served as Director of the UP Film Institute.

* See page 16 for details of short ﬁlms produced in the program.

6

7

Program Report...and Action! Asia

FY2017
Wednesday, February 28 – Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Venues#Skip City Sai-No-Kuni Visual Plaza, Japan Institute of Moving Image andother sites in Kawaguchi City, Saitama, Japan

Participating
Institutions

Participants

4

参加者感想文

A Symphony Made up by Filmmakers
from Five Different Countries

LAOS/National Institute of Fine Arts, MALAYSIA/Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,

I always think cinema is a universal language.

THAILAND/Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, VIETNAM/The Centre for Assistance and Development ofPeople can understand and love a ﬁlm even if it

Movie Talents (TPD Centre), JAPAN/Japan Institute of the Moving Image, Kobe Design University, Musashino

doesn't speak their native language. In 2018, I

Art University, Tohoku University of Art and Design and Waseda University

was able to verify this again with my...andAction! Asia experience.

21 students and 4 instructors

The participants came from ﬁve different coun-

Guest Lecturers

Iguchi Nami (Director)

Co-organizers

Co-organized by: Japan Institute of the Moving Image (JIMI)

esting way we have told a stor y together in

Supported by: Japan Film School Association

cinema language. The project was like a sympho-

tries, with different languages, but in an inter-In cooperation with: Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences (NUAS)
Corporate sponsors: Canon Marketing Japan Corporation, nac Image Technology Inc.

ny in which each of us brought a timbre, an
instrument, a voice, all of which were slightly off
the beat at ﬁrst, but the patience, open attitude,
and passion for cinema that everyone sharedconnected us. Maybe the ﬁnished work is still
ﬂawed and immature, but we appreciated the process and the enthusiastic support from our instructors and the organizers. They also became our ﬁrst and most sincere audiences.
After the days and nights of preparing, ﬁlming, and editing together, I got to make new interesting friends. The
exchange with ﬁlm teachers and arts students from Japan helped me understand more about the Japanese style andqualities in cinema - which I have always admired. The visit to TOHO Film Studio also allowed me to know more about
the Japanese professional production system.

Schedule
March 1 (Thu)

After the course, I was inspired by the transnational projects with other countries' friends, not only about ﬁlm production, but also about education and distribution. The TPD Centre organized a screening of short ﬁlms and invited me toOrientation, Welcoming Reception
Workshop by Ms. Iguchi Nami: Watch and Analyze The cat leaves home (Moderator: Tsuchida Tamaki)

March 2 (Fri)

Short ﬁlm Pre-production: Group discussion and Location Scouting

share my experience with Vietnamese audiences. Many young people attended and the Q&A session was exciting,inspiring everyone to make ﬁlms. I am happy to share the useful lessons gained from the workshop to help them with
their own projects.
Since then, I've continued to develop my debut feature project "Till the Cave Fills" and other creative projects with ourEquipment Demonstration (Camera and Light)

company ever rolling ﬁlms. My short ﬁlm "Roommate" has also reached international ﬁlm festivals and won an award at
the Hanoi International Film Festival - an encouragement for me to follow my path. Currently I'm supporting the TPD

March 3 (Sat)

Short ﬁlm Pre-production

March 4 (Sun) – 6 (Tue)Short ﬁlm Production: Shooting at Kawaguchi-city and other sites

March 7 (Wed) –10 (Sat)

Short ﬁlm Post-production at JIMI

Centre to introduce new short ﬁlms to audiences every month with Open Shorts program - while writing my new shortﬁlm, "Goodbye Neighbor."

Instructors meeting (closed), Gathering DinnerMarch 11 (Sun)

Public Short Films Screening and Presentation at the Japan Foundation Sakura Hall
[Guest Speakers] Ms. Iguchi Nami, Mr. Ishizaka Kenji, Ms. Koguchi Utako (Professor, Musasino Art University), Mr. Watanabe Makoto (Professor, NUAS)

Nguyen Le Hoang Viet (#3 participant)

Networking Reception

Nguyen Le Hoang Viet is a Vietnamese ﬁlmmaker whose short ﬁlm "The Cat and the Orange Seeds" garnered acclaim

March 12 (Mon)

Visit nac Image Technology (Equipment Rental dep.) and TOHO Studios

at the Short Shorts Film Festival and others. His latest short ﬁlm, "Roommate" screened in BFI Flare London and won
at the Hanoi International Film Festival 2018. He is an alumni of Film Leaders Incubator (FLY), Autumn Meeting,Singapore Southeast Asian Film Lab, and others. His debut feature project "Till the Cave Fills" was selected for the* See page 17 for details of short ﬁlms produced in the program.

8

Southeast Asian Fiction Lab (SEAFIC) 2019 and is currently in development.

9

...and Action! Asia...and Action! Asia

Participant’s Essay

Participant’s Essay"… and Action! Asia" Enriches the Cinematic Effortsin Malaysia and Beyond

A place of cooperative group work which brings
to the fore, and tests, “individual capacities”

Looking back to my participation in the previous "...and Action! Asia" programs in both 2017 and 2018, they are both

Through the Japan Film School Association, I participated in the third, fourth and ﬁfth year of the program which took

sweet memories for me and my students. It was a blessing because I see my students went into a transformative pro-place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia respectively.

cess: an exposure that is rarely available to my students. Through the "...and Action! Asia" program, my students and I
were given an opportunity to work with students and mentors from other universities in Southeast Asia and Japan. Thiswas when we experienced ﬁlm culture other than the one we were accustomed to.
From there, my students gained the conﬁdence and skills to discuss and make ﬁlms as well as present their ﬁlms to awider audience who questioned and appreciated their efforts. Soon after our return from the program, we conducted asharing and screening session on my campus. This process encouraged other students to work harder with the hope toparticipate in the next "...and Action! Asia" program or some similar program in the future. This is certainly what we
hunger for, especially seeing that my university is located in Borneo, relatively further away from the cultural and ﬁlm
industry which is commonly based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The ﬁlms produced varied greatly depending on: the background of the country it was shot in; the tradition, educational
policy and organizational structure of the host institution; the themes assigned; the student proposals selected; and thecountries, schools, students and teachers participating.
Cooperative group work in this program not only helped the students acquire new skills in ﬁlmmaking but also made themtest, recognize and train their strength as an individual in the most rigorous way.
Film production is a complex procedure in which pressure and motivation are involved in each step: from pre- to postproduction, and then screening, viewing and critiquing. It requires ceaseless efforts for communication and consensus-building to achieve mutual understanding, as well as individual judgement and execution. Film production, with its
exquisite degree and balance between these challenges and motivation, seems to be an ideal system for human resource

Meanwhile, I am blessed with a network that I developed further in collaboration with other mentors. Last year, fordevelopment. I felt that the awareness of individual students, clashing of differences, and short-term results were most

instance, my documentary student and I were invited to the Omura Amami International Student Film Festival. From

important.

there, with the assistance of Prof. Koguchi Utako, I managed to curate ﬁlms shown in her festival in our biweekly ﬁlm
screening under the Mini Film Festival, which I managed. Many audiences expressed their gratitude for watching ﬁlms
they can hardly gain access to, unless they attend ﬁlm festivals outside of Malaysia. This is particularly true for art
and ﬁlm appreciation, which are still growing at a rather slow pace compared with neighboring countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
From this program, I slowly developed the urge and passion in building ﬁlm and art appreciation, both inside and outside of my campus. It was through exposure to this program that I realized that it all starts with us. Should I wantchange of the dire situation that I tend to complain about, I need to start with the change itself. For that, I haveactively been working with students in organizing community screenings with the aim of creating a community thatcomes together to appreciate ﬁlm and arts. In our bi-weekly screening (Duduk dan Tonton, literally translated as "Sitand Watch), we have about 40 - 80 people for each screening. This is a collaborative effort made possible partiallythrough the network I built during the "...and Action! Asia" program.
In addition, without the "...and Action! Asia" program, I would not have been able to curate the special screening eventfor the SeaShorts Film Festival 2018 in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. The same ﬁlms made during "...and Action!
Asia" were also screened on my campus to audiences of not less than 80 persons. This certainly helped in encouraging
ﬁlm appreciation among the general public in Malaysia.
Last but not least, in August 2018, I was invited to the Suan Sunandha International School of Arts (SiSA), Thailand,
to conduct a documentary workshop to a group of 40 students. This workshop exposed students to documentaryﬁlm-making and appreciation and was made possible through my connection with Mr. Teerapong Serisamran, whom I
met in the "...and Action! Asia" program in March 2018.
In short, "...and Action! Asia" has brought so much impact to participants, and most importantly it has deﬁnitely

In the third year of the program, students from the Philippines with semi-professional skills acted as capable line
producers. Japanese students, inspired by their Southeast Asian peers who are used to working in and communicatingwith a multicultural team, took every effort to make themselves understood by their teammates. They also continuously
challenged themselves and experienced growth.
Lectures by professionals at the forefront of the ﬁlm industry, location on the vast university campus resembling a city,
a splendid party at the Sinag Maynila Film Festival, and local pride in national ﬁlm history…. The short ﬁlms produced in
the program were screened in a 1,000-seat venue. Presentation and discussions took place in front of a large audience,
allowing the participants to experience the lively energy of the ﬁlm industry in the Philippines.
The fourth year of the program, open to students with less experience and to countries with fewer opportunities, gave
us a chance to reﬂect on the fundamental meaning of teamwork and creation.
In the ﬁfth year of the program, participants were given a valuable and meaningful experience in documentary ﬁlmmaking under the direction of the Jakarta Institute of the Arts. Starting with lively discussions on SNS, the students solemnly
confronted real social issues and produced their ﬁlms amidst emotional conﬂict and tension.
After participating as an observer in the third year of the program, Musashino Art University launched a co-production
workshop with Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore (although not a participant of this program), and some of ourstudents collaborated in their thesis work in the same year. Also, a young professor from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
visited the Omura Amami International Student Film Festival, which I help organize. The professor invited some of our
ﬁlms to be screened in the Mini Film Festival which he organizes. Our attempts at international cooperation are inspiredby our experiences at... and Action! Asia . I hope to ﬁnd opportunities for further development in the bonds among

students and teachers I met through the program.

enriched cinematic efforts in the region. I am grateful for the hard work of staff from the Japan Foundation Asia
Center. Thank you!

10

Yow Chong Lee (#3, #4 instructor participant)Koguchi Utako (# 3 to # 5 instructor participant)

Yow Chong Lee is currently engaged with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in teaching courses on documentary

Professor, Department of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Musashino Art University. Koguchi s career includes ﬁlm

ﬁlm-making, ﬁlm history, and ﬁlm theory. He has been directing the Mini Film Festival, the longest existing student

production, publicity of foreign ﬁlms, ﬁlm festival staff, PR video production and writing. Through ﬁlm production

ﬁlm festival in Malaysia since 2013. Starting in 2015, he has programmed ﬁlm screenings and coordinated or contrib-

workshops and selection for competitions, she has been dedicated to discovering and supporting young talents foruted to many other ﬁlm-related events such as talks, workshops, and ﬁlm festivals.

a quarter of a century.

11

Program Report...and Action! Asia#

FY2018Friday, March 1 – Thursday, March 14, 2019
VenuesParticipating
Institutions

Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta Institute of the Arts in Jakarta, Indonesia

5

INDONESIA/Jakarta Institute of the Arts, MYANMAR/National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon, THE
PHILIPPINES/The University of the Philippines Film Institute, VIETNAM/The Centre for Assistance andDevelopment of Movie Talents (TPD Centre), JAPAN/Japan Institute of the Moving Image, Musashino Art
University, Tohoku University of Art and Design

Participants
Guest Lecturers

Unplanned incidents reveal differences in thinking
Several months have passed already since I participated in... and Action! Asia

I often recall the

fast-paced two weeks I experienced with membersof the multinational team, of which I was a director.
It was an unusual experience for a documentary

21 students and 8 instructors

ﬁlmmaker who normally works alone.

Ensadi Joko Santoso (Cinematographer/ Producer), Yudi Datau (Director/ Cinematographer),

Our team consisted of ﬁve members from Indone-

Wiwid Setya (Producer)

Co-organizers

Program Reportsia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Japan (myself). In orderto shoot a ﬁlm in such a short time frame, one

Co-organized by: Jakarta Institute of the Arts
Supported by: FFTV Channel, Cinema XXI, Japan Film School Association

would normally decide on the plot ﬁrst and thenshoot accordingly. Our team, on the other hand,
encountered many unexpected incidents, such as
temporarily losing contact with our subject. We
then decided to document what was happening
and incorporate that into our ﬁlm; we tried to produce a ﬁlm not conﬁned to a plan. Consequently, we discovered images,
as well as a conclusion, that none of us had imagined before the project began.
It was interesting to observe how each member of our team interpreted the situation differently and held different
opinions on how to incorporate such unexpected incidents into our ﬁlm. In every meeting, members exchanged views:
This event could mean such-and-such, if considered from this-or-that angle.

Sometimes I was taken by surprise byideas different from my own; other times I could not understand the others views. Those views may have been incomprehensible at the time, but I believe they may be useful later in a different scene.

Schedule
March 2 (Sat)Orientation, Mini Exhibition of "... and Action! Asia", Watch Short documentary ﬁlms
Short ﬁlm Pre-production: Group discussion

March 3 (Sun)Lecture by Mr. Yudi Datau: On Film Directing Documentary
Lecture by Ms. Wiwid Setya: On Film Producing Documentary
Lecture by Mr. Ensadi Joko Santoso: On Camera Techniques
Short ﬁlm Pre-production: Group discussion and Research

The other team members views come from their knowledge and experiences. At the time I did not share their views.
However, their views might help me overcome dilemmas in future projects.
The members of... and Action! Asia

were varied in their history, culture, backgrounds and strengths. What we had incommon was that we were all ﬁlmmakers. This helped us understand and overcome difference in viewpoints and work
procedures. By participating in this program, I could encounter new perspectives and broaden my experience in ways notpossible had I stayed in Japan.
When I feel like I have hit a wall, I shall recall that my teammates may likewise be going through trial and error in their

March 4 (Mon)

Equipment Demonstration (Camera and Sound recording), Short ﬁlm Pre-production

March 5 (Tue)Short ﬁlm Pre-production

March 6 (Wed) – 8 (Fri)

Short ﬁlm Production: Shooting at sites in Jakarta

March 9 (Sat) – 11 (Mon)

Short ﬁlm Post-production, Instructors meeting (closed)

March 12 (Tue)Public Short Films Screening and Presentation at TIM XXI

projects. Their knowledge and experience might assist me then. International cooperation can widen your horizontal
thinking, trigger new ideas and development and ﬁnd solutions that may otherwise be overlooked.
I would like to express my gratitude for the valuable experience and precious opportunity given to me through thisClosing Reception

March 13 (Wed)teammates.

Koike Miki (#5 participant)

Visit the National Museum of Indonesia (Museum Gajah), National Gallery of Indonesia and MONAS* See page 18 for details of short ﬁlms produced in the program.

12

program. I sincerely hope that my own knowledge and experience, limited as they are, might one day be of help to my

Koike graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Imaging Arts and Sciences, where she produced
documentary ﬁlms. She spent two years researching in Chernobyl and Fukushima to produce her thesis documentaryon civil movements after nuclear disasters. As a freelance director, Koike continues to make documentaries on
people s livelihoods and the natural environment.

13

...and Action! Asia
Facilitator’s Essay

A bridge that connects different cultures tonext generation
When Indonesia was selected as the destination of "... and Action! Asia #05" and the Faculty of Film and Television of
the Jakarta Institute of the Arts was made the co-organizer of the program, we saw it as an honor and a great opportunity to introduce Indonesia, especially Jakarta, to the participants of the program coming from various countries.
Through this program, our participants, who are young ﬁlmmakers having education at ﬁlm schools, had various opportunities to discuss, explore, understand the culture of Jakarta and its residents, and obtain an unforgettable experience. Also, the mentors ‒who are the lecturers of universities and institutes of arts ‒ guiding each group experienced
teaching students from various countries. Moreover, each mentor had an opportunity to discuss the educational
system in each college and open further cooperation opportunities for the development of movie education in the
future.
The challenges of this activity were a limited amount of time to create documentary ﬁlms, and different charactersand perspectives required discussions which were often hampered by the language barrier. However, at this point, theobstacle became a challenge for each participating individual. Discussing to mutually understand the restrictions of
one and another, focusing on the solution, and not easily giving up were conducted so that the learning process kept
going on until reaching a goal---which was the creation of the documentary ﬁlm by the participants of "... and Action!
Asia #05."
All existing obstacles were seen as worth overcoming when the ﬁlm that was made as the result of the workshop was
screened on the wide screen of a movie theatre. When the program was done, and all participants had returned totheir countries, there was an understanding that the passing days actually transformed each participant into a new
person who brought back home the value of harmony between humans from different backgrounds.
Therefore, it is not exaggerating if we said that the "... and Action! Asia" program initiated by the Japan Foundation
Asia Center is not only an international movie workshop program, but also a bridge to connect cultures of countries
from one generation to the next. We hope that we can create a program strategic between young ﬁlmmakers-students
from ﬁlm schools in Asia, where we can give them a medium to meet, discuss, and share their thoughts through theirﬁlms because we believe that "... and Action! Asia" is a starting point that leads to bigger plans.
Jakarta, Indonesia
April 30, 2019

Suryana Paramita (#5 co-facilitator)
Suryana Paramita began her career as script writer at one of major national free-to-air terrestrial television stationsin Indonesia in 2009. Then she jumped into art performance as a writer and an assistant to the director. Currently,
she is working as a freelance writer, also a lecturer major in Film Scriptwriting and the Vice Dean for External Relationsin the Faculty of Film and Television, Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

14

...and Action! Asia
About the films#

The Philippines
Theme
Filming Location

Student Life

Impressions of Manila

Richness and Diversity in Cultures

Quezon City, the Philippines

KELLY AND THE TV HEAD

32017 / 6 min / Drama

#

Japan
Hope

Theme
Filming Location

SecretKawaguchi City, Saitama and other sites, JapanDAILY TRAIN

2018/ 8 min / Drama

Today is Kelly s birthday. Her best friend Jade says she has a special

Some train station platform. Sitting on the bench, Hirota hears soft musicpresent for her and takes her to the cinema in town. At ﬁrst Kelly is notfrom behind. Mineko, by star-crossed chance, was listening to his favorite

interested, but an unexpected experience awaits her at the cinema.

song. He hands her an album and the two connect through music.

[STAFF] Director: Ikmar Sarbini, Screenplay: Ikmar Sarbini/Nehemiah Yap, Producer: Kaye Banaag,[STAFF] Director: Herald Nyumbang Anak Nyulim, Screenplay: Nguyen Diep Thuy Anh, Producer: Horikawa

Assistant Director: Gi Ilagan, Cinematographer: Supakit Sonsee/Egha Harismina, Editor, VFX: Egha Harismina,

Kyohei, Cinematographer: Sarun Kositsukjaroen/Fujimoto Sho, Music, Sound Composer: Fujimoto Sho,Art Director: Fukuda Kento, Music: Elijah Salvador/Nehemiah Yap, Sound recordist: John Peter Chua

Editor, Art Director: Sasaki Akane, Sound Recordist: Phoutthanome Keopaseuth[CAST] Pau Benitez, Alice Gonzales[CAST] Mugidejiko, Okazaki Makoto

TASTE OF LIFE

2017/ 6 min / Drama

YOUR SHIRT, MY SOCKS

2018 / 13min / Drama

Nam, a food blogger from Thailand, had come to the Philippines to report on

A laundromat in the city. A towel left by someone comes in handy for theits cuisine. Local guide Lilly takes her to the neighborhood food stall andcleaning lady. On another day, a small knitted article forgotten by some-

unwittingly serves a pork dish to Nam, who is Muslim. A gastronomical journey

one unexpectedly warms someone else s heart. The lost and found box

that began with misunderstanding eventually bonds the two in friendship.

connects people of different nationalities and professions.

[STAFF] Director: Atthawut Intagoon, Screenplay: Atthawut Intagoon/Alphonzo Alegrado, Producer:[STAFF] Director: Ekin Kee Charles、Screenplay, Producer: Ashizawa Mayuko, Cinematographer: Nguyen Le

Miggy Hilario, Assistant Director: Alphonzo Alegrado, Cinematographer: Evan Secunda, Editor: Atthawut

Hoang Viet, Unit Production Manager: Kim Myoungyoon, Sound Composer, Recordist: Myumyu Higashiyama,

Intagoon/Evan Secunda, Art Director: Ishii Koichiro, Sound recordist,composer: Nehemiah Yap

Editor, Sound Recordist: Witchayoot Ponpraserd, Art Director: Okada Mayuko, Lighting: Xayaveth Keovilay[CAST] Elimore Evangelista, Genevieve Reyes[CAST] Kawashima Nobuyoshi, Murata Natsuki, Minamihisamatsu ManaRED

THE IMAGE OF SECRET

2017/ 7 min / Drama

2018/ 10 min/ Documentary

A student stands in front of two doors, searching for one s color . Behind the

Do you have a secret that cannot be conﬁded?

door lay a challenging drama for the student…

secret ?

[STAFF] Director, Screenplay: Hayashi Kenji, Producer: Brainard Bill Barrinuevo, Assistant Director: Tin
Chanabangkaew, Cinematographer: Herry Setyadi, Editor: Anthony Saleh Ngau, Art Director: Katrina
Ysabel P. Villarosa[CAST] Victoria Fabella, Kristia Doroy, Cai Antonio

4

In your view, what is a

Through interviews, people share their thoughts on secrets

and express them in a drawing. A carefree dialogue continues in pursuit of
the meaning of secrets.
[STAFF] Director, Scriptwriter: Jirakan Sakunee, Producer: Yoshida Daiju, Assistant Director: Kusama
Ryota/Hirose Moeri, Cinematographer: Tran Huu Thanh/Hirose Moeri, Editor: Hirose Moeri/Tran Huu
Thanh/Wravong Phrachanh, Sound Recordist: Kasmirul Iqmal Noruden, Script Supervisor: Wravong
Phrachanh

16

17

REPORT...and Action! Asia
About the films#

Indonesia
Survival

Theme
Filming Location

5

Looking back at our film production in Southeast Asia
Panel discussion at the college students’ film screening program “S.T.E.P.” (held on March 21, 2019 at K’s Cinema in Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Panelists: Koguchi Utako (Professor, Musashino Art University), Ozaki Yuichi (#5 participant), Koike Miki (#5 participant), Hayashi Kenji (#2 and #3 participant)Koguchi:

RED , directed by Mr. Hayashi and shot in theit improves our work.

So we would edit, seek advice from

Philippines, has a conceptual theme. How were you able tothe instructors, and then try to carry out their advice,

share a creative vision with a team composed of those fromrepeating this many times. We were a really good team.

differing cultural backgrounds, using English as the basic

Jakarta, Indonesia

language of communication?
Hayashi: It was extremely difﬁcult as we had to ﬁrst commu-

CINTA, SINTA (LOVE,LOVE)

nicate our own religious views in order to communicate the2019 / 9min / Documentary

Three transgender individuals, living in their home countries of Indonesia andthe Philippines. Each has a story to tell: a story of emotional conﬂict generated
by their interaction with others around them.
[STAFF] Director: Kervin Quieta, Assistant Director: Sophia Isip, Cinematographer, Sound Mixer: Kawasaki Taro,
Editor: Luqman Hakim, Production Manager: Putri Ahimsa Ibrahim, Production Assistant: Carine Nabila

conceptual themes. As each of us had our own religious
views, be it Christian or Muslim, it was a challenge tocommunicate personal interpretations using only English.
On the other hand, sometimes the team members would
come over with a dictionary, asking ‒ Is this what you wantto say? ‒ and try to meet me halfway. We would show eachother stills or clips of scenes from other movies as a tool tocommunicate our creative visions.

Koguchi: I think Ms. Koike s team was somewhat diverse interms of the production approach among students ofdifferent

countries.

What

did

you

think

about

the

teamwork?

I’M ON THE WAY

Koike: It s true, there were differences in our ways ofthinking. Some thought it better to decide on the composi-

2019 / 8min / Documentarytion ﬁrst and do as planned. Others felt it better to incorpo-

A trafﬁc jam, an every-day scene in Jakarta. A woman who commutes earlyrate as much as possible the things that were happening

every morning on a car driven by her irritated husband. A driver who makes aalong the way. So, a considerable amount of time was spent
discussing whether it was necessary to include what wasliving chauffeuring a bajaj (tricycle taxi). The ﬁlm focuses on how people deal

happening at the moment and what effect it might have. As

with these urban challenges.

we moved forward, we would narrow the gap in thinking, and[STAFF] Director, Script Supervisor: Herry Bhaskara, Producer: Paula Nanlohy, Cinematographer: Hirose Moeri, Editor:
Hein Thura, Sound Recordist, Script Supervisor: Tran Thanh Van, Production Assistant: Muhammad Abdillah Farhan

Koguchi: Mr. Ozaki and Ms. Koike worked as directors in thisrepeat the process as new ones emerged; that in itself wasyear s program focusing on documentary production. Whilean extremely interesting experience.

there were concerns about completing the projects in such

STARLING’S JOURNEY

a short period, their teams managed to shoot footages in2019 / 10min / Documentary

There are those who make a living by hawking things like coffee and tissues on the
trafﬁc-clogged streets of Jakarta. Nineteen-year-old Faris is one of them. As thecity develops and police checks tighten, how will he survive the urban jungle?

areas that are hard to access, even for locals. I think their

Koike: There are many situations in which one has to makeimportant.

a case to others why a piece is necessary or why one wants

Koike: I wanted to learn about a whole range of conditions
and asked local students to conduct much research. They
made all kinds of suggestions, like there s this person you
might want to interview. Thanks to that we had a lot ofRecordist/Production Manager: M. Farhan Ananda, Editor: Ho Thanh Thao, Production Assistant: Mario Ewansya

materials before going on site.
Ozaki: We had also done the same, but everybody was toobusy and for various reasons our subject changed on the2019 / 11min / Documentary

Economic growth has come hand-in-hand with widening gaps of wealth in Indonesia. Through a day in the life of a family that struggles to survive by recycling
garbage in the megacity of Jakarta, we ask: What is happiness?
[STAFF] Director: Ozaki Yuichi, Producer: Fadhilah Khairani, Assistant Director: Bagaditya Ganetha,
Editor: Aaron Alsol, Cinematographer: Myo Thar Khin, Sound Recordist: Nguyen Duy Thanh, Production
Assistant, Translator: Eileena Julinda Lyana

will connect to your own future work?

discussions on SNS before production were also very

[STAFF] Director: Koike Miki, Producer: Htet Zin Thein, Cinematographer: Achmad Abdul Toyib, Sound

HAPPY SITI?

Koguchi: How do you think the experience with this projectﬁrst day of the program… so we changed the contents of
our interviews on site.
Koguchi: We had the cooperation of local staff, including
the teachers, and there was a tremendous commitment toconstantly improving the ﬁlm even at the ﬁnishing stage.
We would ﬁrst try something and then discuss what wesaw… in that way, I think we were pursuing a very positive
production process.

to produce something. It was therefore an extremely goodexperience to practice such presentations, of convincing
others with words, using English. I believe it will be an
important tool for me in the future.
Ozaki: What I felt was that the desire to produce something,
and to improve it, is shared by all, regardless of where they
are from. I realized that the emotion which brings the mostjoy or interest for oneself is at the base of ﬁlmmaking, andthat it is a universal emotion.
Hayashi: I m currently making documentaries, and it is normal
for each member of the crew to come to the process from adifferent starting point. That s why there is meaning indoing this through international exchanges with manydifferent countries. I hope to continue valuing this feelingof connection when making something together.

Ozaki: Everybody obviously was thinking: Let s try this, if* The work is now available on the Japan Foundation Asia Center ofﬁcial website. https://jfac.jp/

18

19

DISCUSSION...and Action! Asia
Discussion

Role of international exchange – from the perspective of film studies in Japan
Panelists: Ishizaka Kenji (Professor, Japan Institute of the Moving Image, Dean of Department of Film Studies), Tsuchida Tamaki (Lecturer, Waseda University
School of Fundamental Science and Engineering), Watanabe Makoto (Professor, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Department of Visual Media)

were able to learn how to negotiate among team members or

be more aware of this challenge of connecting the making

to communicate one s thoughts to others. Essentially that isand the viewing of ﬁlms.

not something related to language or nationality. To be alittle sarcastic, the fact that students enjoyed this aspect

Watanabe: I would ﬁrst like to ask about how this program

have been accepted onto the world s most prestigious

began.

stages of ﬁlm, such as Cannes. So for one thing, it made me

Ishizaka: It started when the Japan Foundation Asia Center
was established in 2014 with an agreement to enable theexchange of the younger generation of ﬁlmmakers in Japanand Southeast Asia. For the ﬁrst year in March 2015, theJapan Institute of the Moving Image (henceforth JIMI)
hosted the program.

think about my own approach, not just those of thestudents. Another point, perhaps particularly with ouruniversity, is that we had been encouraging our Japanese
students to go abroad for exchanges, but in the last two,
three years the number of foreign students has surged.
Since our school itself has become so international, with
mixed teams, I have started asking myself what meaningof the program could mean that this process is missing intheir university curriculum. Or rather it is not as obvious forthe students when they are in an environment they are used
to, but it manifests itself when they join this kind of
program.
Watanabe: Looking at the ﬁlms completed this year, andperhaps because they were all documentaries, I get the
impression that the Japanese students were engaging withthe foreign students naturally, in a way completely different
from the so-called traditions of Japanese ﬁlmmaking. They

screening every Friday. It is open to the public for free andfamilies may come watch; at the same time, there will be, forexample, an explanation of the French New Wave (LaNouvelle Vague) at the screening. Students all looked
forward to these screenings and would go to them in theevenings even if they were in the middle of production.
Tsuchida: The process of describing a ﬁlm with words isnecessary for ﬁlmmaking. One has to use one s head in away different from just mindlessly watching a ﬁlm, so I think
the students enjoyed the screening workshop.

Tsuchida: For the ﬁrst two years when the program took

there is to send Japanese students overseas. I am telling myplace in Japan, I thought very hard about what the Southeast

students that professional ﬁlm crews will become increas-

may have struggled if they had to think about structure andIshizaka: After the Philippines, production took place the

Asian students should bring back home. We went to a Kyoto

ingly international.

framework and capture something out of these abstrac-

following year in Japan. What do you think were theTsuchida: It is said that there is a shortage of assistants

tions, but many of the ﬁlms produced were composed as achallenges and beneﬁts of hosting the program in Japan?

string of visual images, making them both aesthetical-

studio, watched

Pigs and Battleships

in order for them tolearn about Japanese ﬁlm history and industry, and had
Professor Sato Tadao speak to them. It was a little too
ambitious to make a ﬁlm during their stay, so for the ﬁrst year
we didn t. Instead we spent half a day watching thesis ﬁlms
and other productions from students of the participating
schools; the students enjoyed it as they wanted to view theﬁlms of other university students. The participating Thai
university department was not one that taught ﬁlmmaking
techniques, but the students were all making quite a lot ofﬁlms.

and production staff on Japanese ﬁlm sets. I don t know if
this is a good thing, but from the standards of averageindustries, it would not be so surprising if foreign workers

ly-driven and vivid. Perhaps it was good to select documentaries instead of drama.

not, they were using small cameras to make travel journals
and uploading them onto the internet. They were ﬁlming as
if writing with a pen. So for someone who daily teaches
students that you need to work out a step-by-step plan
when making ﬁlms, I remember wondering how I would ﬁll
this gap with their completely different approach.
Tsuchida: For those making ﬁlm at art universities, like theforinstructing

what. JIMI

supportedthepost-production and took care of students late into thepositions available for foreign students, making the hurdle

night. If there was an instructor who could not only oversee

for them ﬁnding employment quite high.

the ﬁlm sets but also provide frequent advice on direction or

Ishizaka: On the other hand, there are foreign students whoon technical matters throughout the program, it may not be

want to start a business in Japan, and some have actuallynecessary to rely on one university. But then again it isdone so. Just like our bubble-era generation.

difﬁcult for just one or two teachers to be overseeing thestudents over this long period.
Ishizaka: Applications for participating in this program
must be written in English, and because of this we have notcourse. Through the presentations, students were to learn

had a large number of applicants from our university. Yet, I

about building ﬁlm production teams and selecting ﬁlm

think it was a fruitful experience for applicants like Mr.

themes. Although discussions tended to center aroundHayashi and Mr. Ozaki Yuichi who did take on the challenge.

those good at speaking English, the presentation roles wereFilms can become great even when made under terrible

well thought-out, and I believe the participants from thatconditions, or they could be boring even if the crew got

year are closely in touch with each other even today.

along very well. I think in these respects this was an educa-

Ishizaka: And so in the third year, time was ripe for the
program to move abroad, to the University of the Philippines.

be somewhere unspoken. It s all quite difﬁcult.

especially challenged in being more self-assertive, but ashe made tremendous efforts to communicate, his personal

much resistance to such an approach. But for places likegrowth was great. Developing as a human being, not just

JIMI, the style is quite different. Although that difference inbecoming a ﬁlmmaker, is one of the objectives of the (Japan

itself is a good thing.

Film School) Association. I feel this program was well-suited
for achieving this educational goal.

period requires cooperation across faculties, and whenother events are scheduled, they might have no choice but
to refuse. When asked how many students are participating,or what the merit will be for the school, it s hard to give
answers. But international exchanges are of that nature.

unreservedly, but in fact you may have been completely
misled. Or you may be refused an interview. Or the truth may

tive parts well. Hayashi Kenji (JIMI) who was directing seemed

program. For a university to provide space over a certain

think all is going well with a subject who is answering

program in the Philippines. They were assigned the roles ofart directors and directors, and each were doing their respec-

Ishizaka: Building a base camp is indeed an issue for thistional experience. When making a documentary, you might

Watanabe: Three students from Japan participated in theMusashino Art University, I don t think there would be too

Ishizaka: Director (Brillante) Mendoza also takes a similar

Professor Koguchi Utako at the Musashino Art University toresponsible

Japanese ﬁlm and video production companies do not haveis done in JIMI s Ningen Sogo Kenkyu (human science)

Regardless of whether there was a production program or

the whole program, so we had Professor Watanabe andous as to what was going to be done and who was going be

to Japan to ﬁnd work in the ﬁlm industry. But in most cases,

was an instructor, we had a pitching session of projects, as

Ishizaka: Everybody was ﬁlming a lot during their stay.

Tsuchida: That year we did not have a host institution for

quickly prepare and provide instruction, but it was ambigu-

were to ﬁll these jobs. And foreign students are also coming

Tsuchida: In the second year when Professor Yasuoka (Takaharu)

20

Watanabe: At the AFI (American Film Institute), there is a

Tsuchida: When the program took place in Japan, wewelcomed Director Iguchi Nami and Director Edwin for a ﬁlm
screening workshop. It is said that Japan does not haveeducation through ﬁlm screening, but I felt that Southeast
Asia was even more lacking in this respect. At universities in
the US for example, ﬁlm screening courses are required for

Watanabe: In that sense, in the Philippines, the university

credit. In Japan, ﬁlmmakers like Mr. Kore-eda Hirokazu andcampus was a city in itself, so it was safe to ﬁlm within the

Mr. Suwa Nobuhiro do include screening in their classes, but

campus, making it an interesting environment. I guess there
is no such university in Japan…[laughs]

approach on site: running a small camera, with no lighting,Tsuchida: The best thing from the participants evaluation

still the amount of ﬁlms that students watch is inadequate.

with a small crew. And his ﬁlms which were made like thatof the program has been that, for every year, many say theyI think the Association and all those who teach ﬁlm need to21

...and Action! Asia
Discussion

Tsuchida: During the second year, the Japan Foundation

Ishizaka: That s the result of not just the universities but

intern students attended each of the teams as translators

ﬁlm industry itself not really demanding internationaland guides. In the future, there is a possibility that students

perspective in training people. Unless that changes it would

studying international exchange and foreign languages

be difﬁcult. The Japanese version of the Ten Years project

could participate and universities could cooperate in provid-(a Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan joint production)

ing facilities.

supervised by Director Kore-eda connects short ﬁlms

Ishizaka: Are we going to continue this as international
exchange or ﬁlm exchange? Southeast Asian producers,
especially the female producers around the same age as ourstudents and blazing along on their careers, have tremendous negotiating skills. In Japan, even in the professional
world, there is a great shortage of producers who can work
internationally. Perhaps one way to overcome this handicap
is to equip young and energetic teams with a language
specialist. The second year, we saw the prototype model ofsuch a team.

co-produced by young directors. Perhaps the next stage...and Action! Asia

should be something like that. On the other hand, the mostfrequent requests to JIMI from Asian countries concern how
to write scenarios. Although short ﬁlms are booming in

ParticipantsSoutheast Asia, the ability to develop scenarios out of shortﬁlms into feature ﬁlms is weak everywhere, so they needhelp from Japan. There may be strong demand fromSoutheast Asia for a workshop on scenario-writing, thoughthat is quite a specialized area. Without limiting ourselves somuch, what other possibilities can we think of next if we see
ﬁlm as a tool for deepening friendship?

Tsuchida: In Japanese universities, in faculties of international relations or exchange, there are students who areskilled in languages and like ﬁlms, as well as classes inwhich foreign countries are studied through ﬁlm. But inthese cases, ﬁlms are used as a means of study, not as an
object of study in itself. Also, in Japan there are many whowish to produce ﬁlms, but I think that the rapport between
these people and those who are actually making things on
set are not necessarily so good. Those who make ﬁlm should
brush up their language skills, and those who wish to
produce should come to love ﬁlms… I think that is a very
reasonable wish that we all share.
Ishizaka: Professor Watanabe has been teaching at the22

Tsuchida: In the course I teach with Mr. Kore-eda at
Waseda University, we spend one year making a ﬁlm, but for

Busan Asian Film Academy as an instructor and the Busanhalf of it the students continuously make presentations.

Asian Film School for training producers was established

Above all, making a ﬁlm is not just about expressing

two years ago. At this school, students and instructors comeyourself, but being able to logically convince others andfrom all over Asia, and all instruction is in English. Although

think through in detail what will be necessary in the script

the process of writing scenarios may be unique to eachto make the ﬁlm interesting. Even if the work does not, incountry, the training of producers is a global thing. If thethe end, come to fruition, I think learning these skills are

Japan Foundation takes initiative in the future, it would be

more important for students while they are in school and are

wonderful to develop such a course.

not yet professionals.

Tsuchida: Looking to the future of Asia, are you thinking ofI think we are, including this program, facing a transition

perhaps a consortium ‒ an institution which nurtures

phase. Looking forward, I believe there will be many moreproducers capable of developing cultural projects between

cases of ﬁlms being made with Southeast Asia as a ﬁeld,

Japan and theoutside ? Since existing ones tend to be

disregarding borders. In fact, some like Mr. Hayashi and Mr.

driven by the logic of large corporations, I think it is import-

Yoshida Daiju (JIMI) have participated in the program

ant to have one that is ﬁrmly rooted in ﬁlm culture. Many

several times. In ten years or so, when they become

who have graduated would be grateful to have an opportu-

directors or are in positions responsible for television andnity to study once again if an organization like the Founda-

news projects, their accumulated network and experiencetion can take the lead to create such a course. It has been

will become invaluable. In Southeast Asia, young directors

said, since I was a student, that Japan is lacking in produc-start their careers early; and so, they should have manyers with international perspective and those who are able toopportunities to engage in various ﬁlm projects, rather thanread scripts. The situation hasn t changed much. And evenjust focusing on the domestic ﬁlm market. They are mostPutra Utama, Julita Pratiwi, Sabila Nurbayani <Instructor> Seno Gumira Adjidharma [Silpakorn University] Sattaya

if one studies ﬁlm overseas, there is no market for shortinspired and encouraged by their peers at their age. So it

ﬁlms in Japan and in many cases the route to ﬁnding a job

would be great if we can, in one way or another, bring theJanchana, Soraya Chiewchanchai, Suwanun Pohgudsai <Instructor> Sasawat Boonsri [University of the Philippines

in the ﬁlm business is cut off. In that sense, Director

participants of this program together again on a regular

Ishikawa Kei who studied in Poland is a unique case.

basis.

#

1[Japan Institute of the Moving Image] Ando Shoji, Haraguchi Daiki, Kitsuki Kosho, Kondo Nozomi, Takemure Ayano, UchidaJun, Yasuyama Takumi <Instructors> Ishizaka Kenji, Tsuchida Tamaki [Jakarta Institute of the Arts] Asaf Kharisma

Film Institute] Antonne Rafael Santiago, Maria Margarita Mina, Rod-Michael Tumbaga <Instructor> Roehl Jamon[Program Coordinators and Advisors] Ishizaka Kenji, Tsuchida Tamaki

23

#

2

[Japan Institute of the Moving Image] Hayashi Kenji, Maruyama Sakutaro, Ueda Akari, Yonezawa Haruki, Yoshida Daiju<Instructors> Ishizaka Kenji, Tsuchida Tamaki, Yasuoka Takaharu [Ho Chi Minh University of Stage and Cinema] Ho Cat
Nguyen, Nguyen Dieu Huyen, Nguyen Quoc Viet <Instructor> Nguyen Trung Phan [Jakarta Institute of the Arts] Ella Putri
Maning, Erina Adeline Tandian, Julius Pandu Pratama Hijrianto <Instructor> Bambang Supriadi [National University of Arts andCulture,Yangon] Htun Tauk Moe Thu, Ko Ko Maung, Wadi Thet Htut <Instructor> Khin Htwe Nge [Silpakorn University]
Khemruji Teerakawong, Pathompong Praesomboon, Siripat Nomruk <Instructor> Sasawat Boonsri [University of the Philippines
Film Institute] Daniel Sunga Saniana, Jan Andrei Cobey, Mariah Christelle Reodica <Instructor> Sari Raissa Dalena [Interns] Kurita
Hidemi, Ueda Mai, Yoshida Akari (Waseda University), Camilia Salsabilla, Suetsugu Satsuki（Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University）[Program Coordinators and Advisors] Ishizaka Kenji, Shimada Ryuichi, Tsuchida Tamaki, Yasuoka Takaharu

#

3

4

[Japan Institute of the Moving Image] Kim Myoungyoon, Yoshida Daiju [Kobe Design University] Higashiyama Myumyu[Musashino Art University] Ashizawa Mayuko, Fujimoto Sho, Hirose Moeri [Tohoku University of Art and Design] Sasaki
Akane [Waseda University] Horikawa Kyohei, Kusama Ryota [National Institute of Fine Arts (Laos)] Phoutthanome
Keopaseuth, Xayaveth Keovilay, Wravong Phrachanh <Instructor> Souliya Phoumivong [Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University]
Jirakan Sakunee, Sarun Kositsukjaroen, Witchayoot Ponpraserd <Instructor>Teerapong Serisamran [TPD Centre] Nguyen
Diep Thuy Anh, Nguyen Le Hoang Viet, Tran Huu Thanh <Instructor> Do Quoc Trung [Universiti Malaysia Sarawak] Kasmirul Iqmal Bin Noruden, Herald Nyumbang Anak Nyulim, Syahnur Asyikin Kee Charles <Instructor> Yow Chong Lee[Program Coordinators and Advisors] Ishizaka Kenji, Koguchi Utako, Misawa Takuya, Tsuchida Tamaki, Watanabe Makoto#

5[University of the Philippines Film Institute] Brainard Bill Barrinuevo, Katrina May Banaag, Lorenzo Miguel Hilario <Instructor>[Jakarta Institute of the Arts] Achmad Abdul Toyib, Bagaditya Ganetha, Fadhilah Khairani, Herry Bhaskara, Luqman

Sari Raissa Dalena [Ateneo De Manila University] John Peter Chua <Instructor> Jose Angelo Supangco [De La Salle-College ofHakim, M. Farhan Ananda, Paula Nanlohy, Putri Ahimsa Ibrahim <Instructors> Devina Soﬁyanti, Ali Musthafa Khairi, Ignasius

St. Benilde] Alphonzo Climaco Alegrado, Gilan Paolo Ilagan, Katrina Ysabel Villarosa <Instructor> Kay Donato [Bangkok Universi-

Loyola, Arly Yanatri Zainsty [National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon] Hein Thura, Htet Zin Thein, Myo Thar Khinty] Atthawut Intagoon, Supakit Sonsee, Tin Chanabangkaew <Instructor> Nuntanat Duangtisarn [Jogja Film Academy] Egha

<Instructor> Khin Htwe Nge [The University of the Philippines Film Institute] John Aaron Alsol, Kervin Angelo Quieta,

Muhammad Harismina, Evan Secunda, Herry Setyadi <Instructor> Yusmita Akhirul Latif [Universiti Malaysia Sarawak] Anthony

Sophia Marie Isip <Instructor> Bryan Taon Quesada [TPD Centre] Ho Thanh Thao, Nguyen Duy Thanh, Tran Thanh Van <In-

Salen Ngau , Nehemiah Yap Jia Sheng, Nur Ikmar Bin Sarbini <Instructor> Yow Chong Lee [Japan Institute of the Moving Image]structor> Do Quoc Trung [Japan Institute of the Moving Image] Ozaki Yuichi [Musashino Art University] Koike Miki,

Hayashi Kenji [Tohoku University of Art and Design] Fukuda Kento [Waseda University] Ishii Koichiro [Nagoya University ofHirose Moeri <Instructor> Koguchi Utako [Tohoku University of Art and Design] Kawasaki TaroArts and Science] Watanabe Makoto (Instructor) [Musashino Art University] Koguchi Utako (Instructor)[Student Volunteer Staffs] Carine Nabila, Eileena Julinda Lyana, Mario Ewansya, Muhammad Abdillah Farhan[Program Coordinators and Advisors] Sari Raissa Dalena, Icho Pascual, Elaine Alvarez, Maricris F. Madara (UPFI)[Program Coordinators and Advisors] Suryana Paramita, Suzen HR. Tobing (IKJ)[Cooperators] Jose Angelo Supangco (Ateneo de Manila U), Kay Donato (DLS-College of St. Benilde)

24#

Special Thanks to the all staffs and cooperators!

25

VOICESThe short and limited time brought us a certain creation, andI think it helped us foster ability to make a quick decision andFeedback from Participants

quick judgement, and learn how to cooperate with others.

Survey Period: 2016-2019 (#2-#5) *After each programThis program gave me courage to speak in English even I could
not speak well. Through conversation with students from other

Q. Did this program help deepen understanding of other
Asian culture, customs, and way of thinking?

Q. What was the most challenging part of the shortfilm/film plot co-creation?

Yes

creating good structure for the ﬁlm with my team before thepant/INDONESIA)

Yes, to someextent98%

The best part was the development steps when we worked on

the communication really helped the creation. (#5 partici-

89%

2%

from Japanese. I learned a lot from them. (#4 participant/JAPAN)

production. Although we were in distance in different countries,

Through this program I have gained a lot of new andinteresting viewpoints and insights from cultures not so
different from my own. Thus, I am driven to utilize this senseof community and common understanding to make ﬁlms of

27%

Very satisfiedNocountries, I felt warmth and different tension that I could not feel

Somewhatsatisfied

11%

other countries in the future?

(#4 participant/JAPAN)

Number of Answers: 94 (Japan:20, Southeast Asian countries:74)

Q. How did you find this exchange program overall?

Q. Would you like to make films with filmmakers from73%

Yes, very much

Q. What was the best part of the short-film/film plot
co-creation?

Each participant had different level of motivation for this

It involved a lot of coordination and brain storming with the

project, so it was very difﬁcult to lead it to the same level asother students and although I really had a hard time with ita team. (#2 participant/JAPAN)

I believe that breaking language barriers was one of the

Q. Did this program help you deepen exchanges andnetworking among other countries’ students andteachers?

unique perspective through collaboration with other Asianﬁlmmakers. (#2 Participant/PHILIPPINES)
Friends I spent together this ten-day program are now myfellows who know favors, good points and bad points eachother. Now we are showing our past works to each other

Yes, to someextentthrough SNS and other tools, and even sharing about
current projects. I wish I could do ﬁlmmaking again with

28%

72%

these fellows who have common vision but next in a longer
term. (#3 participant/JAPAN)

Yes, very muchmain objectives of this program. After all, ﬁlm as an audioviThe most difﬁcult part was the initial stage of pre-produc-

sual medium is a universal language and this program justtion when we decided the storyline. Some members foundproved that point. (#2 participant/PHILIPPINES)

Follow-up Survey

the original story was too thin, so it took us quite some time
to discuss on how we could incite a conﬂict in the script andThe best part was to co-create a ﬁlm with students from

Survey Period: June 11 – July 31, 2018 Target: #1-#4 Participant

give the story more depth. (#3 participant/MALAYSIA)

different cultural background. It was eye-opening that

Number of Answers: 44 (Japan [J]:11, Southeast Asian countries [SEA]:33)

students from other countries approach very logically andDiverse opinions made us hard to compromise at some

focus very carefully on Why? , whereas Japanese students

points of editing part. Also there were a lot of moments totend to make ﬁlms sensuously, and I thought that sense istalk about sensitive matters so it was hard to communicate.

very important. Their passion for ﬁlmmaking empowered my(#3 participant/JAPAN)

vitality. (#3 participant/JAPAN)

It is time because Japanese focus on time management. It

I found the process of the script development very interest-

took so much energy to make it in limited time but that

ing. The difference of religious background and ﬁlm culture

made me feel more responsibility for fulﬁlling my part. (#4

brought us many discussions and they were very meaningful

participant/THAILAND)

for me. (#3 participant/JAPAN)

It was difﬁcult to convey my thoughts correctly and also

All of the process was excellent, but the most exciting

understand other s thoughts correctly. Information sharing

moment was when we came to solve a problem. We cannot

is the most difﬁcult part in co-working and I think thisbe egocentric, and sometimes we struggled in expressing

challenge will stick with me from here on out. (#4 partici-

something in a right way in English. Those experiences

pant/JAPAN)

made me grow up. Also we had to speak in front of many
people at the presentation which made me more conﬁdent.

The time constraint was the biggest challenge considering(#3 participant/INDONESIA)

that we worked on a documentary ﬁlm which you really haveto know your subjects. Despite being given a few weeks to

I ve learned so many things about ﬁlms by just talking about

meet online with my team prior to the exchange program, it

the ﬁlm with other students. This experience not only

was a different thing to ﬁnally meet in the ﬂesh and develop

opened my eyes about ﬁlms but also taught me how tocamaraderie. (#5 participant/PHILIPPINES)

improve my identity. I think this program drove me to create
more arts in ﬁlms. (#3 participant/MALAYSIA)

26

Q. Do you currently work in Film/TV/movie industry?

（Only for graduates）*Among 18 person who answered YES , 13 person is Freelance worker (J:1, SEA:12)

Q. Do you still communicate with other participants/
participating institutions?

and 5 person is Ofﬁce worker (J:4, SEA:1)

No

No, I don’t

13%

31%

87%

69%

Yes

Yes, I do

Q. Have you participated in any international film

Yes

23%

co-production or film project after
your participation to this program?

cf.
Fukuoka Film Forum (Film co-production of
Production assistant of

Nakyung and Kinukawa ),The Man From the sea (2017, Dir: Fukada Koji),

Short ﬁlm production under the Thailand International Film Destination
Festival and etc.

77%
No

27

The Japan Foundation Asia Center

The Japan Foundation is Japan's principal independent administrative
institution dedicated to carrying out cultural exchange initiatives
throughout the world. The Asia Center, established in April 2014, is adivision within the Foundation that conducts and supports collaborative initiatives with its Asian̶primarily ASEAN̶counterparts. Throughinteracting and working together in Japanese-language education,
arts and culture, sports, and grassroots and intellectual exchange, theAsia Center aspires to develop the sense of kinship and coexistence
as neighboring inhabitants of Asia.

https://jfac.jp[REPORT] …and Action! Asia:
Exchange Program for Students in Film Studies
Published by The Japan Foundation Asia Center
4-16-3 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004 JAPAN
Editors:

Kakeya Izumi, Takimoto Amiko
The Japan Foundation Asia CenterTranslators:

Hijino Kaoru, Kakeya Izumi

Design:Nishibayashi Kazumi

Published:

July 3, 2019

Ⓒ2019 The Japan Foundation Asia Center All rights reserved.