Events

There's no better time than early spring, to be outdoors with friends, enjoying a movie under the stars. As part of a companion activity to the upcoming International Festival, the Tohoku University Foreign Students Association (TUFSA) is planning an Outdoor Movie Night on May 15.

Date: Sunday, May 15 Time: 7:00pm (Venue opens at 6:00pm)
Place: International Center Station 2F, Lawn
Movie: The Invention of Dr. Nakamats
Directions: Take the Tozai Subway line to Kokusai Center Station.

"We've always believed that the International Festival could be much more than just one day of dance and fun," says Chanon Pornrungroj of TUFSA. "The international community has a lot to offer, so the goal is to eventually have a longer festival. Outdoor Movie Night is the first step."

The movie chosen for this inaugural screening is "The Invention of Dr. Nakamats," a comedy about the wildly eccentric inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu. The self styled Dr. Nakamats claims to have patented more than 3,000 inventions, including the floppy disc. He is also known for wacky ideas such as the Love Jet potion, Yummy Nutri Brain Food and a wig with weights that the wearer can use to fend off attackers.

Although we had hosted many TUFSA movie nights before, this is very different. Because it's a public screening, it's not just a matter of renting a movie from Tsutaya," says Pornrungroj. "We contacted the movie's director (Kaspar Astrup Schroder) in Denmark. And we found out that it would cost 500 Euros (65,000 yen) to screen the movie in public.

"But it's a good choice. 'The Invention of Dr. Nakamats' is a family-friendly movie that's very funny and very positive. And because it was made for an international audience, there are English subtitles throughout."

The event will be held at the space in front of the International Center Subway Station, where a special 3.6m x 1.8m screen will be set up. Organisers hope that the accessible location would compel more local Sendai residents to participate.

Movie Night is estimated to cost some 100,000 yen in fees and equipment rental, but it will be covered by the budget for the 2016 Tohoku University International Festival, supported by Tohoku University and MIA. TUFSA will also be raising funds through the selling of food and beverages on the night.

While outdoor public movie screenings are already popular in bigger cities like Tokyo and Osaka, Pornrungroj believes it is still quite rare here. "I would like to think that TUFSA is one of the first - if not the first - to bring this concept to downtown Sendai, where people can bring their own drinks, sit on the grass with their family and friends, enjoy a fun movie and a nice night out together for free."

Ahead of the movie screening, a side event called Voices of Tohoku will be held when the venue opens to the public at 6pm. Youth involved in environmental/social causes and volunteer activities will share their experiences in the hopes of inspiring and encourage more people to get involved in good causes.