Studio Ghibli to Receive Honorary Palme d’or in Cannes First
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In a festival first, the Cannes Film Festival is giving an honorary Palme d’or to Studio Ghibli, the lauded Japanese animation studio behind greats like “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and this year’s Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron.”
“I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’or,” Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of the Studio Ghibli, said in a statement. “40 years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I established Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring high-level, high-quality animation to children and adults of all ages. Today, our films are watched by people all over the world, and many visitors come to the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka and Ghibli Park to experience the world of our films for themselves.”
Studio Ghibli was established in 1984 after the success of the film “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” but really made a mark in 1988 with the release of “Grave of the Fireflies” and “My Neighbor Totoro.” The latter was hailed as an instant masterpiece and is considered not just one of the best animated films ever made, but one of the best films in cinematic history.
The studio has made and released 24 feature films in its history so far.
Suzuki continued, “We have truly come a long way for Studio Ghibli to become such a big organization. Although Miyazaki and I have aged considerably, I am sure that Studio Ghibli will continue to take on new challenges, led by the staff who will carry on the spirit of the company. It would be my greatest pleasure if you look forward to what’s next.”
Studio Ghibli most recently released Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards.
“For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate,” Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate, said in a statement. “Like all the icons of the Seventh Art, these characters populate our imaginations with prolific, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narrations. With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity”.
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival runs from May 14-25.
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