Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind “My Neighbor Totoro” and the Oscar-winning animated feature “The Boy and the Heron,” is being awarded an Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival. It marks the first time that the award will be given to a group.
The studio was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki in 1984 following the release of Miyazaki’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.”
“I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or,” Suzuki said in a statement.
“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.”
Added Cannes president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Fremaux, “For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate.
The Tokyo-based Studio Ghibli has produced titles by Miyazaki including “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and more. Earlier this year, Miyazaki won his second Oscar for “The Boy and the Heron.”
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 14 to May 25.
