Japanese animation Studio Ghibli will be awarded the honorary Palme d'Or at the 77th Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival). The honorary Palme d'Or is a non-competitive award, usually given to individuals who have made significant contributions to cinema. This is the first time an organization has received such recognition. The 77th Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 14 to 25, 2024.
Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, thanked the Festival for the above honor. He stated that Studio Ghibli will continue to take on new challenges, with its staff always carrying the spirit of the company.
I am truly honored and delighted that the studio was awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or. I would like to thank Festival de Cannes from the bottom of my heart. Forty years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I founded Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring top-notch, high-quality animated films to children and adults of all ages. Today, our films are seen 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. We have really come a long way for Studio Ghibli to become such a large organization. Although Miyazaki and I have aged considerably, I am certain that Studio Ghibli will continue to take on new challenges, led by staff who will continue the company's spirit. I'll be happy if you look forward to what's next.
Statement by Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli
Iris Knobloch, President of the Cannes Film Festival, and Thierry Frémaux, Delegate General, also commented on how Studio Ghibli has inspired cinema. Their contribution to Japanese animation is considered one of the great adventures of cinephiles.
For the first time in history, we chose to honor not a person but an organization. Like all icons of the Seventh Art, these characters inject into our imagination rich, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narratives. With Ghibli, Japanese animation is considered one of the great adventures of cinephiles, between tradition and modernity.
Iris Knobloch, President of Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, Delegate General
Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) was one of the first film festivals to recognize the art of animation globally, although it only started with entries from Walt Disney. It's worth noting that Cannes also praised the fact that Ghibli's films were successful not only in Europe but also in North America.
In Europe as well as in the United States, these films are among them. the animators' most acclaimed work, between art for art's sake and the industry's commercial challenges. They are true role models, both in the quality of their writing, directing and animation as well as in their commitment to far-reaching aesthetic aspirations.
Excerpted from Cannes Festival Article
In recent news, Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki was named one of TIME's “100 Most Influential People of 2024.” He received a laudatory essay from renowned Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Blade, Hellboy, Pinocchio, Shape of Water), describing how Miyazaki's works evoke a sense of recognition of beauty. only depicted in movies.
Source: Official press release of the Cannes Festival, Cannes X Festival (Formerly Twitter)
© Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli