MANILA, Philippines – Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind Oscar-winning films Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron, is being awarded an honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, organizers announced Wednesday, April 17. 

“[Studio Ghibli’s] 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,” Iris Knobloch, president of the Festival de Cannes; and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate, said in a press statement. 

This will mark the first time that Cannes will give the award to a group, rather than an individual.

Studio Ghibli, Honorary Palme d'or of #Cannes2024 🌟

For the first time, the Honorary Palme d'Or is a collective award that will be awarded to the famous Japanese studio.

Studio Ghibli, embodied by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, won over its audiences with works imbued with… pic.twitter.com/lJABdR2g4O

— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) April 17, 2024

Toshio Suzuki, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli, shared in the press release that he’s “truly honored and delighted” that the studio has received the award. 

“Forty 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. We have truly come a long way for Studio Ghibli to become such a big organization,” he he said. 

Since Studio Ghibli was established in 1985, the animation studio has established itself for its moving storytelling and distinct hand-drawn animation style. 

Some of its most notable works include The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle. 

This year’s Cannes Film Festival will run from May 14 to 25. Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas will also receive an honorary Palme d’Or. – Rappler.com