Studio Ghibli to receive 1st group-awarded Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival

TOKYO -- Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli will receive the first Honorary Palme d'Or for a group at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, the organizer announced on April 17.

The Honorary Palme d'Or is usually awarded to individuals who have made great contributions to cinema. In giving a reason for giving the award to a group for the first time Cannes explained that "alongside the Hollywood greats, the Japanese studio embodied by two superb storytellers, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and a host of cult characters, has unleashed a fresh wind on animated film over the past four decades."

Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki commented, "I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or. ... 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." He 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."

The American director and producer George Lucas will also receive an Honorary Palme d'Or this year.

(Japanese original by Tomomi Katsuta, Cultural News Department)