#Studio Ghibli Receives Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival announced today that Studio Ghibli will receive an Honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s festivities, marking the first time the award has been given to a collective studio. 

Cannes recognized the efforts of directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, who embodied the studio’s “fresh wind on animated film” over the past four decades and inspired the cinematography of many. 

Studio Ghibli will receive an Honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival—the first time ever the award has been gifted to an entire studio. 💙 https://t.co/Py3GCD62Ay

— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) April 17, 2024

Commenting on the honorary award, long-time producer and Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki remarks: 

I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’or. I would like to thank the Festival de Cannes from the bottom of my heart. 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. 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.

The Palme d’Or (known in English as the “Golden Palm”) is the highest award given at the Cannes Film Festival and is considered one of the film industry’s most prestigious awards. The non-competitive honorary award was first given in 2002 and has been sporadically awarded to directors or actors who have achieved a notable body of work, but have never won a competitive Palme d’Or. 

Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s Ghost Cat Anzu anime film will also be screened as part of the non-competitive Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight sidebar lineup. It will premiere in Japanese theaters on July 19, 2024, with GKIDS acquiring the North American rights. 

Source: press release