On the afternoon of the 20th local time, a ceremony to present the "Honorary Palme d'Or" to Studio Ghibli, recognizing its significant contributions to the film industry, was held at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the main screening venue of the ongoing 77th Cannes Film Festival in France. This marks the first time this prestigious award has been given to an animation studio. Representing Ghibli, Goro Miyazaki took the stage. The festival organizers noted that "younger audiences than usual gathered" at the venue.

During the event, a special 9-minute video featuring iconic scenes from Ghibli films such as "Castle in the Sky," "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," "Porco Rosso," and "How Do You Live?" was shown, celebrating the studio's creativity in depicting fragile worlds filled with human emotions and fantastical creatures.

On stage, Goro Miyazaki joked, "When we won the Academy Award for 'How Do You Live?', the representative from Ghibli brought back the Oscar statue, but it wasn't in a box. I am very pleased that the Honorary Palme d'Or is nicely packaged." He continued, "Studio Ghibli was founded 40 years ago by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Tokuma Shoten. They are the biggest contributors to the studio, but I want to dedicate this award to all the staff who have worked for us. It is also an award given to everyone who has loved our films. I want to thank all Ghibli fans." As a "thank you" for the Honorary Palme d'Or, four short films written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki ("Mei and the Kittenbus," "Yadosagashi," "Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess," and "Boro the Caterpillar") were screened. Except for "Mei and the Kittenbus," the other three films were premiered overseas for the first time.

Additionally, at the festival, Hayao Miyazaki's "Porco Rosso" and Goro Miyazaki's "Tales from Earthsea" were screened.

Source : ORICON NEWS