“The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that was selected for the main competition at the upcoming Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned.
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to...
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety Film + TV
Studio Ghibli, like Western counterparts Disney, Pixar and the UK’s Aardman, is one of the most important animation studios in movie history. Since its first feature film, “Castle in the Sky” in 1986, Studio Ghibli has delivered two dozen thought-provoking tales beautifully rendered in a unique brand of animation. To date, its output has racked up have a lucky seven Oscar bids for Best Animated Feature.
“Spirited Away” was the first Studio Ghibli movie to break into the Academy Awards conversation and did so with aplomb in 2003. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (Miyazaki the recipient) over “Ice Age,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” and “Treasure Planet.”
In 2006, Miyazaki was again nominated — this time for “Howl’s Moving Castle” alongside “Corpse Bride” and “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” with the latter movie, an Aardman creation, reigning victorious.
Miyazaki and Suzuki were the nominees...
“Spirited Away” was the first Studio Ghibli movie to break into the Academy Awards conversation and did so with aplomb in 2003. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (Miyazaki the recipient) over “Ice Age,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” and “Treasure Planet.”
In 2006, Miyazaki was again nominated — this time for “Howl’s Moving Castle” alongside “Corpse Bride” and “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” with the latter movie, an Aardman creation, reigning victorious.
Miyazaki and Suzuki were the nominees...
- 2/16/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Netflix and Studio Ponoc announced today a new deal that will see the studio's current and upcoming films exclusively distributed on the service. The Imaginary — Studio Ponoc's latest movie released in Japan on December 15 last year — will stream on the platform later this year, with no specific date announced at the time of reporting. A new teaser key art was also released. Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura released the following statement regarding the new agreement in a press release: "Studio Ponoc is thrilled to bring our storytelling and innovative hand-drawn, hand-painted animated films to all audiences, and in particular to children and their families to enjoy together, around the world on Netflix. Netflix’s genuine commitment to supporting animation as a vital and valuable storytelling medium, and to growing high-quality and trailblazing animation, makes Netflix a truly excellent partner." The Imaginary is based on A.F. Harrold's children's novel of the same name,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Humberto Saabedra
- Crunchyroll
Hayao Miyazaki just won't stop. The animation maestro has retired then unretired so many times it is just silly now, with his latest movie "The Boy and the Heron" being released in Japan with no trailers and being billed as his last goodbye — until it was revealed he was already throwing around ideas for his next project. "He's thinking about this next project every day, and I can't stop him -- in fact, I've given up," studio co-founder and long-time producer Toshio Suzuki recently said in an interview with French outlet Liberation.
But while the idea of more Miyazaki is exciting, what's somewhat troubling is the future Studio Ghibli is headed toward. After all, this is the greatest animation studio in the world, responsible for all-time classics like "Kiki's Delivery Service" (which ended up on our list of 100 best movies ever) and "Princess Kaguya," and which gifted us Totoro and tanuki testicle transformations.
But while the idea of more Miyazaki is exciting, what's somewhat troubling is the future Studio Ghibli is headed toward. After all, this is the greatest animation studio in the world, responsible for all-time classics like "Kiki's Delivery Service" (which ended up on our list of 100 best movies ever) and "Princess Kaguya," and which gifted us Totoro and tanuki testicle transformations.
- 10/10/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
It is uncommon to regularly witness the adaptation of anime from Western source material. However, an animated movie based on the critically acclaimed novel ‘Imaginary’ is currently in production, which might offer anime enthusiasts a truly exceptional experience.
‘Imaginary’ is a British children’s novel written by A. F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett. Since its release in 2014, the novel has received critical acclaim from notable sources such as The New York Times, The Guardian (child review), Booklist, Financial Times, The Horn Book Magazine, and Kirkus Reviews, among others.
It also secured the British Book Design and Production Awards Children’s Trade Book Award and the British Book Design and Production Awards Book of the Year Award in 2015. Studio Ponoc is producing an animated movie based on the novel, titled ‘Yaneura no Rudger’ (Rudger in the Attic) in Japan.
The Imaginary Movie Release Date
According to the official Studio Ponoc website,...
‘Imaginary’ is a British children’s novel written by A. F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett. Since its release in 2014, the novel has received critical acclaim from notable sources such as The New York Times, The Guardian (child review), Booklist, Financial Times, The Horn Book Magazine, and Kirkus Reviews, among others.
It also secured the British Book Design and Production Awards Children’s Trade Book Award and the British Book Design and Production Awards Book of the Year Award in 2015. Studio Ponoc is producing an animated movie based on the novel, titled ‘Yaneura no Rudger’ (Rudger in the Attic) in Japan.
The Imaginary Movie Release Date
According to the official Studio Ponoc website,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Md. Nahid Ull Islam
- Anime Alert
The Studio Ghibli animation is the first from the iconic director in a decade.
The Boy And The Heron, the first film in 10 years from iconic animation director Hayao Miyazaki, has broken box office records on its opening weekend in Japan despite receiving no marketing push.
The Studio Ghibli film, which is locally titled Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka? (How Do You Live?), opened Friday (July 14) and earned $15.46m (Y2.14bn) over four days, which included Monday’s Marine Day national holiday. It was distributed by Toho, which supplied the figures.
It marks the biggest-ever opening weekend for Miyazaki as...
The Boy And The Heron, the first film in 10 years from iconic animation director Hayao Miyazaki, has broken box office records on its opening weekend in Japan despite receiving no marketing push.
The Studio Ghibli film, which is locally titled Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka? (How Do You Live?), opened Friday (July 14) and earned $15.46m (Y2.14bn) over four days, which included Monday’s Marine Day national holiday. It was distributed by Toho, which supplied the figures.
It marks the biggest-ever opening weekend for Miyazaki as...
- 7/18/2023
- by Matt Schley
- ScreenDaily
There was once a man named Mamoru Hosada who decided to become an anime director. After a phenomenal career at Toei, where he worked on classic episodes of "Digimon" and "Revolutionary Girl Utena," he was recruited by Studio Ghibli to direct their upcoming film "Howl's Moving Castle." Unfortunately, Hosada's project was cursed from the beginning. Much of Ghibli was already busy crafting "Spirited Away." Hosada worked hard to secure a team of animators, but he could only do so much by himself. The harder he worked to keep "Howl's Moving Castle" alive, the faster it became a time and money sink. Sooner or later, the film collapsed, and Hosada was removed from the project. In an interview with Animestyle, Hosada expressed his feelings of guilt for the animators he was forced to abandon. "I had lied to them," he said. "I had betrayed them. Now nobody would trust me again.
- 11/17/2022
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Studio Ponoc, founded in 2015 by ex-Studio Ghibli animators, will produce an anime short for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the company announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
"I want to make a film that will get kids excited about the Olympics. The type of world we want to see at the end of all this competition, even beyond the Olympics, will be a major theme," said Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura at a press conference at the festival.
The anime short, commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and due to ...
"I want to make a film that will get kids excited about the Olympics. The type of world we want to see at the end of all this competition, even beyond the Olympics, will be a major theme," said Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura at a press conference at the festival.
The anime short, commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and due to ...
- 6/12/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Studio Ponoc, founded in 2015 by ex-Studio Ghibli animators, will produce an anime short for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the company announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
"I want to make a film that will get kids excited about the Olympics. The type of world we want to see at the end of all this competition, even beyond the Olympics, will be a major theme," said Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura at a press conference at the festival.
The anime short, commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and due to ...
"I want to make a film that will get kids excited about the Olympics. The type of world we want to see at the end of all this competition, even beyond the Olympics, will be a major theme," said Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura at a press conference at the festival.
The anime short, commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and due to ...
- 6/12/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Studio Ponoc, the hand-drawn animation specialty outlet led by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, will team with the International Olympic Committee to create an animated short to be released ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
News of this international collaboration has been timed to mark the opening day of the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival, which has made Japan its guest country this year and which will host Ponoc chief Nishimura on its feature film jury.
“From the moment we learned about Studio Ponoc, we were intrigued to work with its creative talent to see how they would reinterpret the Olympic values from a distinct aesthetic and narrative perspective, showcasing the finest hand-drawn and hand-painted animation,” said Francis Gabet, Director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, in a press statement.
“With a focus on universal topics relevant to humanity, this film will contribute not only to the excitement...
News of this international collaboration has been timed to mark the opening day of the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival, which has made Japan its guest country this year and which will host Ponoc chief Nishimura on its feature film jury.
“From the moment we learned about Studio Ponoc, we were intrigued to work with its creative talent to see how they would reinterpret the Olympic values from a distinct aesthetic and narrative perspective, showcasing the finest hand-drawn and hand-painted animation,” said Francis Gabet, Director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, in a press statement.
“With a focus on universal topics relevant to humanity, this film will contribute not only to the excitement...
- 6/10/2019
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The list of screenings for the second annual Windy City Horrorama has been revealed and kicking things off is Perry Blackshear's The Rusalka. Also in today's Horror Highlights: the second wave of filmsfor Chattanooga Film Festival 2019 and Terror 5 DVD and VOD release details.
Windy City Horrorama Screenings Unveiled: Press Release: "Get ready to scream, horror fans! We’re announcing the first films of Windy City Horrorama’s creeptastic lineup!
First up, it’s the Chicago premiere of The Rusalka*! Director Perry Blackshear reunites with him They Look Like People (2015) team for this tale of a folkloric water spirit, the vengeful man hunting her, and the handsome stranger caught between them. Stuffed to its gills with doomed longing, The Rusalka is an atmospheric elegy for love touched by the cruel hands of fate.
Also joining our 2019 slate of films is the infamous low-budget vigilante shocker, Robot Ninja! This 1989 thriller about...
Windy City Horrorama Screenings Unveiled: Press Release: "Get ready to scream, horror fans! We’re announcing the first films of Windy City Horrorama’s creeptastic lineup!
First up, it’s the Chicago premiere of The Rusalka*! Director Perry Blackshear reunites with him They Look Like People (2015) team for this tale of a folkloric water spirit, the vengeful man hunting her, and the handsome stranger caught between them. Stuffed to its gills with doomed longing, The Rusalka is an atmospheric elegy for love touched by the cruel hands of fate.
Also joining our 2019 slate of films is the infamous low-budget vigilante shocker, Robot Ninja! This 1989 thriller about...
- 3/26/2019
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
An underwater fantasy epic. A slice-of-life drama about a kid suffering from an egg allergy. An invisible man who becomes an unlikely hero. All three of these stories are segments from Studio Ponoc‘s Modest Heroes, an anthology film following up the animation studio’s highly anticipated inaugural feature film, Mary and the Witch’s Flower. Modest Heroes comes to […]
The post How Studio Ponoc is Carrying on the Spirit of Studio Ghibli With ‘Modest Heroes,’ According to Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post How Studio Ponoc is Carrying on the Spirit of Studio Ghibli With ‘Modest Heroes,’ According to Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 1/7/2019
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
Features the voices of: Ruby Barnhill, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner, Lynda Baron, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Morwenna Banks, Teresa Gallagher, Rasmus Hardiker, Rebecca Kidd, Kate Winslet | Written by Riko Sakaguchi, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, David Freedman, Lynda Freedman | Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Now I’ve already reviewed Mary and the Witch’s Flower earlier this year. That first review is on Nerdly for you to check out and goes into a little more detail about things like the dubbing. However, it’s not very often I give the movies I review a second opinion but how does Mary and the Witch’s Flower hold up after a second glance?Well, honestly, there isn’t much else I can add that I didn’t already mention in my first review of the Studio Ponoc film.
The story of Mary and the Witch’s Flower is based on the children’s classic, My Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart.
Now I’ve already reviewed Mary and the Witch’s Flower earlier this year. That first review is on Nerdly for you to check out and goes into a little more detail about things like the dubbing. However, it’s not very often I give the movies I review a second opinion but how does Mary and the Witch’s Flower hold up after a second glance?Well, honestly, there isn’t much else I can add that I didn’t already mention in my first review of the Studio Ponoc film.
The story of Mary and the Witch’s Flower is based on the children’s classic, My Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart.
- 9/18/2018
- by Xenia Grounds
- Nerdly
This female-centred story set among dragons and ancient clans is a sentimental tale of motherhood and ageing
A couple of years ago, Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura brushed aside the idea of hiring a female director at the legendary studio. Talking to the Guardian, he blundered on about women being the realistic sex and not idealistic enough for fantasy. With this ambitious debut, Mari Okada – a woman directing in the predominantly male business of Japanese anime – proves Nishimura wrong. Heart-meltingly lovely in places, with some cracking battle scenes, her film is set in a universe of dragons, ancient clans and medieval-looking armies familiar from Jrr Tolkien and George Rr Martin.
Maquia is a female-centred story focusing on a blond-haired race of ethereal waifs called lorphs, who live for hundreds of years peacefully weaving tapestries. The story’s heroine is Maquia, a melancholy lorph snatched during a raid by soldiers. Abandoned in a field,...
A couple of years ago, Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura brushed aside the idea of hiring a female director at the legendary studio. Talking to the Guardian, he blundered on about women being the realistic sex and not idealistic enough for fantasy. With this ambitious debut, Mari Okada – a woman directing in the predominantly male business of Japanese anime – proves Nishimura wrong. Heart-meltingly lovely in places, with some cracking battle scenes, her film is set in a universe of dragons, ancient clans and medieval-looking armies familiar from Jrr Tolkien and George Rr Martin.
Maquia is a female-centred story focusing on a blond-haired race of ethereal waifs called lorphs, who live for hundreds of years peacefully weaving tapestries. The story’s heroine is Maquia, a melancholy lorph snatched during a raid by soldiers. Abandoned in a field,...
- 6/26/2018
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Former Ghibli animator/director Hiromasa Yonebayashi has miraculously harnessed the charm of his previous employer for this feature debut from Studio Ponoc; a new anime company founded by producer Yoshiaki Nishimura. Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Yonebayashi’s third feature following Arrietty and When Marnie Was There, is a sprightly and spirited fantasy adventure that’s garlanded with that unparalleled Ghibli magic and matchless capacity to whisk viewers away into captivating fantasylands.
After an action-loaded prologue, the story sashays into serener settings where we meet Mary at the start of her adventure. Mary is an affable yet lumbering youngster, staying with her aunt in a chocolate box village, while her parents are away on a business trip. Mary befriends a black cat who leads her to discover a rare, purple flower (the Fly-by-night). She is then swiftly spirited away to a city in the clouds and welcomed to the...
After an action-loaded prologue, the story sashays into serener settings where we meet Mary at the start of her adventure. Mary is an affable yet lumbering youngster, staying with her aunt in a chocolate box village, while her parents are away on a business trip. Mary befriends a black cat who leads her to discover a rare, purple flower (the Fly-by-night). She is then swiftly spirited away to a city in the clouds and welcomed to the...
- 3/27/2018
- by Daniel Goodwin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Founded by Studio Ghibli veterans Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura and employing the majority of the animators from Studio Ghibli when it announced it was ceasing feature production, Studio Ponoc’s first feature is Mary and The Witch’s Flower featuring the same lush and evocative animation Studio Ghibli was so legendary for, carrying the torch forward into another generation.
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
While spending the last weeks of...
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
While spending the last weeks of...
- 2/26/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
It’s nearly unfair how director Hiromasa Yonebayashi lures us into a false sense of security within in the whimsical opening moments of his latest film, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” and the first for Studio Ponoc. Founded by Yoshiaki Nishimura along with several former Studio Ghibli animators, the comparisons to the disbanded titan of a studio were always going to persist, warranted or not.
Continue reading ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ Doesn’t Quite Capture That Studio Ghibli Magic [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ Doesn’t Quite Capture That Studio Ghibli Magic [Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/1/2018
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
Founded by Studio Ghibli veterans Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura and employing the majority of the animators from Studio Ghibli when it announced it was ceasing feature production, Studio Ponoc’s first feature is Mary and The Witch’s Flower featuring the same lush and evocative animation Studio Ghibli was so legendary for, carrying the torch forward into another generation.
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
Mary and The Witch’s Flower...
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
Mary and The Witch’s Flower...
- 1/8/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
With its debut feature, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” Studio Ponoc in Japan offered a new kind of anime fantasy drawn from the DNA of Studio Ghibli. And for founder and former Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (“The Tale of The Princess Kaguya,” “When Marnie Was There”) and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (“The Secret World of Arrietty, “When Marnie Was There”), the experience of making it was a new adventure.
“‘When Marnie Was There’ was a very quiet film about a little girl set in a small village without much action,” said Nishimura. “I wanted a story with a very active, energetic girl with lots of emotion and dynamic action.” And in speaking of his director, who drew dynamic animation for Hayao Miyazaki, “I saw that as a very large weapon to be able to feature in a new film.”
Starting From Scratch
Based on Mary Stewart’s novel, “The Little Broomstick,...
“‘When Marnie Was There’ was a very quiet film about a little girl set in a small village without much action,” said Nishimura. “I wanted a story with a very active, energetic girl with lots of emotion and dynamic action.” And in speaking of his director, who drew dynamic animation for Hayao Miyazaki, “I saw that as a very large weapon to be able to feature in a new film.”
Starting From Scratch
Based on Mary Stewart’s novel, “The Little Broomstick,...
- 12/20/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
A lovingly crafted fantasy on an epic scale, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is a film about transformation made by filmmakers in transition. Directed by Studio Ghibli veteran Hiromasa Yonebayashi (2015 Oscar nominee for Ghibli’s “When Marnie Was There”), this action-packed tale of a young witch coming into her power is the first feature from Studio Ponoc, the aspiring animation powerhouse headed by longtime Ghibli lead producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (Oscar nominee in 2014 for producing Ghibli’s “The Tale of Princess Kaguya”). Yonebayashi and Nishimura have based their film on Mary Stewart’s 1971 Ya novel “The Little Broomstick,” a storybook the six-year-old.
- 12/8/2017
- by Ray Greene
- The Wrap
Founded by Studio Ghibli veterans Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura and employing the majority of the animators from Studio Ghibli when it announced it was ceasing feature production, Studio Ponoc’s first feature is Mary and The Witch’s Flower featuring the same lush and evocative animation Studio Ghibli was so legendary for, carrying the torch forward into another generation.
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
Mary and The Witch’s Flower...
Like some of the favourite Studio Ghibli films, Mary is based on an English Children’s novel – The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, and tells a story of a young girl called Mary who finds a mysterious flower that can give her the power to become a witch, transporting her to a school for witchcraft and wizardry that harbours a dark secret. The English dub of Mary and the Witch’s Flower will feature Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
Mary and The Witch’s Flower...
- 12/5/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Coming up in the animation ranks at Studio Ghibli as an in-between and key animator before making his directorial debut with The Secret World of Arrietty, and earning his first Oscar nomination for 2014’s When Marnie Was There, Japanese director Hiromasa Yonebayashi struck out on his own this year with Mary and the Witch’s Flower. Based on The Little Broomstick by English novelist Mary Stewart, this dynamic first feature from Yoshiaki Nishimura’s Studio Ponoc tells the…...
- 11/20/2017
- Deadline
Mary and the Witch’s Flower, based on the 1971 children’s novel The Little Broomstick, is the first film from Studio Ponoc, a new Japanese animation studio founded by Yoshiaki Nishimura. Nishimura previously worked at the revered Studio Ghibli, where he produced The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There. To build Ponoc, he brought along other Ghibli veterans, including Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who helmed Mary. In his time as an animator, Yonebayashi worked as an artist on such films as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Ponyo, eventually progressing to directing The Secret World of Arrietty and Marnie. With the help of a translator, we spoke to Nishimura and Yonebayashi about Mary and the Witch’s Flower and their new studio’s growing pains.
The Film Stage: What made you pick this project as the first feature for Studio Ponoc?
Yoshiaki Nishimura: At the end of 2014, Studio Ghibli closed its production division,...
The Film Stage: What made you pick this project as the first feature for Studio Ponoc?
Yoshiaki Nishimura: At the end of 2014, Studio Ghibli closed its production division,...
- 10/30/2017
- by Daniel Schindel
- The Film Stage
With this weekend’s launch in Hollywood of the Animation Is Film Festival at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theater, there’s an opportunity to expand industry tastes while influencing the Oscar race. “It’s for film people to find a highly curated selection of the best feature filmmaking from around the world [for that particular year] in one place,” said Aif founder Eric Beckman, the co-founder and president of GKids, which organized the festival in collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Festival, Variety, and Acifa-Hollywood.
After 20 years of success with the New York International Children’s Film Festival, Beckman thought it was time to broaden the appeal in Hollywood with an emphasis on global production and distribution.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Animated Feature
Why launch a new festival?
The timing couldn’t be better: New Academy rules now allow all eligible members to vote for animated features, using preferential voting. However, it remains to...
After 20 years of success with the New York International Children’s Film Festival, Beckman thought it was time to broaden the appeal in Hollywood with an emphasis on global production and distribution.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Animated Feature
Why launch a new festival?
The timing couldn’t be better: New Academy rules now allow all eligible members to vote for animated features, using preferential voting. However, it remains to...
- 10/17/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Studio Ponoc has set the English-language cast for its inaugural feature Mary And The Witch’s Flower. Ruby Barnhill, the girl discovered by Steven Spielberg for his The Bfg, will lead as Mary with Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Ashbourne Serkis also in the main cast. The story is a blend of magic and fantasy from the Japanese animation house founded by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and in collaboration with director Hiromasa 'Maro'…...
- 8/31/2017
- Deadline
Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ruby Barnhill, Louis Ashbourne Serkis and Ewen Bremner will voice the English-language version of Mary and the Witch's Flower, the first feature from Studio Ponoc, the anime house founded by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura.
Directed by Yonebayashi, who helmed Oscar-nominated When Marnie Was There and worked on Hayao Miyazaki's biggest hits, Mary and the Witch's Flower has taken more than $27 million at the Japanese box office since it opened on July 8.
Based on The Little Broomstick by British children's author Mary Stewart, the anime follows the adventures of...
Directed by Yonebayashi, who helmed Oscar-nominated When Marnie Was There and worked on Hayao Miyazaki's biggest hits, Mary and the Witch's Flower has taken more than $27 million at the Japanese box office since it opened on July 8.
Based on The Little Broomstick by British children's author Mary Stewart, the anime follows the adventures of...
- 8/31/2017
- by Gavin J. Blair
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Animation is inaugural feature from Studio Ponoc.
Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower and plans a winter release.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book The Little Broomstick. The story centres on an ordinary young girl named Mary, who discovers a flower that grants magical powers for only one night. As she is whisked into an exciting new world beyond belief, she must learn to stay true to herself.
Hiromasa Yonebayashi directs the film written by Riko Sakaguchi and produced by Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura.
Yonebayashi’s The Secret World Of Arrietty remains the highest-grossing Studio Ghibli title in the United States to date.
Gkids distributed previous Yonebayashi and Nishimura films When Marnie Was There and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.
Mike Runagall of [link...
Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower and plans a winter release.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book The Little Broomstick. The story centres on an ordinary young girl named Mary, who discovers a flower that grants magical powers for only one night. As she is whisked into an exciting new world beyond belief, she must learn to stay true to herself.
Hiromasa Yonebayashi directs the film written by Riko Sakaguchi and produced by Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura.
Yonebayashi’s The Secret World Of Arrietty remains the highest-grossing Studio Ghibli title in the United States to date.
Gkids distributed previous Yonebayashi and Nishimura films When Marnie Was There and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.
Mike Runagall of [link...
- 8/1/2017
- ScreenDaily
Indie distributor Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the inaugural feature from Japan-based Studio Ponoc.
The film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There) and is produced by Studio Ponoc founder and two-time Academy Award-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There).
Gkids distributed Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower was written by Riko Sakaguchi,...
The film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There) and is produced by Studio Ponoc founder and two-time Academy Award-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There).
Gkids distributed Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower was written by Riko Sakaguchi,...
- 8/1/2017
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Studio Ponoc has released a new trailer for its upcoming anime fantasy film “Mary and the Witch’s Flower.” Directed by Ponoc’s co-founder Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film marks the Japanese studio’s inaugural production, following its opening in April 2015.
Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, former staffers at Studio Ghibli —the studio behind anime classics such as “Spirited Away” (2001) and “My Neighbor Toronto” (1988)— founded Studio Ponoc following Ghibli’s closing in 2014. “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is Yonebayashi’s third film, following Ghibli’s “When Marnie Was There” and “The Secret World of Arrietty.”
Read More: ‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’ Trailer: Ex-Studio Ghibli Staffers Reveal Sweeping New Project
“Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book “The Little Broomstick,” with a screenplay by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”). It follows the story of a little girl who,...
Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, former staffers at Studio Ghibli —the studio behind anime classics such as “Spirited Away” (2001) and “My Neighbor Toronto” (1988)— founded Studio Ponoc following Ghibli’s closing in 2014. “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is Yonebayashi’s third film, following Ghibli’s “When Marnie Was There” and “The Secret World of Arrietty.”
Read More: ‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’ Trailer: Ex-Studio Ghibli Staffers Reveal Sweeping New Project
“Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book “The Little Broomstick,” with a screenplay by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”). It follows the story of a little girl who,...
- 2/24/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
After word late last year that The Wind Rises would in fact not be Hayao Miyazaki‘s swan song, we were waiting to hear if Studio Ghibli would do the obvious and greenlight his next feature-length animation. The director was reportedly working on up to 100 storyboards for the film as he awaited the go-ahead, and now official word has come in that the Spirited Away helmer has begun production on his next feature.
Miyazaki’s long-time producer Toshio Suzuki confirmed the news last night while at a pre-Oscars interview for the Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, which is nominated for Best Animated Feature. “Right now in Tokyo, he’s putting all his effort into making it [the feature],” says Suzuki, who will re-team with the director to produce, according to Kyodo (via Kotaku). Ideally aiming for a release in 2019, before Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020, Miyazaki realizes it could potentially take until 2021 to complete.
Miyazaki’s long-time producer Toshio Suzuki confirmed the news last night while at a pre-Oscars interview for the Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, which is nominated for Best Animated Feature. “Right now in Tokyo, he’s putting all his effort into making it [the feature],” says Suzuki, who will re-team with the director to produce, according to Kyodo (via Kotaku). Ideally aiming for a release in 2019, before Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020, Miyazaki realizes it could potentially take until 2021 to complete.
- 2/24/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While Studio Ghibli has become synonymous with Hayao Miyazaki’s work, and the films that touch upon similarly inspired approaches, the company is ceasing production of new projects and now their workers have had to find a new outlet. And so, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiaki Nishimura, and several former employees, started Studio Ponoc. With their new movie, “Mary And The Witch’s Flower,” it looks like they’re hoping to build their brand on the same vibe as Studio Ghibli.
Continue reading Discover The Mysterious Power In New Trailer For ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ From Ex-Studio Ghibli Team at The Playlist.
Continue reading Discover The Mysterious Power In New Trailer For ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ From Ex-Studio Ghibli Team at The Playlist.
- 2/23/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Studio Ghibli will never die, and although the studio is technically no more it is a relief that the essence of the company remains intact. Last year brought The Red Turtle, and this year two Oscar nominated former Ghibli staff aim to bring us the most Ghibli-esque effort yet with Mary and the Witch's Flower. Read on after the bump. Madman Entertainment has secured Australia and New Zealand release rights to Mary And The Witch's Flower, the inaugural feature from Studio Ponoc, the Japanese animation house founded by former Ghibli Studio producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi – the filmmaking duo behind the 2015 Oscar-nominated When Marnie Was There. Currently in post-production, the screenplay has been written by Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/6/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Ryan Lambie Feb 6, 2017
Beyond Studio Ghibli, a wave of directors and artists ensure that the future’s bright for animation in Japan, Ryan writes...
At its best, anime is diverse, vibrant, unfettered and unpredictable. Look through the history of Japanese animation, and you’ll find stories about baseball, cooking, friendly ghosts, ancient myths, dog detectives and robot cats from the future. You’ll find sci-fi and horror, fantasy and comedy, erotica and historical drama. Just about every country on the planet produces animation of some kind; few broach subjects as varied as the Japanese.
See related Katee Sackhoff interview: Battlestar, Haunting, Statham
In recent years, however, anime has faced threats from multiple angles. First, there’s the threat that will catch up with all of us eventually: time itself. In 2010, Japan lost one of its great storytellers, Satoshi Kon, who made such stunning animated movies as Perfect Blue (one of...
Beyond Studio Ghibli, a wave of directors and artists ensure that the future’s bright for animation in Japan, Ryan writes...
At its best, anime is diverse, vibrant, unfettered and unpredictable. Look through the history of Japanese animation, and you’ll find stories about baseball, cooking, friendly ghosts, ancient myths, dog detectives and robot cats from the future. You’ll find sci-fi and horror, fantasy and comedy, erotica and historical drama. Just about every country on the planet produces animation of some kind; few broach subjects as varied as the Japanese.
See related Katee Sackhoff interview: Battlestar, Haunting, Statham
In recent years, however, anime has faced threats from multiple angles. First, there’s the threat that will catch up with all of us eventually: time itself. In 2010, Japan lost one of its great storytellers, Satoshi Kon, who made such stunning animated movies as Perfect Blue (one of...
- 2/2/2017
- Den of Geek
Ryan Lambie Feb 2, 2017
The great-looking animated feature Mary And The Witch's Flower is getting a UK cinema release...
We don't get nearly enough anime in cinemas in the UK, but the stuff we do get is generally fabulous - just look at Your Name, Makoto Shinkai's charming fantasy romance, which is still in one or two UK theatres if you haven't checked it out already.
See related Supergirl season 2's timely tackling of hate and prejudice Arrow season 5: trailer for Bratva episode The Flash season 3: trailer for episode 12, Untouchable Legends Of Tomorrow season 2: trailer for Turncoat episode
The good news is that there's another Japanese animated feature coming to UK cinemas in the near future. Mary And The Witch's Flower is a great-looking story, based on Mary Stewart's British novel The Littlest Broomstick, about a girl who enters a school for witches. If that sounds...
The great-looking animated feature Mary And The Witch's Flower is getting a UK cinema release...
We don't get nearly enough anime in cinemas in the UK, but the stuff we do get is generally fabulous - just look at Your Name, Makoto Shinkai's charming fantasy romance, which is still in one or two UK theatres if you haven't checked it out already.
See related Supergirl season 2's timely tackling of hate and prejudice Arrow season 5: trailer for Bratva episode The Flash season 3: trailer for episode 12, Untouchable Legends Of Tomorrow season 2: trailer for Turncoat episode
The good news is that there's another Japanese animated feature coming to UK cinemas in the near future. Mary And The Witch's Flower is a great-looking story, based on Mary Stewart's British novel The Littlest Broomstick, about a girl who enters a school for witches. If that sounds...
- 2/2/2017
- Den of Geek
The project is the first feature from former Studio Ghibli filmmakers Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.
The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).
Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.
The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.
Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...
Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.
The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).
Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.
The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.
Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...
- 2/2/2017
- ScreenDaily
The project is the first feature from former Studio Ghibli filmmakers Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.
The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).
Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.
The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.
Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...
Altitude Film Sales has secured worldwide rights to Mary And The Witch’s Flower, the first film from Japanese animation house Studio Ponoc.
The firm was set up by former Studio Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty), and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya).
Altitude Film Distribution has UK rights to the project, currently in post-production, with Madman Entertainment releasing the film in Australia and New Zealand.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is based on the novel by Mary Stewart called The Little Broomstick. Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya) wrote the screenplay.
The story centres on a lonely girl who is whisked off to Endor College, school of witchcraft, by a magical broomstick.
Studio Ponoc’s founders have brought together former Studio Ghibli animators and artists to create new films in the tradition...
- 2/2/2017
- ScreenDaily
It seems you can’t keep Studio Ghibli down, or at least the people working within its walls. It was just last month that we learned that the legendary Hayao Miyazaki — once retired — was now working on a new feature length film, albeit one that might not be finished for years, and that producers at the now shuttered Studio Ghibli don’t seem too optimistic about. However, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiaki Nishimura, and several former employees have gone off and started Studio Ponoc, and it looks like fans of Studio Ghibli style animation and storytelling have a lot to look forward to.
Continue reading The Spirit Of Studio Ghibli Lives In New Trailer For ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading The Spirit Of Studio Ghibli Lives In New Trailer For ‘Mary And The Witch’s Flower’ at The Playlist.
- 12/15/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
In 2014, Studio Ghibli announced that it would no longer produce feature films following director Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement. Its last work to date was Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s “When Marnie Was There,” about an adolescent girl who becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and a mysterious girl who lives there. Now, Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura have founded a new company Studio Ponoc, which has employed many ex-Ghibli staffers, and will soon release its first production: “Mary and the Witch’s Flower.” Watch a short trailer for the film below, courtesy of Slate.
Read More: ‘Ocean Waves’ Trailer: Studio Ghibli’s Restored 1993 Animated Film Explores Changing Friendships
Adapted from Mary Stewart’s children’s book “The Little Broomstick” by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”), the film follows a little girl who embarks on an adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. It will be Yonebayashi...
Read More: ‘Ocean Waves’ Trailer: Studio Ghibli’s Restored 1993 Animated Film Explores Changing Friendships
Adapted from Mary Stewart’s children’s book “The Little Broomstick” by Riko Sakaguchi (“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”), the film follows a little girl who embarks on an adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. It will be Yonebayashi...
- 12/15/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
With their work finished on the forthcoming The Red Turtle, Studio Ghibli currently aren’t active (at least until Hayao Miyazaki‘s next film gets the green light), but it hasn’t stopped some of the team from working. Former producer at the animation company, Yoshiaki Nishimura, founded Studio Ponoc last year and recruited many of his past co-workers to join him on their first feature-length project, Mary and the Witch’s Flower (translated from Mary to Majo no Hana), and today we have the first preview.
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), the film is an adaptation of Mary Stewart‘s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya), which follows a girl who goes an an enchanting adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. The first teaser has...
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), the film is an adaptation of Mary Stewart‘s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya), which follows a girl who goes an an enchanting adventure after being exiled to her great aunt’s house. The first teaser has...
- 12/15/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Six months after announcing intentions to double the number of female and minority members in its ranks by 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 683 new members to join the organization. Forty-six percent of new invitees are female and 41 percent ethnic minorities, the Academy said, adding that the roster boasts 28 Oscar winners and 98 nominees. The youngest invitee is 24 and the oldest 91. Here is the list of the Asians included.
Actors
Kim Daniel-dae S. Korea
Lee Byung-hun S. Korea
Tatsuya Nakadai Japan
Cinematographers
Peter Pau China
Poon Hang-Sang China
Nelson Yu Lik-Wai China
Zhao Fei China
Designers
Yoshihito Akatsuka Japan
Directors
Hou Hsiao-Hsien China
Naomi Kawase Japan
Kim So-yong S. Jorea
Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand
Park Chan-wook S. Korea
Documentary
Kazuo Hara JApan
Emiko Omori Japan
Trinh T. Minh-ha Vietnam
Jean Tsien Taiwan
Wang Bing China
Music
Shigeru Umebayashi Japan
Producers
Albert Lee China
Short...
Actors
Kim Daniel-dae S. Korea
Lee Byung-hun S. Korea
Tatsuya Nakadai Japan
Cinematographers
Peter Pau China
Poon Hang-Sang China
Nelson Yu Lik-Wai China
Zhao Fei China
Designers
Yoshihito Akatsuka Japan
Directors
Hou Hsiao-Hsien China
Naomi Kawase Japan
Kim So-yong S. Jorea
Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand
Park Chan-wook S. Korea
Documentary
Kazuo Hara JApan
Emiko Omori Japan
Trinh T. Minh-ha Vietnam
Jean Tsien Taiwan
Wang Bing China
Music
Shigeru Umebayashi Japan
Producers
Albert Lee China
Short...
- 6/30/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Yoshiaki Nishimura had come under fire after claiming women "tend to be more realistic" while men "tend to be more idealistic"...
- 6/16/2016
- by Clarisse Loughrey
- The Independent - Film
Yoshiaki Nishimura recently told an interviewer that it is no coincidence the studio tended to hire male directors but says he is ‘reflecting and learning’
A former Studio Ghibli producer who made sexist comments about women’s ability to direct fantasy films has apologised for his comments.
Yoshiaki Nishimura, who produced Ghibli’s latest film, When Marnie Was There and has since left the company, was asked in an interview last week if the studio would ever hire a female director. Nishimura said that it wasn’t a coincidence that none of Studio Ghibli’s films had been directed by women and that, while men were idealists, women were too “realistic” to direct animated fantasy.
Continue reading...
A former Studio Ghibli producer who made sexist comments about women’s ability to direct fantasy films has apologised for his comments.
Yoshiaki Nishimura, who produced Ghibli’s latest film, When Marnie Was There and has since left the company, was asked in an interview last week if the studio would ever hire a female director. Nishimura said that it wasn’t a coincidence that none of Studio Ghibli’s films had been directed by women and that, while men were idealists, women were too “realistic” to direct animated fantasy.
Continue reading...
- 6/16/2016
- by Henry Barnes and agencies
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Yoshiaki Nishimura on When Marnie Was There & the future of Ghibli
Reports have suggested that When Marnie Was There will be the very last feature length film to come out of the immensely popular Studio Ghibli. The Japanese animation studio’s 20th endeavour, and one of few away from the creative genius of Hayao Miyazaki, is instead helmed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and we had the pleasure of meeting […]
The post Exclusive: Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Yoshiaki Nishimura on When Marnie Was There & the future of Ghibli appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Exclusive: Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Yoshiaki Nishimura on When Marnie Was There & the future of Ghibli appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 6/6/2016
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
One of movie fans favorite events of Oscar Week was held Thursday evening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, as the Academy held the eighth annual event celebrating the nominees for Best Animated Feature Film.
The evening featured clips from each film, followed by an onstage discussion with each group of nominated filmmakers.
This year’s eclectic mix – Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie and When Marnie Was There – are as international as they are distinct.
Employing a stunning variety of animation techniques, the nominees explored a wide range of topics, including existential despair, devastation of natural resources, learning to handle emotion, the value of friendship and surviving the difficulties of adolescence.
This year, members were able to stream the movies and voting came from all over the world.
The evening’s hosts were Don Hall, Chris Williams, Roy Conli, last year’s Oscar winning team from Big Hero 6.
The evening featured clips from each film, followed by an onstage discussion with each group of nominated filmmakers.
This year’s eclectic mix – Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie and When Marnie Was There – are as international as they are distinct.
Employing a stunning variety of animation techniques, the nominees explored a wide range of topics, including existential despair, devastation of natural resources, learning to handle emotion, the value of friendship and surviving the difficulties of adolescence.
This year, members were able to stream the movies and voting came from all over the world.
The evening’s hosts were Don Hall, Chris Williams, Roy Conli, last year’s Oscar winning team from Big Hero 6.
- 2/26/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ryan Lambie Oct 4, 2016
As When Marnie Was There emerges on disc, we look at Ghibli's final films and what they mean for the future of animation...
If there’s one abiding message behind Studio Ghibli’s animated output, it’s that nothing is permanent. Happiness is delicate; summers pass; memories fade. But the brilliance of the Japanese animation house’s movies is that they find joy in the fleeting, not just melancholy. The encounter between two children and adorably rotund woodland spirits in My Neighbour Totoro is all the more special because it’s presented very definitely as a one-off: a chance meeting that can never happen again.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1984 following the success of Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful, dazzlingly detailed sci-fi fantasy. From that point on, Miyazaki was established as the sharpest prong on Ghibli’s creative trident, the others...
As When Marnie Was There emerges on disc, we look at Ghibli's final films and what they mean for the future of animation...
If there’s one abiding message behind Studio Ghibli’s animated output, it’s that nothing is permanent. Happiness is delicate; summers pass; memories fade. But the brilliance of the Japanese animation house’s movies is that they find joy in the fleeting, not just melancholy. The encounter between two children and adorably rotund woodland spirits in My Neighbour Totoro is all the more special because it’s presented very definitely as a one-off: a chance meeting that can never happen again.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1984 following the success of Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful, dazzlingly detailed sci-fi fantasy. From that point on, Miyazaki was established as the sharpest prong on Ghibli’s creative trident, the others...
- 10/5/2015
- Den of Geek
When Marnie Was There will be Studio Ghibli's last feature. We look at Ghibli's final films and what they mean for the future of animation.
If there’s one abiding message behind Studio Ghibli’s animated output, it’s that nothing is permanent. Happiness is delicate; summers pass; memories fade. But the brilliance of the Japanese animation house’s movies is that they find joy in the fleeting, not just melancholy. The encounter between two children and adorably rotund woodland spirits in My Neighbour Totoro is all the more special because it’s presented very definitely as a one-off: a chance meeting that can never happen again.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1984 following the success of Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful, dazzlingly detailed sci-fi fantasy. From that point on, Miyazaki was established as the sharpest prong on Ghibli’s creative trident, the others...
If there’s one abiding message behind Studio Ghibli’s animated output, it’s that nothing is permanent. Happiness is delicate; summers pass; memories fade. But the brilliance of the Japanese animation house’s movies is that they find joy in the fleeting, not just melancholy. The encounter between two children and adorably rotund woodland spirits in My Neighbour Totoro is all the more special because it’s presented very definitely as a one-off: a chance meeting that can never happen again.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1984 following the success of Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful, dazzlingly detailed sci-fi fantasy. From that point on, Miyazaki was established as the sharpest prong on Ghibli’s creative trident, the others...
- 10/5/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
This year’s Pia Film Festival (Pff) was held from 12 to 24 September at the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, in Tokyo, with the award-winning ceremony taking place on the last day. The jury was comprised from Eiji Okuda, Keishi Otomo, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (directors), Kazushige Abe (author) and Yoshiaki Nishimura (producer). The winners were:
Grand Prize: A Road (Daichi Sugimoto)
Runner-up Award: Moonlight Honeymoona(Taro Tominaga)
Special Jury Prize: The Lie and the Taint (Yuko Igari), Goron,Batan,Q (Kan Yamamoto), I’m an Artist(Raita Yabushita)
Entertainment Award (Horipro prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Audience Award: The Name of the Whale (Fumito Fujikawa)
Cinema Fan Award (Pia Eiga Seikatsu prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Gemstone Award (Nikkatsu prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Βραβείο P.E.N Club: The Name of the Whale (Fumito Fujikawa)
A road
Moonlight Honeymoon
The Lie and the Taint
Goron,...
Grand Prize: A Road (Daichi Sugimoto)
Runner-up Award: Moonlight Honeymoona(Taro Tominaga)
Special Jury Prize: The Lie and the Taint (Yuko Igari), Goron,Batan,Q (Kan Yamamoto), I’m an Artist(Raita Yabushita)
Entertainment Award (Horipro prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Audience Award: The Name of the Whale (Fumito Fujikawa)
Cinema Fan Award (Pia Eiga Seikatsu prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Gemstone Award (Nikkatsu prize): Deep tastes (Kohei Nakayama)
Βραβείο P.E.N Club: The Name of the Whale (Fumito Fujikawa)
A road
Moonlight Honeymoon
The Lie and the Taint
Goron,...
- 10/2/2015
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards today announced the nominees in the youth, animation and documentary feature film categories for the 9th annual awards.
Also announced was the international jury who will determine the winners in these three categories before the November 26 ceremony at Brisbane.s City Hall.
The Australian contenders are Deane Taylor's Blinky Bill: The Movie and Molly Reynold's feature documentary Another Country,. in which David Gulpili. attempts to make sense of the contradictions of the modern Aboriginal experience. The nominees for best youth feature are Mina Walking (Afghanistan, Canada), Set Me Free (Geo-in, Republic of Korea), A Corner of Heaven (Tiantang jiaoluo, People.s Republic of China, France), Mustang (Turkey, Qatar, France, Germany), and River (Gtsngbo, People.s Republic of China), a recipient of the Apsa Academy Children.s Film Fund, written and directed by Apsa Academy member Songtaijia. Vying for best documentary feature are The Look of Silence (Indonesia,...
Also announced was the international jury who will determine the winners in these three categories before the November 26 ceremony at Brisbane.s City Hall.
The Australian contenders are Deane Taylor's Blinky Bill: The Movie and Molly Reynold's feature documentary Another Country,. in which David Gulpili. attempts to make sense of the contradictions of the modern Aboriginal experience. The nominees for best youth feature are Mina Walking (Afghanistan, Canada), Set Me Free (Geo-in, Republic of Korea), A Corner of Heaven (Tiantang jiaoluo, People.s Republic of China, France), Mustang (Turkey, Qatar, France, Germany), and River (Gtsngbo, People.s Republic of China), a recipient of the Apsa Academy Children.s Film Fund, written and directed by Apsa Academy member Songtaijia. Vying for best documentary feature are The Look of Silence (Indonesia,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
A memorable 87th annual Academy Awards for Fox Searchlight saw Birdman claim best film, director and two other statuettes to tie with The Grand Budapest Hotel’s four-strong haul.
Boyhood, which entered the evening on six nominations and had been expected to push Birdman in several of the senior categories on Sunday night, won a sole best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.
The film’s time in the Oscar ceremony spotlight will not be forgotten, however, as Arquette paid tribute to her “Boyhood family” and made an impassioned plea for wage equality that spread like wildfire across social media.
Eddie Redmayne from The Theory Of Everything prevailed in a tight best actor contest to deny Michael Keaton another success for Birdman. The popular victory had the British actor jumping with excitement on stage at the Dolby Theatre.
Julianne Moore finally converted her fifth Academy Award nomination into a win for her performance in Still Alice in what...
Boyhood, which entered the evening on six nominations and had been expected to push Birdman in several of the senior categories on Sunday night, won a sole best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.
The film’s time in the Oscar ceremony spotlight will not be forgotten, however, as Arquette paid tribute to her “Boyhood family” and made an impassioned plea for wage equality that spread like wildfire across social media.
Eddie Redmayne from The Theory Of Everything prevailed in a tight best actor contest to deny Michael Keaton another success for Birdman. The popular victory had the British actor jumping with excitement on stage at the Dolby Theatre.
Julianne Moore finally converted her fifth Academy Award nomination into a win for her performance in Still Alice in what...
- 2/23/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Oscar 2015 winners (photo: Chris Pratt during Oscar 2015 rehearsals) The complete list of Oscar 2015 winners and nominees can be found below. See also: Oscar 2015 presenters and performers. Now, a little Oscar 2015 trivia. If you know a bit about the history of the Academy Awards, you'll have noticed several little curiosities about this year's nominations. For instance, there are quite a few first-time nominees in the acting and directing categories. In fact, nine of the nominated actors and three of the nominated directors are Oscar newcomers. Here's the list in the acting categories: Eddie Redmayne. Michael Keaton. Steve Carell. Benedict Cumberbatch. Felicity Jones. Rosamund Pike. J.K. Simmons. Emma Stone. Patricia Arquette. The three directors are: Morten Tyldum. Richard Linklater. Wes Anderson. Oscar 2015 comebacks Oscar 2015 also marks the Academy Awards' "comeback" of several performers and directors last nominated years ago. Marion Cotillard and Reese Witherspoon won Best Actress Oscars for, respectively, Olivier Dahan...
- 2/22/2015
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
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