Legendary animation studio Studio Ghibli is being awarded an Honorary Palme d'Or at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival. This achievement marks the very first time an institution has received this award in Cannes history.
Cannes president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Theirry Fremaux credit Studio Ghibli with making Japanese animation stand as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity.
"I am truly honoured and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or," Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki shared in a statement. "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."
Co-founded in 1984 by Miyazaki and Suzuki, Studio Ghibli has produced beloved films such as Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro. The studio is also behind the Oscar-winning films Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron.
The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 14 to May 25.