Several of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces are marking milestone anniversaries this year, and along with other Studio Ghibli films they are coming back on the big screen where they belong for a third straight year of Studio Ghibli Fest.
It kicked off in April, when Howl’s Moving Castle celebrated its 15th anniversary. Then, in May, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind marked its 35th.
July 1 and 2, the charming 1995 romance drama Whisper of the Heart gets its due. In this heartwarming coming-of-age classic, based on a screenplay from Miyazaki and directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, a quiet schoolgirl embarks on a life-changing adventure to discover her true talent after a chance encounter with a mysterious cat called The Baron.
An English-dubbed screening will take place July 1, with a Japanese screening with English subtitles on July 2.
The rest of the Studio Ghibli Fest 2019 lineup:
- July 28, 29 and 31: Kiki’s Delivery Service, a delightful story of a young provincial witch learning to make her own way in a larger world with her fussy feline companion, celebrates its 30th anniversary.
- Aug. 25, 26 and 28: My Neighbor Totoro is an iconic family favorite that deals with siblings and their encounters with friendly forest spirits in rural postwar Japan during their mother’s illness.
- Sept. 29-30: The Secret World of Arrietty adapts the beloved Borrowers stories.
- Oct. 27, 28 and 30: Spirited Away, an Academy Award winner, has an English version that includes performances from Suzanne Pleshette, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.
- Nov. 17, 18 and 20: Princess Mononoke is an epic 1997 tale of wild gods and nature spirits clashing with the iron fist of human ingenuity in feudal Japan. Claire Danes, Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Gillian Anderson, Billy Bob Thornton and Keith David are among the amazing English voice cast.
- Dec. 16 and 18: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a 2013 adaptation of the folk tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and was director Isao Takahata’s final film.
Tickets for Studio Ghibli Fest films are available from Fathom Events.
