Welcome to the world of Hayao Miyazaki, with the 40th Ghibli fest! From May to November, eight movies made by Studio Ghibli play in theaters across the United States, thanks to the help of GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment.
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation company founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It’s famous for the company’s specific style of art in all of its movies and shows that are produced. Some of their most famous titles include My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
There are eight movies to watch this year, with one new addition to add to the list:
Kiki’s Delivery Service: This movie is a coming-of-age story and follows the journey of a young witch who travels to a new town to complete her training. She starts a delivery service, but loses her ability to her own self-doubt. This movie was showing from May 17th to the 21st.
The Secret World of Arriety: Meet Arriety, a Borrower, who lives under the floor beds of an old house. When a new human comes, Arriety’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she joins the boy in new adventures. This movie was showing from June 22th to the 24th.
My Neighbor Totoro: May and Sausake are sisters who just moved to a new town in the country. As they spend their days exploring and playing around the house, they discover the spirits that linger in the large forest and decide to partake in new adventures with them. This was shown from July 19th to the 23rd.
Grave of the Fireflies: Sehita is a 14-year-old boy, tasked with providing for himself and his four-year-old sister Setsuko after an American air raid killed their mother. As they struggle to survive, they enjoy their fleeting moments of happiness as their harsh world settles around them.This showing was from August 10th-12th.
Ponyo: Sosuke is a young boy who lives in a coastal town with his mother. As he goes about his normal day, he meets Ponyo, a sea creature who is curious about the world above the water. After Sosuke’s town is flooded, Ponyo and Sosuke set out on a quest to save everyone! (This movie is loosely based on the tale, The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Anderson.) This movie was showing from August 23rd to the 27th.
Howl’s Moving Castle: Sophie is just a girl who works at her parents’ hat shop. After she gets cursed by a witch, she embarks on a journey to help her break free of the curse, but instead finds her family. This movie is based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s playing from September 20th to the 24th.
Spirited Away: Chihiro didn’t want to move to this new town. Yet after a stop at an abandoned theme park, she is forced to stay in the spirit realm, working in the Bathhouse to ensure her parents’ and her own safe return to the human world. This is showing from October 18th to the 22nd.
The Boy and The Heron: Mahito just lost his mother during the war, and afterward moved to his family’s estate. Eventually, he is led to a tower, where he meets an old gray heron, who becomes his guide while walking between the world of the living and the dead. This new addition is showing from November 15th to the 19th.
If any of these movies seem interesting, get tickets now at AMC, Regal, Cinemark and more theaters across the country. Currently, Howl’s Moving Castle is playing in theaters, with Spirited Away following in October. Check out the theaters websites for more information about the other movie dates coming up. If you want to explore the other movies by Studio Ghibli, stream them on HBO Max.
