2008-09-News

Studio Ghibli-themed Skit Wins Competition

Last weekend at the Abunai 2008 convention in Zwolle (Netherlands) a Spirited Away/Studio Ghibli skit by Team Matsuken won the cosplay competition. Video of the performance.

Thanks to Roy Mak for the news.

--LLin 15:50, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Studio Ghibli Collaborating with Level5

In the usual roundabout news distribution pattern (Ars Technica via Gamekyo via NeoGAF via Famitsu) it's been revealed that Studio Ghibli and Level5 are working on Ninokuni, a game to be released on the Nintendo DS and a as yet unnamed console.

Thanks to Chris Meadows for posting the news to the Miyazaki Mailing List

--LLin 16:25, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

Castle of Cagliostro Blu-ray Release

VAP announced that the Castle of Cagliostro Blu-ray disc will be released on December 3. Lupin the 3rd: BD Boxset of the 1st and 2nd TV series will be released on December 12.

The film and TV series were among the first Studio Ghibli-related works released on DVD in 2001.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 17:22, 20 September 2008 (UTC)

Totoro Lesson Plan

The Japan Society has created an elementary school lesson plan titled Our Family and Other Families: Using Totoro to Teach Family Structure:

Hayao Miyazaki's much beloved film, My Neighbor Totoro, is used in this lesson to spark discussion about the universality of families.

Thanks to Ariana Moir for the news.

--LLin 23:02, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Princess Mononoke in Ottawa

The Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa is showing Princess Mononoke as part of a double-bill with Heavy Metal:

• September 22,23 @ 6:30pm

Thanks to David Heerema for the news.

--LLin 21:28, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Grabs a Special Mention Digital Cinema Award

While Mamoru Oshii's Sky Crawlers took home the main prize Ponyo garnered a Special Mention. The Digital Cinema competition takes place along side the main Venice International Film Festival and is focused on films created with digital technologies.

--LLin 16:12, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Around the World

• Time magazine has a review and states that Disney will be releasing it in the US "next year".
• The film receives its Dutch premiere by opening the Cinekid festival in Amsterdam on October 18.

--LLin 05:06, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

News Bits

Loads of articles coming out of the Venice International Film Festival:

• Japan's Miyazaki keeps computers out of cartoons - "Revered Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki has no intention of swapping his pencil for computer graphics and will keep hand drawing his films for as long as he can, he said on Sunday."
• Variety review of Ponyo - "Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animated epic, “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea,” unfolds with a magic limpidity, teeming with imaginative transports that owe nothing to CGI. "
• BBC Interview - Miyazaki acknowledged his advancing years at Sunday's press conference, but said his colleagues' offspring gave him the will to continue. "When I see so many children before me I find the strength to push ahead and go on," he said in his native Japanese.

Thanks to Cameron McEwan, Daniel Zelter, Mike Massee, and Simon Ho for the news.

--LLin 20:58, 1 September 2008 (UTC)