Cineplex Events is transporting five of the best-known works from Hayao Miyazaki and iconic Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli to Langley with the ‘Studio Ghibli Anime Series.’
Each feature in the Series – screening from July through December – is a cinematic gem comprised of the traditional animation and complex characters that Studio Ghibli is known for.
Each film will screen twice, once in an English dubbed version as well as in Japanese with English subtitles, and follow with an exclusive mini-festival of short animated films.
For showtimes, click here.
The ‘Studio Ghibli Anime Series’ includes the following films:
Kiki’s Delivery Service – July 30 (English dubbed), Aug. 2 (Japanese w/e.s.t.)
From the legendary Hayao Miyazaki comes the beloved story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and set out into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her life journey with her chatty black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a sea-side village, where a bakery owner hires her to make deliveries. Rarely has the animator’s art been so brilliantly rendered as in this delightfully imaginative film – a beautiful and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world. The English dubbed version includes performances by Kirsten Dunst, Matthew Lawrence, Debbie Reynolds, Phil Hartman and Janeane Garofalo.
Castle in the Sky – Aug. 27 (English dubbed), Aug. 30 (Japanese w/e.s.t.)
A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky and into the arms and life of young Pazu. Together they search for a floating island in the sky, the site of a long-dead civilization promising enormous wealth and power to those who can unlock its secrets. The English dubbed version includes performances by Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill and Mandy Patinkin.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – Sept. 24 (English dubbed), Sept. 27 (Japanese w/e.s.t.)
The debut film from Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is considered by many to be his masterwork — and there are few films, animated or otherwise, of such sweeping scope and grandeur. Set in a devastated future world decimated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess, both brave and innocent, whose love for all living things and passionate determination to understand the processes of nature lead her into terrible danger, sacrifice, and eventual triumph. The English dubbed version includes performances by Alison Lohman, Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos and Shia LaBeouf.
Spirited Away – Oct. 29 (English dubbed), Nov. 1 (Japanese w/e.s.t.)
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning masterpiece Spirited Away was the biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and a film that helped redefine the possibilities of animation for American audiences and a generation of new filmmakers. Wandering through an abandoned carnival site, ten-year-old Chichiro is separated from her parents and stumbles into a dream-like spirit world where she is put to work in a bathhouse for the gods, a place where all kinds of nonhuman beings come to refresh, relax and recharge. Here she encounters a vast menagerie of impossibly inventive characters — shape-shifting phantoms and spirits, some friendly, some less so — and must find the inner strength to outsmart her captors and return to her family. Combining Japanese mythology with Through the Looking Glass-type whimsy, Spirited Away cemented Miyazaki’s reputation as an icon of inspired animation and wondrous, lyrical storytelling. The English dubbed version includes performances by Lauren Holly, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.
Howl’s Moving Castle – Dec. 3 (English dubbed), Dec. 6 (Japanese w/e.s.t.)
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. But after this chance meeting, the young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Howl’s Moving Castle was the second Studio Ghibli film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. The English dubbed version includes performances by Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Emily Mortimer, Josh Hutcherson, Jena Malone and Billy Crystal.