Cannes 2024: Studio Ghibli becomes first group to receive honorary award in festival history

In a historic move, the upcoming Cannes Film Festival will be presenting an Honorary Palme d'Or to a group- Studio Ghibli - known for its fantastic animation cinema. The house has created cinematic gems like Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and The Boy and the Heron which won an Oscar this year in the Best Animated Feature Film category.

So far, the festival has given the Honorary Palme to individuals including Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford in recent years.

This year which is the Festival's 77th edition, Star Wars' creator George Lucas willget the Honorary Palme.

About Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was founded by renowned Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki along with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki in 1985. In over three decades, the Studio has created some iconic animated films that have served as inspiration for animators across the world.

Miyazaki returned from his retirement to make The Boy and the Heron, which is set during World War II and follows the journey of 12-year-old Mahito Maki, who comesto terms with the tragic death of his mother in a Tokyo hospital fire, and grapples with his new life that includes his father and stepmother. An encounter with a mystical grey heron leads him towards solace and understanding of his grief.

Miyazaki’s movies have always premiered at Venice, Toronto, and Berlin where Spirited Away won the Golden Bear in 2002. However, Takahata’s The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya was shown in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2014 and The Red Turtle, Ghibli’s first collaboration with a European production company, screened under Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2016.

Cannes Film Festival will run from May 14 to 25.