Gorō Miyazaki Accepts Honorary Palme d’Or for Studio Ghibli at Cannes
Studio Ghibli, the iconic Japanese animation studio founded by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or at the Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes, France. Gorō Miyazaki, head of creative development at Studio Ghibli and son of Hayao Miyazaki, collected the prestigious award from Juan Antonio Bayona, a member of Greta Gerwig’s jury and an admirer of Ghibli's work.
The atmosphere at the Grand Théâtre Lumière was electric, with an enthusiastic and youthful audience applauding the Studio Ghibli representatives. In his opening speech, Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s director, highlighted the unique decision to honor a studio rather than a single individual. "For the very first time, Iris Knobloch and I decided to award the honorary Palme d'Or to a studio, rather than a single creative. And what a studio! Represented by Gorō Miyazaki, I give you the Studio Ghibli!" he declared.
A special nine-minute compendium of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved films was screened before the award presentation, showcasing the poetic artistry and imaginative worlds of Castle in the Sky (1986), The Boy and the Heron, Ponyo, and Porco Rosso.
Although Hayao Miyazaki could not attend the ceremony, he expressed his gratitude via a video message. Gorō Miyazaki, the talented director of From Up on Poppy Hill and Tales from Earthsea, accepted the award on behalf of the studio, its museum, and its park.
Juan Antonio Bayona, who presented the award, shared his admiration for Ghibli's work. "I remember the emotions I felt while watching all these films, especially The Wind Rises and its core message: ‘You have to keep on keeping on.’ Thank you for opening up your world to us and making our lives a little bit better, a little more colourful,” he said.
Gorō Miyazaki humorously remarked about the previous Oscar win for The Boy and the Heron, recalling how the Ghibli representatives had to wrap the statue in a hotel towel for transport. He expressed relief that the Palme d'Or was nicely packaged and extended his gratitude to the teams and fans who have supported Studio Ghibli over the years. "Ghibli was launched 40 years ago by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Tokuma Shoten. They may be the studio’s biggest contributors, but I want to extend this award to all the hard-working teams. This is an honour owed to all those who have loved our films, too: I’d like to thank all Ghibli fans," he said.
As a token of appreciation, Gorō Miyazaki treated the audience to a screening of four Hayao Miyazaki shorts, including three that had never been shown outside Japan: Mei and the Kittenbus, Looking for a Home, Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess, and Boro the Caterpillar.