Studio Ghibli's big-screen retrospective begins in Vancouver this month

One of the most beloved animation studios in the world is getting a new retrospective in Vancouver this spring, and film fans will want to get their popcorn ready.

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is presenting Studio Ghibli Forever! Part 2 from April 28 to July 17, 2023

The celebration at VIFF Centre – Vancity Theatre includes seven Studio Ghibli films, including animated masterpieces and cult classics by the Koganei, Tokyo-based company.

Studio Ghibli Forever! is an ongoing series throughout 2023, with additional films being added to the screening lineup later this year.

Howl’s Moving Castle from Studio Ghibli (VIFF/Submitted)

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“It’s been 10 years since Hayao Miyazaki — the world’s greatest animator — released his last film, The Wind is Rising, and announced his retirement,” VIFF said in the retrospective’s description. “Happily, he changed his mind, and will unveil (the provisionally titled) How Do You Live? later this year.

“There is no better time to revisit the spellbinding fairy tales which have enchanted audiences for four decades and made Studio Ghibli the most revered animation studio in the world.”

Secret World Of Arrietty from Studio Ghibli (VIFF/Submitted)

The lineup of films being screened during VIFF’s Studio Ghibli Forever! series includes:

• Spirited Away (2001)
• The Cat Returns (2002)
• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
• Tales from Earthsea (2006)
• Ponyo (2008)
• The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
• From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

Cat Returns from Studio Ghibli (VIFF/Submitted)

Each film will be screened twice throughout the retrospective, with Howl’s Moving Castle having three showings. See the full schedule online.

“Fans will need no encouragement to dive back into these lovely movies on the big screen,” said VIFF programmer Tom Charity on viff.org. “Newcomers should expect a fantastical cinema imbued with a palpable sense of the sublime, featuring plucky, curious heroines, fabulous contraptions, endearing, mythical creatures, and a living, breathing world which is both familiar and thrillingly unexpected.”

From Up On Poppy Hill from Studio Ghibli (VIFF/Submitted)

The third and final installment in VIFF’s Studio Ghibli Forever! series will be announced this fall.

Studio Ghibli Forever!

When: April 28 to July 17, 2023
Time: Various times. See the full schedule online.
Where: VIFF Centre – 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $10 for students and accessible pricing, $13 for seniors, and $15 for adults. Purchase online