30^th Award of Honor Gala

Accepting the award is Stephen Alpert who recently retired as Senior Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of Studio Ghibli, serving as the head of the studio’s International Division for more than 15 years. Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animated film directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, and has produced twenty-three feature-length films. Studio Ghibli is arguably Japan’s most successful film studio. Most Studio Ghibli films ranked number one at the box office in Japan in the year in which they were released. SPIRITED AWAY, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in 2001, is the all-time highest grossing film in Japan, earning over 30 billion yen at the box office. The Studio’s SPIRITED AWAY (2001) and HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004) are among Japan’s top 5 grossing films. Studio Ghibli films have garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim from film critics and animation specialists around the world. SPIRITED AWAY was awarded the Golden Bear as the Best Feature Film at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.