We had TWO films, Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There, nominated for best animated feature this year at the Academy Awards. We were shocked and awed and incredibly humbled to receive our 7th and 8th nomination in seven years. It is always an absolute joy to see the films we deeply care about be recognized for all they are worth.
Boy and the World
Brazilian artist Alê Abreu’s Academy Award-nominated masterpiece is a riotous explosion of music and color, a breathtakingly original and vibrant cinematic experience that depicts the wonders and struggles of the modern world as seen through the eyes of a young boy.
Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The
young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands. Entering
civilization, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, with barrios of decoupage streets and shop windows and flashing
neon advertisements that illuminate the night. The story depicts a clash between village and city, hand crafted and mechanized, rich and poor – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song.
Coming soon to DVD and Blu-ray!
The newest feature from Japan’s famed Studio Ghibli is a sweeping story of friendship, mystery and discovery that delivers stirring emotions and breathtaking animation as only Ghibli can.
When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh House again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend. Based on the young adult novel by Joan G. Robinson and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty), When Marnie Was There has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful dramatic portrayals that build to a stormy climax.
The English voicecast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Geena Davis, John C. Reilly, and Vanessa Williams.
Now available on DVD and Blu-ray!
Also, here are some fun pictures we took while walking the red carpet with Studio Ghibli and Alê Abreu!
