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Rhode Island School of Design and Providence Children’s Film Festival Present Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and Only Yesterday
05/16/2012
Special
Q&A with Producer Toshio Suzuki
who will be in town to receive an honorary degree at
RISD’s Commencement ceremony, on behalf of the Japanese film animation house Studio Ghibli
PROVIDENCE,
RI – On Thursday, May 31, 2012 AT 5:30PM, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD),
in partnership with the Providence Children’s Film Festival, will present two exclusive
screenings of Studio Ghibli films, as well as a very special conversation with producer
Toshio Suzuki. Spirited Away and Only Yesterday will be screened in the
RISD Auditorium in their original Japanese, with English subtitles. The event
is free and open to the public; tickets are available through EventBrite. Spirited Away will kick the evening off
from 5:30 to 7:30PM, followed by the Q&A with Suzuki from 7:30 to 8:30PM. Only Yesterday will play from 9:00 to 11:00PM.
To Reserve seats:
Spirited Away: http://spiritedaway.eventbrite.com/
Only Yesterday: http://onlyyesterdayghibli.eventbrite.com/
Suzuki
will be in Providence to receive an honorary degree at RISD’s 2012 Commencement celebration, taking place on June 2, 2012. Director
and animator Hayao Miyazaki, his
colleague and mentor Isao Takahata
and producer Toshio Suzuki have
agreed to accept the honor, with Suzuki coming to RISD’s Commencement ceremony to
collect the honorary degree on behalf of the studio.
When Studio Ghibli was nominated for an
honorary degree, there was enormous enthusiasm for the idea but little hope
that the notoriously private studio would actually accept – especially since
the honor requires recipients to attend RISD’s Commencement ceremony to accept
the award in person. After all, the studio didn’t even send anyone to the
Academy Awards when its film Spirited
Away was nominated for (and won) Best Animated Feature in 2002. But
convinced that shared principles – an emphasis on craftsmanship and respect for
the natural world – make RISD and Studio Ghibli natural allies, President John Maeda asked for assistance from
noted Japanese fashion designer and RISD alumna Tae Ashida [1987 RISD Apparel]. Read more about how Ashida helped
facilitate their acceptance: http://www.risd.edu/About/News/Studio_Ghibli_Comes_to_RISD/
Ghibli
believes strongly in the quality and craftsmanship of their films; in
maintaining the integrity of their sometimes non-linear narratives; and in
having the freedom to critique capitalism and globalism while exploring themes
of pacifism, feminism and the relationship of humanity to nature and
technology. Long considered pioneers and great treasures in Japan – and admired
all over the world – RISD is delighted to be honoring Studio Ghibli at
Commencement, and that Mr. Suzuki is graciously taking part in the RISD /
Providence Children’s Film Festival screening and conversation as part of his
visit to Rhode Island.
About Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli | Studio Ghibli, which derives its name from the Arabic word for a
strong North African wind, was established in 1985 by director and animator Hayao Miyazaki, his colleague and
mentor, director Isao Takahata, and
producer Toshio Suzuki to “blow a
new wind through the Japanese anime industry” and push the boundaries of traditional
animation. Since then the studio’s phenomenal work has focused on pacifism,
feminism and the relationship between humans, nature and technology, while also
offering an incisive critique of capitalism and globalism.
Studio Ghibli is perhaps best known in the US for the
Oscar-winning film Spirited Away (2001). Its latest release, The Secret World of Arrietty (2011), opened in February in
theaters across the country. Ghibli’s diverse portfolio of films, including My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Princess Mononoke (1997) and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), have contributed to the
studio’s reputation for exacting detail and for allowing its drawings to really
drive each story.
Disney and Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter has
acknowledged Studio Ghibli as one of the greatest animation teams of all time.
The studio has also been lauded for the humanity, spirituality and integrity of
its films, and for refusing to allow American distributors to edit their
signature nonlinear structure. Studio Ghibli’s work has a huge following both
in Japan and worldwide. Their films inspire ongoing academic research and have
been shown at Carnegie Hall and in the Los Angeles American Cinematheque
retrospective series. The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Tokyo is dedicated to the
studio’s history and hand-drawn animation styles.
About Rhode Island
School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned an
international reputation as the leading college of art and design in the United
States. Approximately 2,400 students from around the world study at RISD,
pursuing full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a choice of 19 studio
majors. RISD is known for its phenomenal faculty of
artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its
hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which critical thinking
informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal arts provide an
essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to become critical and
informed individuals eager to engage with the world. Through the
accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions
the vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for
innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum of Art help make Providence, RI among
the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more
information, visit www.risd.edu or our.risd.edu
About the Providence Children’s
Film FestivalThe Providence
Children’s Film Festival was founded in 2009 to bring high
quality, independent and international children’s films, animation, and
documentaries to New England, and to present them as shared theatrical
experiences for the community. Programming includes live action, animation and
documentaries, shorts and features, and films made by RI youth, including the
films made in our festival workshops. The festival committee looks
especially for films with content that speaks positively to children and
families of diverse ages, backgrounds and ethnicities.
Educational opportunities are vital to our mission, and during each festival
there are opportunities for children and youth to learn about different
filmmaking techniques through our educational workshops, which are led by
experienced animators and filmmakers. For
more information, visit pcffri.org.
# # #
Contact:Brenda
Shannon
Providence Children’s
Film Festival
ProvKidsFilm@gmail.com
www.pcffri.org