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2008-05-22

Ponyo on the Festival Circuit?

Here's the Ghibli-themed question on my mind these days: Will Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea be screened at this year's Venice Film Festival? And will it appear at any other prominent movie fests?

I'm asking this because, well, as dedicated Ghibli Freaks, we're never satisfied with waiting an extra year or two for the Disney-distributed, Pixar-produced US release. What Miyazaki fan will be able to resist the allure of the internet...and you know exactly what I am alluding to...and wait patiently for Ponyo to be swept under the rug on a small handful of screens, the same way Disney buried Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away? No bloody way in hell.

But for the West, it's a given that Miyazaki's latest opus will make its appearance at Venice. It's a Ghibli tradition by now. I'm wondering if this will happen this year, or in 2009. The movie will be released in Japan this July, so it will be very fresh and playing to sold-out shows by September.

It also helps that I have this blog, which makes me a standing member of the press. Just speaking personally, I'd really like to visit Venice. Ha ha.

2 comments:

Michael Jones said...

I can't wait to watch it in July. FYI, here is a link to the Japanese Ponyo website...
Ponyo
I only wish it'd be subtitled, but I usually have to wait for the DVD to get that.

Anonymous said...

i am really glad that in the past fiew years from spirited away, all miyazaki movies has been shown in norwegian cinemas (and swedish). Ponyo will also come up. with original japanese audio and norwegian subs. also, they have started to screen old ghibli movies as well (Totoro, and now Porco rosso will be shown this summer).

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