News
Dudok de Wit, Studio Ghibli's The Red Turtle Film Wins Animafest Zagreb Award
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The Animafest Zagreb animation film festival in Croatia revealed on June 10 that Michael Dudok de Wit and Studio Ghibli's The Red Turtle film won its Grand Prix – Feature Film category for the festival. Sunao Katabuchi and MAPPA's In This Corner of the World was also nominated for the category.
Sawako Kabuki's "Natsu no Gero wa Natsu no Sakana" ("Summer's Puke is Winter's Delight") short anime film was also nominated for the Student Film Competition category, and earned a Special Mention. The short also won the Jury Award in the Graduation Films category at the Annecy International Film Festival on Saturday.
The Red Turtle opened in Japan last September, and opened in New York and Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run last November. The film began screening in North American theaters on January 20.
The film was nominated for the Animated Feature Film category of the 89th Academy Awards, but did not win.
The Red Turtle is the latest work by award-winning Dutch animator and director Michael Dudok de Wit ("The Monk and the Fish," "Father & Daughter" animated shorts). Studio Ghibli co-produced the film with French film production and distribution company Wild Bunch (co-producers on The Secret World of Arrietty).
Director de Wit temporarily moved to Koganei in Tokyo (where Studio Ghibli is headquartered) to work on the film, completing the film's storyboards and the scenario in his time there, while Studio Ghibli director Isao Takahata checked them. Takahata also served as the "artistic producer" for the film. Pascale Ferran (Bird People) wrote the film's script.
The film screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2016, and won the Special Jury Prize at the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. The film then opened the 40th Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2016. The film later received the Best Animated Feature - Independent award at the 44th Annual Annie Awards in February.
