The Cannes Film Festival has announced it will award an Honorary Palme d’Or to Studio Ghibli at its 77th film festival next month.
The Palme d’Or is the festival’s highest award, but the committee also sporadically gives out honorary versions to recognize bodies of work by those who’ve never won the official prize. (Sometimes multiple in a year; George Lucas will also receive an Honorary Palme d’Or next month.) The honorary prize for Studio Ghibli marks the first time it will be given to a group rather than an individual director or actor.
“With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity,” said Iris Knobloch, president of the festival, and Thierry Fremaux, general delegate, in a statement.