DENVER, Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After a successful
series in 2017, GKIDS and Fathom Events continue their
collaboration to bring a new line-up of treasured films to U.S.
cinemas throughout 2018. STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2018
gives fans an opportunity to see nine of Studio Ghibli's revered
animated masterpieces on cinema screens nationwide, along with some
very special surprises for Fathom Events attendees only.
The 2018 series kicks off with the 10th anniversary of the
heartwarming family adventure "Ponyo," from Academy
Award®-winning Hayao Miyazaki, for
three days only on March 25, 26 and
28. STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2018 then continues with "The Cat
Returns," "Porco Rosso," "Pom Poko," "Princess
Mononoko," the 30th anniversary of "Grave of the
Fireflies," the 30th anniversary of "My Neighbor Totoro," "Spirited Away,"
and "Castle in the Sky."
Tickets for STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2018 can be purchased
online by visiting www.ghiblifest.com, www.FathomEvents.com or at
participating theater box offices. Moviegoers throughout the U.S.
will be able to enjoy these events in over 700 select movie
theaters. A complete list of theater locations will be available on
the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to
change). Weekday showings begin at 7:00
p.m. and Sunday showings begin at 12:55 p.m. (all local times).
"After an incredible Ghibli 2017 series and the popular 'Mary
and The Witch's Flower' event earlier this year, we are pleased to
be teaming up again with GKIDS to bring some of the world's best
animation to U.S. theatergoers," Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. "This series provides a special
opportunity for fans to experience these beloved titles together on
the big screen."
"We were overjoyed with the passionate response to last year's
festival," said GKIDS CEO Eric
Beckman. "The artistry, wonder, and excitement of Studio
Ghibli is best experienced in movie theaters, and we are thrilled
to be working together again with Fathom Events to bring these
movies to fans nationwide."
Ponyo 10th Anniversary – Sunday,
March 25; Monday, March 26 and
Wednesday, March 28
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the
sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more
than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature
who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the
house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to
the sea. Miyazaki's breathtaking, imaginative world is brought to
life with an all-star cast, featuring the voices of Cate Blanchett,
Matt Damon, Lily Tomlin, Liam
Neeson and more.
The Cat Returns – Sunday, April
22; Monday, April 23 and
Wednesday, April 25
Haru is walking home after a dreary day of school when she spies
a cat with a small gift box in its mouth crossing a busy street,
and she jumps in front of traffic to save the cat from an oncoming
truck. To her amazement, the cat gets up on its hind legs, brushes
itself off, and thanks her very politely. But things take an even
stranger turn when later than night, the King of Cats shows up at
her doorstep in a feline motorcade. He showers Haru with gifts, and
decrees that she shall marry the Prince and come live in the
Kingdom of Cats!
Porco Rosso – Sunday, May
20; Monday, May 21, and
Wednesday, May 23
"Porco Rosso" is a world weary flying ace-turned-bounty-hunter,
whose face has been transformed into that of a pig by a mysterious
spell. When he infuriates a band of sky pirates with his heroics,
the pirates hire Curtis, a hotshot American rival, to get rid of
him. But with the help of the teenage girl Fio, an aspiring
airplane designer, and sultry lounge singer named Gina, Porco takes
to the skies for what may be his final high-flying
showdown.
Pom Poko – Sunday, June 17;
Monday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 20
From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited
Away, and Academy Award®-nominated director
Isao Takahata, comes an
action-packed ecological fable about the clash between nature and
human civilization.
The tanuki (raccoon dogs) of Tama Hills find their
fun-loving community under attack when their quiet woodlands are
threatened by encroaching developers looking to create still more
houses and shopping malls. Desperate to survive, the tanuki
band together and learn the ancient art of transformation,
shape-shifting into a comical variety of humans and spirits as they
undertake a last-ditch plan to scare away the humans and save their
home, in this deeply-affecting, funny and heartfelt look at what it
means to live in the modern world.
Princess Mononoke – Sunday, July
22; Monday, July 23 and
Wednesday, July 25
Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads
west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into bitter conflict
between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the
enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who
will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home
and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there.
Featuring the voices of Gillian
Anderson, Billy Crudup,
Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Jada
Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob
Thornton.
Grave of the Fireflies 30th Anniversary –
Sunday, August 12; Monday, August 13 and Wednesday, August 15
Directed by Academy Award®-nominated Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli's Grave Of
The Fireflies has been universally hailed as an artistic
and emotional tour de force.
As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of
firebombs falls upon Japan, the
final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller
tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister
Setsuko, two children forced to fend for themselves in the
aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the
earth. Their struggle is a tribute to the human spirit. Presented
in its digitally remastered and restored format, Grave Of
The Fireflies is one of the rare films that truly deserves
to be called a masterpiece.
My Neighbor Totoro
30th Anniversary – Sunday,
September 30; Monday, October
1 and Wednesday, October 3
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of My
Neighbor Totoro, from the legendary Studio Ghibli,
creators of Spirited Away, and Academy
Award®-winning director Hayao
Miyazaki. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their
father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is
not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and
nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures,
including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who
can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the
girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the
extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece
featuring the voices of Tim Daly,
Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters
Dakota and Elle Fanning, in a
classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family.
Spirited Away – Sunday, October
28; Monday, October 29 and
Wednesday, October 30
Hayao Miyazaki's Academy
Award®-winning masterpiece Spirited Away was the
biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and helped redefine the possibilities of
animation for American audiences and a generation of new
filmmakers.
Chihiro thinks she is on another boring trip with her parents.
But when they stop at a village that is not all that it seems, her
parents undergo a mysterious transformation, and Chihiro is whisked
into a world of fantastic spirits, shape-shifting dragons and a
witch who never wants to see her leave. She must call on the
courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her
family to the outside world.
Combining Japanese mythology with Alice in
Wonderland-type whimsy, Spirited Away cemented
Miyazaki's reputation as an icon of animation and storytelling.
Castle in the Sky – Sunday,
November 18; Monday, November
19 and Wednesday, November
20
Castle in the Sky is a timeless story of courage and
friendship, with stunning animation from acclaimed Academy
Award®-winning director Hayao
Miyazaki.
This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer's
apprentice, spies a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky,
held aloft by a glowing pendant. Both Sheeta and Pazu are searching
for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and they vow to travel
there together to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal. But
their quest won't be easy, as soon they are being pursued by greedy
air pirates, the military, and secret government agents, who all
seek the power Sheeta alone can control.
The English-dubbed cast includes the vocal talents of
Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark
Hamill, Mandy Patinkin and
more.
For artwork/photos related to this series, visit the Fathom
Events press site.
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the leading event cinema distributor with
participating theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market
Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall
distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC
Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK)
and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC
JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind
entertainment events in theaters such as live performances of the
Metropolitan Opera, top stage productions including Newsies! The
Broadway Musical and George Takei's
Allegiance, major sporting events such as Mayweather vs. McGregor,
epic concerts with artists like Grateful Dead and Dixie Chicks, the
yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, inspirational events such
as Steve McQueen: American Icon and
In Our Hands, and beloved anime titles like Princess Mononoke and
Spirited Away. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes for
unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and
interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP
experience. Fathom Events' live digital broadcast network ("DBN")
is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded
events to 897 locations and 1,387 screens in 181 DMAs. For more
information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the producer and distributor of award-winning feature
animation for both adult and family audiences. Its latest film is
the Academy Award®-nominated, critically-acclaimed
feature, The Breadwinner, directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by
Angelina Jolie. It also marks the
company's first foray into production, since GKIDS CEO Eric Beckman and President David Jesteadt also executive produced the film.
Since 2010, GKIDS has scored an astounding 10 Best Animated Feature
Oscar® nominations with The Secret of Kells in
2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico &
Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in
2014, The Tale of The Princess
Kaguya and Song of the Sea in
2015, Boy and
the World and When Marnie Was
There in 2016, My
Life as a Zucchini in 2017, and The
Breadwinner this year. GKIDS also handles North
American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films,
one of the world's most coveted animation collections with
titles Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess
Mononoke and others. GKIDS recently launched ANIMATION IS
FILM, an annual LA-based film festival. The first edition took
place last October at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood for a sold-out audience of
5,000. ANIMATION IS FILM embraces the highest aspirations of
animation as a cinematic art form and is a vocal advocate for
filmmakers who push the boundaries of their work to the fullest
range of expression of which the medium is
capable. www.GKIDS.com
About Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors
Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and is one of the most successful
and well-respected animation studios in the world. Cultivating a
creative force of talented directors, animators, and storytellers
under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio
Ghibli's films have been praised for their originality, dazzling
animation, and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved
part of Japanese popular culture, and have garnered worldwide
acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away won the
Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature of 2002, and in
2005 Miyazaki was named one of "the most influential people" by
TIME Magazine.
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gkids-and-fathom-events-present-a-new-studio-ghibli-series-of-animated-masterpieces-in-us-cinemas-throughout-2018-300598758.html
SOURCE Fathom Events