Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ set to open Toronto International Film Festival
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Studio Ghibli’s newest film, “The Boy and the Heron,” will make history in September as the first Japanese film to open the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Key details: The film festival announced the news in a tweet on Thursday, sharing that “The Boy and the Heron” — the first movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki in almost a decade — will be screened at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Sept. 7.
Studio Ghibli returns to #TIFF23 with THE BOY AND THE HERON.
The long-awaited fantastical epic from Oscar–winning director Hayao Miyazaki will have its International Premiere on Sept 7 at Roy Thomson Hall after record-breaking success in Japan. https://t.co/mMVBM13rEN pic.twitter.com/SJAL3rdImH
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— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) July 27, 2023
In a follow-up tweet on the same day, TIFF noted that this will be “the first time a Japanese film or an animated film has opened the Festival.”
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While several of Studio Ghibli’s films have screened at TIFF — including THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA, THE WIND RISES, SPIRITED AWAY, and PRINCESS MONONOKE — this is the first time a Japanese film or an animated film has opened the Festival. #TIFF23 pic.twitter.com/YBQ9uaIwla
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) July 27, 2023
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The screening will also mark the international premiere of Miyazaki’s latest, and reportedly last, film.
“We are honored to open the 48th Toronto International Film Festival with the work of one of cinema’s greatest artists,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement, as per the Associated Press.
Initial release: “The Boy and the Heron” first premiered in Japan on July 14 under the title “Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka,” or “How Do You Live?” in English. It reportedly made 1.83 billion yen (approximately $13.1 million) during its opening weekend despite zero marketing efforts.
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Following U.S.-based film distributor Gkids’ recent acquisition of the film’s North American rights, it will be released as “The Boy and the Heron” in the region.
What it's about: Bailey described the film as “a simple story of loss and love" that "rises to a staggering work of imagination.”
“I look forward to our audience discovering its mysteries for themselves, but I can promise a singular, transformative experience,” he continued.
