Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka) will open the 71st edition of San Sebastian Festival – out of competition. Following the premiere at Toronto Film Festival, San Sebastian will host the European premiere of the latest film from the director of Spirited Away.

The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka) is an original story written by the director. The soundtrack is signed by Miyazaki’s regular composer, Joe Hisaishi.

Hayao Miyazaki (Tokyo, 1941) founded the Studio Ghibli with Isao Takahata in 1985. Since then, he has directed movies including Castle in the Sky (Tenku no Shiro Rapyuta)(1986), My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro)(1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta)(1992) and Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)(1997). Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)(2001) broke all box office records in Japan and garnered numerous awards, including the Golden Bear in Berlin and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Howl’s Moving Castle (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro)(2004) bagged an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, landed the Osella Award at Venice Festival and Miyazaki received the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement the following year. The Wind Rises (Kaze Tachinu)(2013) bagged an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. In 2012 Miyazaki was named Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese Government. In 2014 he received the Academy Honorary Award for his career and was inducted to the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame.

This is the fourth time that a film by the Japanese moviemaker, who also writes, draws and designs buildings, will have been programmed at the San Sebastian Festival, but it is the first time he will have participated in the Official Selection. He was previously at the Velodrome with Spirited Away and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Gake no Ue no Ponyo)(2008) and in Perlak with The Wind Rises.

In addition to these films, two other Ghibli films have been selected in the Perlak section: The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari)(2013) by Isao Takahata and Red Turtle (La tortue rouge)(2016) by Michael Dudok de Wit.