IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
November 16 – December 20
212-924-7771
www.ifccenter.com
www.studioghibli.net
Last winter, we implored you to set up camp at the IFC Center and see as many films as you possibly could in the exciting series “Castles in the Sky: Miyazaki, Takahata & the Masters of Studio Ghibli,” a month-long collaboration with the GKIDS’ New York International Children’s Film Festival. Well, you’re getting another chance, as the series is back for a return engagement. From November 16 to December 20, the IFC Center will be presenting fifteen of the studio’s eighteen animated works, all but one in 35mm prints, by Hayao Miyazaki (including Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Ponyo, and others), Isao Takahata (My Neighbors the Yamadas, Pom Poko, the U.S. premiere of Only Yesterday), Hiroyuki Morita (The Cat Returns), Tomomi Mochizuki (the North American premiere of Ocean Waves), and Yoshifumi Kondo (Whisper of the Heart). Most of the films will be shown in both the dubbed English-language version (with various familiar and famous voices) as well as in the far superior original Japanese, with the former scheduled during the afternoon and the latter at 6:00 and later. The Tokyo studio, which was founded in 1985 by Miyazaki, Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, is world renowned for its gorgeous, painterly animation style, elaborate soundtracks, unique characters, and clever, charming story lines that give a fascinating view of childhood fear and wonder and that work for both kids and adults.