The Annecy International Animation Festival will screen the most-recent film from anime legend Isao Takahata — The Tale of the Princess Kaguya — at its June 9 opening ceremony.
Takahata, who adapted the film from a Japanese tale of a tiny princess who is found in a bamboo stalk and turns into a young woman whose affections are coveted by great princes willing to face impossible challenges to claim her, will attend the ceremony.
The film was produced by Studio Ghibli, which Takahata co-founded with Hayao Miyazaki and the Tokuma Shoten company.
Takahata also will receive the Special Cristal Award for Career Achievement for having made such films as Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Pom Poko (1994) and My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999).
The festival is scheduled to run June 9-14 in Annecy, France.
