Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli

This week, Michael is joined by director Kenichiro Akimoto to talk about All You Need Is Kill, a new animated adaptation of the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka previously brought to the screen as Edge of Tomorrow.Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're collecting Best Feature Animation Oscar nominees like trading cards! In this bonus interview episode, Jake sits down with director Jared Bush and producer Yvett Merino to talk about their blockbusting Disney Animation sequel Zootropolis 2. Haven't seen it? Here's a quick breakdown of the plot:In Zootropolis 2, detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootropolis and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. Zootropolis 2 is available for home entertainment purchase now, and will be available on Disney+ soon. Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Oscars and Baftas around the corner, we've lined up a couple of interview episodes with filmmakers behind some of the contenders.Today, Michael and Jake speak with Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, directors of the French animated gem, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. This remarkable film sees the world through the eyes of a toddler growing up in postwar Japan as she observes, explores and makes sense of the world around her, thanks in no small part to her deep connection with her family's housekeeper, Nishio-San.Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in January, Michael was invited to host the UK premiere of Another World, a spectacular, high-concept, high-emotions animation from Hong Kong.Here is the recording of the Q&A from that screening, with producer-writer Polly Yeung and director Tommy Ng.Tasked to help transient souls through Another World to their reincarnation, a spirit and a young girl embarks on a dangerous journey to prevent her curse from destroying the world.Another World is currently on release in the UK thanks to Central City Media and will be released in the US by GKids later this year.If you're in the UK, find a screening near you here: https://www.centralcity.media/films/another-world/Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the final episode of our Briggsonometry mini series all about the adapted works of Raymond Briggs!And today we're ending on Raymond Briggs's most personal project of his whole career: his graphic ode to his parents, Ethel and Ernest. Originally published in 1998 to award-winning acclaim, this story of two normal people living through extraordinary times acts like a Rosetta Stone for all of Briggs's recurring motifs, themes and obsessions. So much of what we have discussed in our episodes on The Snowman, When the Wind Blows, Father Christmas and The Bear come into sharp relief here, in this polished, feature-length 2016 adaptation from Lupus Films.Keep an eye out next week for an archive interview from 2017 with the late Roger Mainwood, director of Ethel & Ernest, by young Jake Cunningham.Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's another imaginary creature who meets a child and they have an adventure, of course it's a new addition to the Briggsonometry! Ivor the Invisible, a curiosity as it was never a Raymond Briggs book, is here. Once seen (or not), never forgotten. Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, Michael has a wide-ranging chat with director Ugo Bienvenu about one of our favourite films of last year, his extraordinary sci-fi animation Arco - and so much more.Colourful, soulful and shot through with a disarming optimism for the future, Arco tells the story of a time-travelling boy from a far-flung future who is dropped into a climate crisis-ridden 2075. There, he teams up with the young girl Iris, and the kids club together to dream up a way to the future.Arco is coming to UK cinemas in March via Picturehouse Entertainment and is getting a wider release in the USA later in January thanks to Neon.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Instagram at @ghibliotheque.pod, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are bearly just still within the festive season and another (attempted) winter warmer has been added to the Briggsonometry curiculum: The Bear. It's got a magical creature meeting a child, a domestic farce and an overnight adventure with a fantastical being. But is this just déjà vu? Or could there be more here than just retrodden footprints in the snow? Whilst we're just about still in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ho ho ho, Merry Podmas!In this seasonal special, Michael, Jake and Steph hop on the mic to round up their years in cinemagoing, podcasting, wrestling, roller derby and beyond; Michael puts Jake and Steph's movie knowledge to the test with a two-round Christmas TV film quiz pulling from magazines from 1985 and 2025; and we open up the mailbag to answer a few festive questions from listeners and friends of the pod.Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect use for a Christmas book token, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the animated short The Scarecrow's Wedding premiering on the BBC on Christmas Day, Michael speaks with illustrator Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale) about creating picture books for children, seeing his work adapted for television, and his fruitful ongoing partnership with writer Julia Donaldson.Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another bloomin' episode of the Briggsonometry mini series. This week, Michael, Jake and Steph have picked up their red fur snowsuits from the dry cleaners and hopped aboard the Ghibliotheque sleigh to go for the Big One, Father Christmas. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our journey through the adaptations of the works of Raymond Briggs continues with the definitely-not-festive feature film, When the Wind Blows - a heartbreaking satire following an elderly couple weathering the impact and fallout of a nuclear attack.Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode, Michael speaks with Joe O'Connell, creator of the Youtube channel Beyond Ghibli and author of Ultimate Anime, a doorstop guide to Japanese animation encompassing 100 films and series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're walking through the airwaves! Ghibliotheque has returned with a festively fused new season exploring the adapted works of Raymond Briggs, beginning here with perenial TV favourite: The Snowman. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a shameless plug! Our new book, The Animation Atlas, is out today! So, to celebrate, here's a little chat with Michael and Jake talking about what the book is all about and why (hopefully) you should be excited about it. A cartography of cartoons, The Animation Atlas takes in everything from titans of animation such as Disney, Pixar, Aardman and Studio Ghibli to pioneers, innovators and rising stars from the wider world of cinema.A truly global history of animation - Each of the 30 chapters sets down in a different country to focus on local talent that has made a global impact on the form, from Spain to South Africa and China to Chile.The book can be purchased wherever you get your books, online or out in the real world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael speaks with film critic Nicolas Rapold about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration.Find out more about The Worlds of Hayao MiyazakiListen to Nicolas's podcast, The Last Thing I SawRead about the BFI's upcoming Frederick Wiseman seasonDid you know, we have a new book coming out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's out in October!Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode, Michael and Jake speak with stop-motion director Claude Barras about his new film, Savages, his previous film, the Ghibliotheque favourite My Life as a Courgette, his life in animation and his almost Takahata-like approach to research.To listen to Claude's full, unedited French answers, fast forward to 40.10.Savages is in UK cinemas now.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the pod this week, Michael speaks with Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis about his Oscar-winning feature, FLOW. This conversation was recorded during the London Film Festival in October 2024, partway through Zilbalodis's remarkable journey with the film: a low-budget, independent feature made by a small crew that became one of the most lauded films of the year, and eventually picked up the Oscar for Best Animated Feature against stiff competition from the animation world's biggest names.Flow is in UK cinemas from 21st March, and Gints's first feature, AWAY, is returning to UK cinemas from 14th March.On Saturday 15th March, we're hosting a special double bill of both films, plus two of Gints's early shorts, with a masterclass Q&A with the director himself, at Curzon Soho in London. Find out more about this 'Whole Loada Zilbalodis' retrospective here.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the second part of our awards season chat about the Oscar-nominated animated films! Michael, Jake and Steph talk about Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Flow and Memoir of a Snail.Scroll back through our archive for interviews with Oscar nominees Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot), Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham (Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl) and Adam Elliot, and look forward to our interview with Gints Zilbalodis (Flow), coming to podcast your feeds in March.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's awards season! And we're jumping into the fray. In this first episode of a two-part awards miniseries, Michael and Jake talk about the two CG-animated offerings from Hollywood studios in contention for Best Animated Feature this year: Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot.Scroll back through our archive for interviews with Oscar nominees Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot), Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham (Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl) and Adam Elliot, and look forward to our interview with Gints Zilbalodis (Flow), coming to podcast your feeds in March.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Michael speaks with Australian stop-motion filmmaker Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Harvie Krumpet) about his new, Oscar-nominated film Memoir of a Snail. In this wide-ranging conversation, Adam speaks about the enduring influence of David Lynch, how he crafts his distinctive films, his love of stories that mix the dark with the light and his memories of working with Philip Seymour Hoffman on Mary & Max.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird) joins us to talk about her new film, the delightful coming-of-age music drama The Colours Within.If you would like to hear Ms Yamada's Japanese responses in full, the unedited interview starts from 32.30.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not a Ghibliotheque miniseries until we've opened the mailbag! This week, Michael, Jake and Steph are opening some Park Life mail from listeners, to hear their thoughts on all things Vengeance Most Fowl, which Wallace and Gromit adventure deserves the top spot in the rankings, and more.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our journey through the films of Nick Park comes to a close with a conversation with the man himself! To mark the release of the new Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl, Michael speaks with Nick Park and co-director Merlin Crossingham about directing as a pair, the importance of the human touch in animation, and how intimidating it is to animate Feathers McGraw.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's us... again! Michael, Jake and Steph gather round the Christmas tree to discuss Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham's latest Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ole, ole, ole, ole... it's time for Early Man! Jake's doing his best Peter Crouch robot dance in the recording studio, but will Steph and Michael feel just as celebratory? Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in 2020 we looked at a couple of documentaries about Studio Ghibli, including Kaku Arakawa's Never-Ending Man. Now, after the release of Arakawa's latest documentary Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron, made during the production and release of Miyazaki's most recent film, Michael and Jake take a look at this latest look into the interior world of Ghibli. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold onto your buns, this week Michael, Jake and Steph are back in shorts territory with Nick Park's fifth Wallace & Gromit adventure, A Matter of Loaf and Death. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beware! Michael, Jake and Steph are about to explore the lore of the terrifying Were-Rabbit. Continue if you dare...Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's a podcast machine, you idiot. Podcasters go in, podcasts come out." This week, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Aardman's feature debut, co-directed by Nick Park alongside studio co-founder Peter Lord, the farmyard break-out comedy-adventure, Chicken Run.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tragic romance! Sheep rustling! Dirty windows! Michael, Jake and Steph don their favourite woolly jumpers and settle in for a chat all about Nick Park’s third Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Close Shave.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is that a chicken, or a penguin? Steph, Michael and Jake are here to investigate, as they look into Nick Park's second Wallace and Gromit tale The Wrong Trousers. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nick Park's career takes off with the very first Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Grand Day Out.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael, Jake and Steph are back with a new miniseries charting the career of animation legend Nick Park and his work at the peerless plasticine-powered studio, Aardman Animations. To start, we look at his Oscar-winning first film, the chatty zoo-themed mockumentary Creature Comforts (1989), which was his first directorial credit for Aardman after contributing to projects such as the era-defining music video for Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer', and while slowly working in the background on his long-gestating student project, A Grand Day Out (more on that next week!).Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To close out the Shinkaideology we've taken the chance to reshare the interview we had with Makoto Shinkai almost two years ago. Some may have already have heard this, but we've had lots of new listeners join the show, so wanted to take the chance to get his voice on the feed for the end of the mini-series.As his new blockbuster anime Suzume is released in UK cinemas, director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You) speaks with Michael and Jake about turning a romantic lead into a three-legged chair, falling in love with Whisper of the Heart, being touted as 'the next Miyazaki', and his filmmaking career to date.Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliothequeEmail us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @ghibliotheque and Instagram @ghibliotheque.pod.@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - Steph Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael and Jake bring the Shinkai-deology up to date with Makoto Shinkai's latest release, and the third film in his loose trilogy of high-concept, disaster-themed features: Suzume. However, this time, Shinkai makes the connection with the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake more overt than ever, with a young girl and her chair boyfriend travelling the full length of Japan to close a series of mystical doors, and heal the long-standing trauma of a nation.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you follow one of the biggest anime hits of all time? This week, Makoto Shinkai continues his run of high concept, big-feels blockbusters with the climate-crisis romance, Weathering With You.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael speaks with director Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) about his new film, The Wild Robot, as well as the films that inspired him to get into animation, his formative years at CalArts, and how he was 'tricked' into being a storyboard artist.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the big one! After several films as a rising star, Makoto Shinkai finally takes up the mantle of 'the Next Miyazaki' (at the box office at least) with the blockbuster body-swap drama, YOUR NAME.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shinkai-deology continues with Makoto Shinkai returning to shortform storytelling with the gorgeously-photographed, Tokyo-set drama, The Garden of Words. Michael and Jake also touch on Shinkai's commercial work, including the futuristic family sketch, Someone's Gaze, which was initially commissioned by the Nomura Real Estate Group, before premiering alongside The Garden of Words in Japanese cinemas in 2013.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our miniseries on the work of Makoto Shinkai takes an unexpected turn this week, as the director dives head-first into Miyazaki-influenced fantasy-adventure territory with 2011's Children Who Chase Lost Voices.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, our journey through the career of Makoto Shinkai comes to 5 Centimeters Per Second. Now a firm fan-favourite, this 60-odd minute anthology of three interconnected coming-of-age shorts was, for many, their first introduction to Shinkai's work, and it represents an important step in the director's growth as a filmmaker and storyteller.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, our journey through the films of Makoto Shinkai reaches his first feature-length film, and his first full-scale production, 2004's alt-history sci-fi drama The Place Promised in Our Early Days.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the start of a new miniseries! Michael and Jake are back to chart the rise of one of Japanese animation's blockbuster filmmakers, Makoto Shinkai, from his homemade beginnings with his very early works, She and Her Cat and Voices of a Distant Star.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comic book artist, animator and film director Dash Shaw joins Michael to speak about his new graphic novel, Blurry, and his two animated features, My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016) and Cryptozoo (2021), as well as his salad days as a young anime fan, his love of independent and European animation, and looking to Miyazaki as an 'old man' mentor.Blurry is available now from the very best book and comics shops as is Cosplayers; Cryptozoo is streaming on Mubi and My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea is available on DVD and Blu-ray.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Screenwriter, author and Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce joins Michael to speak about adapting Michael Morpurgo's novel Kensuke's Kingdom, as well as the art of adaptation, when adaptations go wrong, and his career as a writer of books for children.Kensuke's Kingdom is in UK cinemas now. Find a screening near you: https://www.kensukeskingdom.com/.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Coraline celebrating its 15th anniversary and returning to cinemas, Henry Selick joins us to talk about his life and career, from his days at Cal Arts to his work at the forefront of stop-motion feature animation. He talks about the process of developing Coraline, those early days during the formation of Laika Studios, and how technology has changed since his debut feature, The Nightmare Before Christmas. He also tells us about his formative influences and favourite filmmakers within the world of animation.Scroll back through our archive for our in-depth miniseries all about the films of Henry Selick and Laika, the Selick-tionary and the Laika-nography.Coraline returns to cinemas from 15th August, and the BFI's Stop Motion season runs through August and into September. For more information about the BFI's Stop Motion season, click here.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and poet A.F. Harrold joins Michael to speak about the experience of having his novel, The Imaginary, adapted into a feature film by Studio Ponoc, as well as his memories of writing the book, his love of libraries, and his approach to writing stories for children.You can find out more about A.F. and his work at his website, http://www.afharroldkids.com/Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura (Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes) speaks with Michael about Ponoc's new film, The Imaginary, as well as his love of children's fiction and live-action cinema, and his time at Studio Ghibli producing The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.Thank you to Eyre Kurasawa for translating our conversation. If you want to hear the full conversation with all of Mr Nishimura's Japanese responses intact, skip to around 31 minutes.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special episode of the podcast dives into the stage adaptation of Spirited Away, which is currently running at the Coliseum theatre in London's West End. With Jake on parental leave, Michael enlists the help of co-host Steph Watts and friends of the show Adam Woodward (Little White Lies, TCOLondon) and Sam Clements (90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest) to tackle this epic production that brings Hayao Miyazaki's magical masterpiece to the stage.Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series.Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.