New Miyazaki opens Cinekid

Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea), the new animation film from Hayao Miyazaki, will receive its première at the opening of Cinekid. Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most successful makers of Japanese animation films. In 2003 his film Spirited Away (2001) won an Oscar for Best Animation Film and How's Moving Castle (2004) received an Oscar Nomination in 2006.

This year's Cinekid Festival will be officially opened on Saturday 18 October by Minister Plasterk.

Within one month, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea has already grown into one of the most popular Japanese films ever. It tells the story of the friendship between a 5 year-old boy and a small goldfish called Ponyo, which has only one dream: to become a human being. Drawn by hand, Ponyo has already taken more than 91 million dollars at the box office, and thousands of Japanese have downloaded the title theme as a ring tone.

A recurring theme in the work of Miyazaki is the relationship between human beings and nature and technology. The main characters are often strong and independent girls or young women, and the villains are portrayed as ambiguous characters who also have a good side.