UC Berkeley’s Center for Japanese Studies has released a bevy of new details about Hayao Miyazaki’s visit to the campus next month, and so far it’s looking spectacular. From PFA screenings to a film premiere and rare live appearance from the man himself, the program looks to capture all facets of the filmmaker’s celebrated body of work, including the ideas and issues that drive his cinematic sensibilities. Full details up ahead.

A side note: “Spirited Away” snagged an Oscar for Best Animated Feature back in 2002. Guess who was there to accept the award? Not Miyazaki. (Just to show how significant this US visit will be and, above all, how fortunate we are to have a director of this stature grace the Berkeley campus.)

Without further ado, the program of events:

July 12-21: Tribute to a Master

In anticipation of Miyazaki’s visit, the Pacific Film Archive will be hosting special screenings for four of his films.

“My Neighbor Totoro” (Sun. July 12, 4:00 PM)
“Porco Rosso” (Tue. July 14, 7:00 PM)
“Castle in the Sky” (Sun. July 19, 2:30 PM)
“Princess Mononoke” (Tues. July 21, 7:00 PM)

Tickets can be purchased at the PFA website here; prices are $9.50 for general admission and $5.50 for UCB students.

July 24: “Ponyo” Debuts in the Bay Area

What: SF Bay Area premiere of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo”
When: Fri. July 24, 6:00 PM
Where: Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley
Who:: General admissions; full price $12, UCB students $9 (limited seating; buy tickets here)
Details: Returning to the hand-drawn animation technique employed in his earlier films, Miyazaki crafted an astonishing 170,000 separate images for “Ponyo.” Inspired in part by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” and Richard Wagner’s 1870 opera “Die Walkure,” the film tells the story of a vivacious goldfish who befriends a five-year old boy, Sosuke, in her quest to become human. The English language dub boasts a star-studded cast: Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and Lily Tomlin, amongst others. U.S. theatrical release, backed by Disney, is on August 14.

Tickets can be purchased at the PFA website here.

July 25: Scholars Discuss Miyazaki

What: “The Hayao Miyazaki Symposium”
When: Sat. July 25, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: 2223 Fulton Street, 6th floor conference room
Details: Leading scholars of Japanese popular culture, literature and film participate in a round-table style discourse to discuss Miyazaki’s influence on an international level. Free and open to the public.
Panelists:
Deborah Shamoon, East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Notre Dame
Thomas LaMarre, Japanese Studies, McGill University
Margherita Long, Japanese/Comparative Literature, University of California, Riverside
Discussant:
Fred Schodt, Author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics and co-translator of Starting Point: 1979-1996, a collection of essays, interviews, dialogues and talks by Miyazaki.

…and finally, the one you’ve all been waiting for:

July 25: Miyazaki at Zellerbach

What: “Hayao Miyazaki in Conversation”
When: Sat. July 25, 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
Where: Zellerbach Auditorium, UC Berkeley
Who: General admission (limited seating; buy tickets here or call Ticket Office at 510-642-9988)
Details: The defining moment of a truly rare experience. Renowned Japanese animation filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki will be interviewed on stage, followed by a Q&A period with the audience. Topics will range from the anime medium to the pertinent issues and themes displayed in his films, including the prevalence of Japanese culture and the rapidly-evolving nature of modern art.

“Howl’s Moving Castle” (2004)

Image Sources: Walt Disney, Studio Ghibli