Celebrated Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki spoke this evening about the process of creating his films and the themes within those works at Zellerbach Hall, hours after officially accepting the 2009 Berkeley Japan Prize from the Center for Japanese Studies. Among the topics touched in in the hour-plus conversation with “Japanamerica” author Roland Kelts were the female protagonists in Miyazaki’s creations, his choice to rely on hand-drawn animation rather than computer-generated images, and the idea of “apocalypse” and natural disasters in his stories. In addition, a fair amount of time was devoted to a discussion of his latest work, “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.”

As expected, Miyazaki’s answers were colorful and often hilarious, as he noted how his family no longer takes him seriously when he comments that he doesn’t want to go through the filmmaking process again and compared hand-drawn animation against computer graphics to steering “a bark among high-speed boats.”

Of course, there was a wealth of information in the talk, so look to Thursday’s arts section in The Daily Californian for a detailed recap of the events of the past two days, which included a screening of “Ponyo,” a panel discussion of his works, the Berkeley Japan Prize ceremony and the Zellerbach discussion. In the meantime, you can read about Miyazaki’s films and influence in our preview of the event, which came out last Thursday.

Image Source: cyworld.com

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: (Click here to read more…)

With renowned directors Scorsese, Mann, Soderbergh and Tarantino all set to release new works, 2009 looks to be another great year for the North American film industry, continuing the trend from the past two years. But with cinema being what it is–a global artistic medium–it would be premature on my part to call this a year for Americans again. From Guy Ritchie to Hayao Miyazaki to Chen Kaige, noted international filmmakers who have given us many contemporary treasures in the past decade are returning this year with new efforts, and it’s still only January.

Last but not least, the festival circuit will be kicking off soon, and you know what that means. Another great year for movies headed our way, beginning with Sundance ‘09 (January 15-25) with the 59th Berlin International Film Festival (February 5-15) right on its heels. Stay tuned for more updates.

Without further ado, the 10 Most Anticipated Films of ‘09 (a personal list, mind you): (Click here to read more…)