The Mukai Studio Ghibli Festival is set to return to Vashon Island this summer, marking the beginning of a series of screenings at the Vashon Theater in collaboration with Friends of Mukai.
Celebrating the renowned animations of Studio Ghibli, including classics like “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” the festival kicks off at 7 p.m. on June 25.
Festival founder Adam Foster said, “It started with the Anime Club, an after-school program at Mukai for kids 12-18, as a way for kids to use anime to learn more about Japanese folklore.”
Studio Ghibli’s founder, Hayao Miyasaki, drew much of its material from Japanese folk tales. Foster adds, “Miyazaki’s movies have strong, well written, female leads and strong environmental messages. ‘Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’ is a good example because it’s about a princess trying to convince warring tribes of men that the only way to survive environmental destruction is by learning to live in harmony with nature.”
For more information about the festival and showtimes, visit Mukai’s website at mukaifarmandgarden.org.