Studio Ghibli Fest, a decade-old tradition of theatrical revivals of the Japanese animation studio's films, is experiencing sustained growth, with recent years marking record-breaking box office success. The festival, which runs sporadically from June through October, has become a significant event for both longtime enthusiasts and newcomers.
Launched in 2017 by GKIDS, North American distributor of Studio Ghibli, and Fathom Entertainment, the festival initially featured five titles and generated $5 million in ticket sales. However, the last three years have proven to be the most lucrative, with attendance and gross revenues increasing annually, even after Ghibli titles became available on streaming platforms in 2020.
In 2024, Ghibli Fest presented 14 movies, earning $16.4 million. Last year, eight films grossed $10.6 million. This trend indicates a growing demand for experiencing these films on the big screen. "I'd be lying if I thought the program when we conceived it would be going as long as it has," said Dave Jesteadt, president of GKIDS. "It does defy conventional wisdom. We keep waiting for the year that people tire of going to the films, but that’s not what’s happening. Every single year, we see records being set. The grosses are going up, not down."
The expansion of the festival's reach is also notable. Shannah Miller, vice president of marketing for Fathom, stated that the theatrical footprint has grown from approximately 640 locations at its inception to over 1,100 this year. Due to fan demand, some titles now receive five-day runs, a significant increase from the initial two or three playdates.
GKIDS first began distributing Studio Ghibli films in North America in 2011, initially hosting retrospectives in major markets. The goal of Ghibli Fest, according to Jesteadt, was to move these beloved films into mainstream multiplexes, treating them as comparable to new Hollywood releases. "One of the worst things that can happen to classics is that they’re perceived as classics and kept in amber," Jesteadt said. "We wanted to move to a nationwide celebration that really treated these as equivalent to any new Hollywood film."
While the overall moviegoing audience has increased, theaters increasingly rely on older films to fill schedule gaps. Ghibli Fest predates many recent repertory film trends and has been instrumental in cultivating a new generation of fans. Younger audiences are now being introduced to the studio's work through films like "Ponyo" or "Howl's Moving Castle," while older viewers might have first discovered "Spirited Away." Jesteadt noted that introducing the catalog to streaming in 2020 "just brought in a new audience that wanted to see these films in theaters for the first time."
This year's festival lineup includes screenings of "Ponyo" and "My Neighbor Totoro," with upcoming features such as "Tales of Earthsea" (Aug. 8, 10), "Only Yesterday" (Aug. 9, 11), the 40th anniversary of "Castle in the Sky" (Aug. 22-26), a 4K remastered "Princess Mononoke" (Sept. 26-30), and a 25th anniversary screening of "Spirited Away" (Oct. 17-21).
Studio Ghibli's cultural impact extends beyond the film festival, with events like an Academy Museum exhibit for "Ponyo" and concert tours by composer Joe Hisaishi. However, the theatrical screenings remain central to the Ghibli experience, providing a communal space for fans to connect over the films.
Attendees often express a preference for the shared experience of watching in a theater over streaming at home. "Being in the theater is so much more fun than being on HBO Max," said Angela Lector, a fan who has attended screenings dressed as characters. "Being in your home, you can make your own popcorn and cuddle up with your dog. But being in the theater you can actually talk to people you don’t know about the movie."
Fans like Lector and Amanda Mendoza VanCleave, who attends with her daughter and mother, highlight the intergenerational appeal and the ability of the films to foster new connections. VanCleave described introducing a classmate of her daughter's to "Ponyo," which became the child's first movie theater experience. "The Ghibli films are timeless. There’s something for everyone in them," Lector added. "Everything feels human. No one is too powerful or too small."