Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli

This week, Michael is joined by director Kenichiro Akimoto to talk about All You Need Is Kill, a new animated adaptation of the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka previously brought to the screen as Edge of Tomorrow. Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called  The Animation Atlas  and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highligh...

We're collecting Best Feature Animation Oscar nominees like trading cards! In this bonus interview episode, Jake sits down with director Jared Bush and producer Yvett Merino to talk about their blockbusting Disney Animation sequel Zootropolis 2 . Haven't seen it? Here's a quick breakdown of the plot: In Zootropolis 2 , detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find th...

With the Oscars and Baftas around the corner, we've lined up a couple of interview episodes with filmmakers behind some of the contenders. Today, Michael and Jake speak with Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, directors of the French animated gem, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. This remarkable film sees the world through the eyes of a toddler growing up in postwar Japan as she observes, exp...

Back in January, Michael was invited to host the UK premiere of Another World, a spectacular, high-concept, high-emotions animation from Hong Kong. Here is the recording of the Q&A from that screening, with producer-writer Polly Yeung and director Tommy Ng. Tasked to help transient souls through Another World to their reincarnation, a spirit and a young girl embarks on a dangerous journey to p...

It's the final episode of our Briggsonometry mini series all about the adapted works of Raymond Briggs! And today we're ending on Raymond Briggs's most personal project of his whole career: his graphic ode to his parents, Ethel and Ernest. Originally published in 1998 to award-winning acclaim, this story of two normal people living through extraordinary times acts like a Rosetta Stone for all of B...

It's another imaginary creature who meets a child and they have an adventure, of course it's a new addition to the Briggsonometry! Ivor the Invisible, a curiosity as it was never a Raymond Briggs book, is here. Once seen (or not), never forgotten. Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30...

In this special episode, Michael has a wide-ranging chat with director Ugo Bienvenu about one of our favourite films of last year, his extraordinary sci-fi animation Arco - and so much more. Colourful, soulful and shot through with a disarming optimism for the future, Arco tells the story of a time-travelling boy from a far-flung future who is dropped into a climate crisis-ridden 2075. There, he t...

We are bearly just still within the festive season and another (attempted) winter warmer has been added to the Briggsonometry curiculum: The Bear. It's got a magical creature meeting a child, a domestic farce and an overnight adventure with a fantastical being. But is this just déjà vu? Or could there be more here than just retrodden footprints in the snow? Whilst we're just about still in the Chr...

Ho ho ho, Merry Podmas! In this seasonal special, Michael, Jake and Steph hop on the mic to round up their years in cinemagoing, podcasting, wrestling, roller derby and beyond; Michael puts Jake and Steph's movie knowledge to the test with a two-round Christmas TV film quiz pulling from magazines from 1985 and 2025; and we open up the mailbag to answer a few festive questions from listeners and fr...

With the animated short The Scarecrow's Wedding premiering on the BBC on Christmas Day, Michael speaks with illustrator Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale) about creating picture books for children, seeing his work adapted for television, and his fruitful ongoing partnership with writer Julia Donaldson. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a n...

It's time for another bloomin' episode of the Briggsonometry mini series. This week, Michael, Jake and Steph have picked up their red fur snowsuits from the dry cleaners and hopped aboard the Ghibliotheque sleigh to go for the Big One, Father Christmas. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the worl...

Our journey through the adaptations of the works of Raymond Briggs continues with the definitely-not-festive feature film, When the Wind Blows - a heartbreaking satire following an elderly couple weathering the impact and fallout of a nuclear attack. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world o...

In this special bonus episode, Michael speaks with Joe O'Connell, creator of the Youtube channel Beyond Ghibli and author of Ultimate Anime , a doorstop guide to Japanese animation encompassing 100 films and series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're walking through the airwaves! Ghibliotheque has returned with a festively fused new season exploring the adapted works of Raymond Briggs, beginning here with perenial TV favourite: The Snowman. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters...

It's a shameless plug! Our new book, The Animation Atlas, is out today! So, to celebrate, here's a little chat with Michael and Jake talking about what the book is all about and why (hopefully) you should be excited about it. A cartography of cartoons,  The Animation Atlas  takes in everything from titans of animation such as  Disney ,  Pixar ,  Aardman  and  Stu...

Michael speaks with film critic Nicolas Rapold about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki , which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration. Find out more about The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki Listen to Nicolas's podcast, The Last Thing I Saw Read about the BFI's upcoming Frederick Wiseman season Did you know, we have a new book...

This episode, Michael and Jake speak with stop-motion director Claude Barras about his new film, Savages, his previous film, the Ghibliotheque favourite My Life as a Courgette, his life in animation and his almost Takahata-like approach to research. To listen to Claude's full, unedited French answers, fast forward to 40.10. Savages is in UK cinemas now. Subscribe to our  Patreon  for ad-...

On the pod this week, Michael speaks with Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis about his Oscar-winning feature, FLOW. This conversation was recorded during the London Film Festival in October 2024, partway through Zilbalodis's remarkable journey with the film: a low-budget, independent feature made by a small crew that became one of the most lauded films of the year, and eventually picked up the Osc...

It's the second part of our awards season chat about the Oscar-nominated animated films! Michael, Jake and Steph talk about Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Flow and Memoir of a Snail. Scroll back through our archive for interviews with Oscar nominees Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot), Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham (Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl) and Adam Elliot, and look for...

It's awards season! And we're jumping into the fray. In this first episode of a two-part awards miniseries, Michael and Jake talk about the two CG-animated offerings from Hollywood studios in contention for Best Animated Feature this year: Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot. Scroll back through our archive for interviews with Oscar nominees Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot), Nick Park & Merlin Cross...

In this episode, Michael speaks with Australian stop-motion filmmaker Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Harvie Krumpet) about his new, Oscar-nominated film Memoir of a Snail. In this wide-ranging conversation, Adam speaks about the enduring influence of David Lynch, how he crafts his distinctive films, his love of stories that mix the dark with the light and his memories of working with Philip Seymour...

Director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird) joins us to talk about her new film, the delightful coming-of-age music drama The Colours Within. If you would like to hear Ms Yamada's Japanese responses in full, the unedited interview starts from 32.30. Subscribe to our  Patreon  for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series. Follow us on  Twi...

It's not a Ghibliotheque miniseries until we've opened the mailbag! This week, Michael, Jake and Steph are opening some Park Life mail from listeners, to hear their thoughts on all things Vengeance Most Fowl, which Wallace and Gromit adventure deserves the top spot in the rankings, and more. Subscribe to our  Patreon  for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe serie...

Our journey through the films of Nick Park comes to a close with a conversation with the man himself! To mark the release of the new Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl, Michael speaks with Nick Park and co-director Merlin Crossingham about directing as a pair, the importance of the human touch in animation, and how intimidating it is to animate Feathers McGraw. Subscribe to our&nbsp...

It's us... again! Michael, Jake and Steph gather round the Christmas tree to discuss Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham's latest Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl. Subscribe to our  Patreon  for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series. Follow us on  Twitter  or  Instagram , or drop us an email at ghibliotheque@gmail.com. Hosted on...