© 2008 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMT
About the exhibition
Following the Academy Museum’s inaugural exhibition, Hayao Miyazaki in 2021, Studio Ghibli’s PONYO will celebrate Studio Ghibli and the many elements of the traditional hand-drawn animation processes used throughout the film Ponyo (2008). The magical water worlds, the unique flowing aesthetic of hand-painted drawings, and the film’s themes of transformation, human connections, and joy will be on full display. Visitors will be invited to explore the enchanting world of Ponyo through hands-on experiences designed for all ages. These include an interactive animation table, where guests can create their own animated sequences, and a playful, immersive environment that allows younger visitors to step into the magical oceanic world of the film.
Featuring an exclusive donation of original materials from Studio Ghibli to the Academy Collection—some of which will be displayed in North America for the very first time—the exhibition will include over 100 materials that have been hand-picked by Studio Ghibli, including art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk, and original hand drawings by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
Studio Ghibli’s PONYO is curated by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel, with the support of Assistant Curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez.
Related Events
Screenings
Ponyo in 35mm
A delight for audiences of all ages, Ponyo focuses on the friendship between 5-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Brunhilde, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After wandering away from her father’s four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde washes ashore and is discovered by curious Sosuke. Now renamed Ponyo, she yearns to be a real girl and join Sosuke’s family. Touching on classic Hayao Miyazaki themes about balance in nature and how friendships can blossom anywhere—even in the ocean’s depths―Ponyo is one of the director’s most charming features.
This screening celebrates the opening of Studio Ghibli’s PONYO, a new Academy Museum exhibition highlighting the film’s traditional, hand-drawn animation. We invite audiences to dive into the world of Ponyo on the big screen before embarking on a voyage through the Level 2 Wanda Gallery.
35mm
Workshops
Drop-in Workshop for Families: Animation inspired by Ponyo
Join us for a stop-motion animation workshop inspired by the film Ponyo in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.
Shop the Exhibition
Supported By
Studio Ghibli's PONYO is supported in part by The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. Technology solutions generously provided by Panasonic.