Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli Co-Founder
and ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ Director, Dies at 82
His final film was the Academy Award–nominated
"Tale of the Princess Kaguya."
Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, has died at 82, according to Yahoo! Japan. Takahata was a revered director in his own right, helming such animated classics as “Grave of the Fireflies,” “Only Yesterday,” and “Pom Poko”; he most recently directed “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” which received near-universal praise an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Takahata’s career dates back to the early 1960s, when he worked in both the film and television industries in his native Japan. In addition to directing, he also worked as an animator, screenwriter, and producer, with his final credit coming on Michaël Dudok de Wit’s acclaimed “The Red Turtle.” Among his many other accolades, Takahata received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Locarno Film Festival in 2009.- Indie Wire
