When the Academy Awards® took place in Los Angeles last month, animé fans worldwide celebrated as The Boy and The Heron won best animated feature film on Sunday, beating popular contenders including Disney’s Elemental and Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

It is the second ãOscar® win for Japanese animé maestro Hayao Miyazaki, whose Spirited Away made cinematic history as the first non-English animation to win the same category in 2003. 

The Boy and The Heron will release in South African cinemas nationwide on Friday 19 April.

In the film, after losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous grey heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the grey heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.

The Boy and The Heron hails from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®️-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

For more information, or to find a go to: www.gravelroadafrica.com