Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)

Country of Origin: Japan
Year of Production: 2001
Running Times: 124 mins
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio:
Sound: DTS Dolby Digital

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Dentsu Inc / Mitsubishi Commercial Affairs / NTV / Studio Ghibli / Tokuma Shoten / Touhoku Shinsha
Executive Producer: Yasuyoshi Tokuma
English Language Version Executive Producer: John Lasseter
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
English Language Version Producer: Donald W. Ernst
English Language Version Associate Producer: Lori Korngiebel
English Language Version Assistant Production Manager: Jeff Deckman

SCRIPT
Script: Hayao Miyazaki

DIRECTION
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

ANIMATION
Animation Director: Masashi Ando
Key Animators: Mariko Matsuo, Atsushi Tamura, Hiromasa Yonebayashi

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Takeshi Seyama

MUSIC
Music: Jô Hisaishi
Song: Yumi Kimura (Itsumo nando demo)

SOUND
Sound: Kazuhiro Hayashi, Shuji Inoue

DESIGN
Art Director: Youji Takeshige

VOICES
Rumi Hiiragi (Chihiro)
Miyu Irino (Haku)
Mari Natsuki (Yubaba)
Takeshi Naitô (Chihiro's father)
Yasuko Sawaguchi (Chihiro's mother)
Tatsuya Gashuin (Aogaeru)
Ryunosuke Kamiki (Bo)
Yumi Tamai (Rin)
Yo Oizumi (Bandai-gaeru)
Koba Hayashi (Kawa no Kami)
Tsunehiko Kamijô (Chichiyaku)
Takehiko Ono (Aniyaku)
Bunta Sugawara (Kamajii)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION VOICES
Daveigh Chase (Chihiro)
Michael Chiklis
Susan Egan
Lauren Holly (mom)
Jason Marsden
Suzanne Pleshette (The Twin Witches)
John Ratzenberger
David Ogden Stiers
Tara Strong

PLOT SUMMARY

Chihiro and her parents enter a tunnel which leads to an apparently abandoned town. While her parents eat at a restaurant, Chihiro wanders off and, as night falls, finds herself surrounded by ghosts and goblins and her parents have turned into pigs. Chihiro is befriended by a young boy, Haku, who helps her to search for a public bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba, her only hope for returning to her normal life.

Argentina
Theatrical Distributor: Primer Plano Film Group S.A.

France
Theatrical Distributor: Gaumont Buena Vista International

Japan
Theatrical Distributor: Toho Company Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Buena Vista International

France
Rating: U

Hong Kong
Rating: I

Singapore
Rating: PG

Switzerland
Rating: 7

USA
Rating: PG (for some scary moments)

2001
Kinema Junpo Awards, Japan
Readers' Choice Award: Best Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

Mainichi Film Concours, Japan
Best Animated Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner
Best Director (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner
Best Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner
Best Music Score (Joe Hisaishi) - winner
Reader's Choice Award: Best Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

2002
Awards of the Japanese Academy, Japan
Best Picture - winner

Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
Golden Berlin Bear (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner (tied with Bloody Sunday (2002))

Blue Ribbon Awards, Japan
Best Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
Special Commendation - winner (for artistic contribution to the field of animation)

Cinekid, Netherlands
Cinekid Film Award (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner (tied with Parandeh baz-e kouchak (2002))

European Film Awards, Europe
Screen International Award (Hayao Miyazaki) - nominated

Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong
Best Asian Film - winner

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, USA
Best Animation - winner

National Board of Review, USA
Best Animated Feature - winner

New York Film Critics Circle Awards, USA
Best Animated Film - winner

San Francisco International Film Festival, USA
Audience Award: Best Narrative Feature (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

2003
Academy Awards, USA
Best Animated Feature (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA (Saturn Awards)
Best Animated Film - winner
Best Music (Joe Hisaishi) - nominated
Best Writing (Hayao Miyazaki; Cindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H. Hewitt (English version)) - nominated

Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, Netherlands
Silver Scream Award (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

Annie Awards, USA
Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature - winner
Outstanding Directing in an Animated Feature Production (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner
Outstanding Music in an Animated Feature Production (Joe Hisaishi) - winner
Outstanding Writing in an Animated Feature Production (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner

British Independent Film Awards, UK
British Independent Film Award Best Foreign Film - nominated

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, USA
Best Animated Feature - winner

Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Special Mention (Hayao Miyazaki) - winner
Best Film (Hayao Miyazaki) - nominated

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, USA
Best Foreign Language Film - nominated
Best Original Score (Joe Hisaishi) - nominated

Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
Mejor Película Extranjera - nominated

César Awards, France
Meilleur film étranger (Hayao Miyazaki) - nominated

Dallas-Forth Worth Film Critics Association Awards, USA
Best Animated Film - winner

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, Australia
Best Foreign-Language Film - winner

Florida Film Critics Circle Awards, USA
Best Animation - winner

Golden Satellite Awards, USA
Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media - winner

Golden Trailer Awards, USA
Best Animation/Family - winner

Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation: Long Form - nominated

International Horror Guild, USA
Best Movie - nominated

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
Golden Reel Award: Best Sound Editing in Animated Features (Petra Bach, Michihiro Ito, Toru Noguci, Robert L. Sephton) - nominated

Online Film Critics Society Awards, USA
Best Animated Feature - winner
Best Foreign Language Film - nominated

Young Artist Awards, USA
Best Family Feature Film: Animation - nominated

2004
Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards, Argentina
Silver Condor: Mejor Película Extranjera (Hayao Miyazaki) - nominated

BAFTA Awards, UK
Best Film not in the English Language (Toshio Suzuki, Hayao Miyazaki) - nominated

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, USA
Nebula Award: Best Script (Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H. Hewitt) - nominated

2001
July
20: Japan - theatrical release

December
13: Hong Kong - theatrical release
20: Singapore - theatrical release
28: Taiwan - theatrical release

2002
February
9: Germany - shown at the Berlin International Film Festival

April
10: France - theatrical release
20: USA - shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival

August
9: Spain - theatrical release

September
20: USA - theatrical release
25: Belgium - theatrical release

October
3: Czech Republic - theatrical release
25: Poland - theatrical release

December
19: Argentina - theatrical release

2006
August
18: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
19: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
21: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
22: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
23: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
24: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London

Sen
Sen and the Mysterious Disappearance of Chihiro
Spirited Away - US/UK title
Le voyage de Chihiro - French title

animation, anime, baththouses, dreams, ghosts, magic, witches

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008