GKIDS is an American film distributor based in New York with, according to the Los Angeles Times, a focus on 'sophisticated, indie' animation.[1] GKIDS uses a bespoke distribution method to release critically acclaimed,[2] hand-drawn,[3] international[1] films—such as the works of renowned Japanese animatorHayao Miyazaki[4]—to North American audiences. Although the name is said to be an acronym for 'Guerrilla Kids International Distribution Syndicate,'[5] the company is commonly referred to only as GKIDS (stylized in all-caps), and is legally registered as such in New York state.[6]
The company has gained prominence since 2010 by garnering a series of Academy Award nominations for little-known 'underdog' films,[7] beating out big-budget American films such as The Lego Movie, The Peanuts Movie and Finding Dory.[8]
History
GKIDS was founded in 2008 by Eric Beckman, who previously co-founded and ran the New York International Children's Film Festival with his partner, Emily Shapiro.[9][10] Their first general release was Azur & Asmar, a French film dubbed in English for British and Irish audiences.
The company attained national recognition with the 2010 release of The Secret of Kells,[11] the debut film by Irish animator Tomm Moore, which received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards.[12] This surprise nomination was followed by two more Best Animated Feature nominations at the 84th Academy Awards, Spanish-language Chico and Rita and French-language A Cat in Paris.[13] Both nominations were considered highly surprising by film insiders,[14][15] beating out such notables as The Adventures of Tintin and Cars 2—the first eligible Pixar film not to be nominated since the category's founding.[16] This marked the first time that an independent distributor had two films in the Best Animated Feature category in the same year,[17] a decision which Puss in Boots director Chris Miller said indicated the Academy's 'respect for diversity.'[18]
In September 2011, GKIDS announced the acquisition of the North American theatrical distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli library, that were previously held by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[19]Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, however, retained the home media distribution rights.[19] GKIDS has since also managed the North American distribution of three new Studio Ghibli films, From Up on Poppy Hill in 2013, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya in 2014, and When Marnie Was There in 2015 as well as the first-time North American releases of Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves in 2016.[20][21][22] On July 17, 2017, it was announced that the North American home media rights to the Ghibli library (with the exception of Grave of the Fireflies and The Wind Rises) had transitioned from Disney to GKIDS, with the distributor announcing plans to begin re-issuing the films beginning in October.[23] Unlike most of GKIDS' material on home media, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment or Cinedigm isn't distributing the Ghibli re-releases, Shout! Factory is instead handling the distribution. Since then, Shout! Factory have gone on to distribute other GKIDS releases alongside Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
GKIDS received three more Oscar nominations in 2014 and 2015 with Ernest & Celestine,[24]Song of the Sea, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.[25] These latter two films beat out The Lego Movie, widely considered to be the frontrunner for the award.[26][27][28] GKIDS has since released four new films in 2015, of which When Marnie Was There and Boy and the World were in the running for Best Animated Feature at the 88th Academy Awards but lost out to Pixar's Inside Out.[29][not in citation given]My Life as a Zucchini was nominated for the same award in 2016.[30]
Founder Eric Beckman received the Mifa & Variety Animation Personality of the Year Award at Annecy in June 2017.[31]
In January 2018, The Breadwinner became the tenth GKIDS film to receive an Oscar nomination.[32] In January 2019, Mirai became their eleventh.[33]
Style and reception
Sita Sings the Blues was one of the best-reviewed films of 2009.
While films distributed by GKIDS span a wide range of nationalities, languages, and animation styles, the distributor focuses almost exclusively on 'handmade, mostly auteur-driven animated movies' created by individual animators working with small teams.[34][not in citation given] Founder Eric Beckman has described the animated market in the U.S. as 'dominated by expensive-to-produce, expensive-to-distribute movies'.[34] To this end, the company relies heavily on critical reception and accolades to attract audiences, rather than big-budget marketing campaigns. Beckman has said of the Academy Awards, 'The Oscars are the great equalizer. You don't have to spend millions to reach millions, you look to a smaller group of people who know and like film .. But you've got to start with something super.'[35]
As a result of this focus on artful, stylistically distinct animation, GKIDS has been widely hailed by critics and animation insiders as a welcome complement to the standard Hollywood fare. Various sources[weasel words] have referred to GKIDS as 'the saints of independent animation,'[36] 'one of the most notable independent distribution companies in the US,'[37] and 'the country's best distributor [for] traditional hand-drawn animation.'[3] Industry magazine Film Journal International said of the company's track record, 'The reason GKIDS films keep getting nominated despite the company's low (relative to Disney, DreamWorks, et al.) profile is that, simply put, their films tend to be really good.'[38]
Six films in GKIDS's collection have a perfect 100% fresh rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Approved for Adoption, Only Yesterday, Mind Game, The Girl Without Hands and Sita Sings the Blues.[39] This latter film, combining stylistic elements of Rajput painting, shadow puppets, vector graphic animation, and Squigglevision, was selected by Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Roger Ebert for his annual Ebertfest, calling it 'one of the year's best films':[40]
I was enchanted. I was swept away. I was smiling from one end of the film to the other. It is astonishingly original. It brings together four entirely separate elements and combines them into a great whimsical chord. .. To get any film made is a miracle. To conceive of a film like this is a greater miracle.
A similiar change in starting skills applies to a woman of nomad background compared to the male counterpart.As a female character, you will need more Renown to do things. In addition, it is more difficult to get a fief as a woman, unless you have a large amount of Renown (700). If you play as a woman, the lord who owns the castle associated with your village granted to you will deny you entry into his castle 4.The marriage system for men and women is also different. The base requirement to join a faction is 150 for men, but 200 for women3. Mount and blade warband the third age of middle earth.
— Roger Ebert, Roger Ebert's Journal[41]
Films distributed by GKIDS
Some Studio Ghibli films currently theatrically distributed by GKIDS were distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for DVD and Blu-ray Disc. However, on July 17, 2017, GKIDS announced that they have acquired the home video rights for the entire Studio Ghibli catalogue except Grave of the Fireflies and The Wind Rises.[158][159]
The company also tours selections of short and feature films screened at NYICFF across the country. In mid-2009, the live-action features Tahaan and West of Pluto (À l'ouest de Pluton) were licensed for potential general releases but plans for both were dropped by late 2011 in favour of a focus on animation.[160]
Studio Ghibli Fest
Since 2017, GKIDS has partnered with Fathom Events to host an annual event called Studio Ghibli Fest, which features limited theatrical screenings of select Studio Ghibli films in select AMC, CineMark, Regal, Cineplex Entertainment and other theaters.
TV shows distributed by GKIDS
Awards and nominationsAcademy Awards
Annie Award
References
External links
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GKIDS&oldid=904708937'
Disney is no longer distributing most Studio Ghibli movies in America, sparking hope that the beloved anime films will finally be more accessible both in American theaters, as well as DVD and Blu-Ray.
Blu-ray.com Forum Ghibli Gkids
20 years after Disney struck a landmark deal with Japanese anime titan Studio Ghibli, the American media conglomerate has quietly backed away from the films’ American distribution. New York-based distributor GKIDS now has sole stewardship of Ghibli’s catalog, with the exceptions of 2013’s The Wind Rises and Grave of the Fireflies.
Fallout 4 failed romance check. “We have nothing but love for Disney ourselves, and the work they did to present these films to audiences for the first time,” a GKIDS spokesperson told Kotaku. Disney will continue to distribute the films in other countries such as France, GKIDS noted, but in the United States, GKIDS is “beginning to consolidate rights under one roof.” (Disney did not return requests for comment.)
Advertisement
Gkids Ghibli Blu Ray Forum Bela Lugosi
Prior to Disney’s involvement, American releases for Miyazaki’s films were spotty. Nausicaa was infamously chopped up into a heavily-edited VHS release titled Warriors of the Wind. My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies got uncut VHS releases in 1993, with the former endearing Miyazaki’s animation to American audiences. In 1996, Disney acquired worldwide distribution rights to Studio Ghibli films, just as the studio was about to put out blockbuster hits like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Allegedly, Fox and Warner Brothers were in the running as potential partners, but it was reported that Ghibli’s fears that the companies would cut or alter the films swayed them to Disney.
Disney brought on celebrity voice actors like Phil Hartman, Billy Crystal, Jean Simmons and Claire Danes to dub the classic films, slowly releasing them into the U.S. market (Adorably, Miyazaki, then 55, did not attend the gala reception that followed the reported $10 to $30 million-dollar deal.)
Advertisement
But even though Disney released many films on DVD and Blu-ray, Miyazaki movies were not widely distributed in U.S. theaters until fairly recently. In 2011, Disney brought GKids, known for distributing sophisticated foreign films, into the picture for the theater rights. Ever since, GKids has hosted Studio Ghibli festivals across the U.S., appeasing fans who never had a chance to see the older titles in a theater.
Advertisement
In July, GKIDS took the reins for home distribution, too. Previously, it had published several titles on Blu-ray that Disney did not, including newer films like When Marnie Was There as well as the two Ghibli classics that Disney never got around to, 1991's Only Yesterday and 1993's Ocean Waves.
Disney gave Americans a great thirst for Ghibli whimsy, but failed to make the movies as accessible as they could have been. So far, GKids has proven that Ghibli movies are in good hands. And GKids will distribute My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind on DVD and Blu-Ray in October.
Advertisement
It’s a big moment for Miyazaki aficionados who had few places to turn to experience the anime they love. Early in 2018, the remainder of the Ghibli catalog, including My Neighbors the Yamadas for the first time on Blu-ray in America, will be available, too. Here’s hoping GKids will strike a few streaming deals while they’re at it.
Posted by1 year ago
Archived
I can't seem to find anywhere that lists all the real details of which versions have the more accurate subtitles, special features, better digital transfers and such. I have Disney copies of all of Miyazaki's titles but I was planning to sell and replace Mononoke, Kiki, and Laputa with the GKids versions because the subtitles in the Disney release are 'dubtitles,' just transcriptions of the english dub instead of a more accurate translation itself. It's my understanding that the GKids versions of these movies are better but it's only from fragmented details here and there on forums. Likewise regarding the digital transfer of Nausicaa, supposedly the Gkids transfer is superior, but it's just scattered info. Is there a more definitive source for this kind of info?
2 comments
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |