Ever wanted to watch your favorite Studio Ghibli films on the big screen, where they were meant to be experienced? You can always watch the magical and heart-wrenching animated Ghibli classics on Max, but for the rest of 2025, you can also watch them in select theaters near you.
GKIDS, the animation distributor responsible for bringing international films like Lu Over the Wall, Lupin III: The First, and The Secret of Kells to the States, is once again hosting Studio Ghibli Fest, a yearlong movie marathon in partnership with Fathom Events. This means that Ghibli Fest is coming to most Regal and Cinemark theaters, among others.
At least once a month from May to November, select theaters will host both subtitled and dubbed showings of classic Ghibli films from director Hayao Miyazaki.
Keep reading for the full Studio Ghibli Fest schedule.
May 17–21 | Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki’s Delivery Service is about a young girl (named Kiki) in training to become a witch. She’s all ready with her broom and her talking cat Jiji, but she has to set off on her own before becoming a full witch. Her new delivery service seems to be going well until a moment of self-doubt knocks her powers out of whack.
June 22–24 | The Secret World of Arrietty
In this adaptation of 1952’s The Borrowers, tiny Arrietty befriends a normal-sized boy. Arrietty and the Borrowers have always kept their existence secret from humans, and their newfound friendship could threaten Arrietty’s family’s safety.
July 19–23 | My Neighbor Totoro
Totoro is about two sisters, Satsuke and Mei, who discover and befriend spirits in the forest near their new home while their mother is in the hospital. In the English dub, Dakota and Elle Fanning voice the sisters.
August 10–12 | Grave of the Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies is one of the darkest Ghibli stories. It follows two children whose mother was killed by American bombs in World War II. They move in with their aunt, who resents the extra burden that they represent, and they struggle to find food.
August 23–27 | Ponyo
Ponyo is a Little Mermaid reimagining about a young fishy princess who wants to become a little girl. She befriends a human boy and discovers the wonders of the surface world, including some delicious ham and hot ramen noodles.
September 20–24 | Howl’s Moving Castle
Howl’s Moving Castle is my second-favorite Ghibli movie. Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, it follows a hatmaker named Sophie who, after being cursed into the form of an old woman, becomes an enigmatic wizard’s live-in maid. It’s a sweetly romantic movie, and the movie’s theme song, “Merry-Go-Round of Life,” is iconic.
October 18–22 | Spirited Away
If you’ve made it to this page, you probably don’t need this particular film summary, but in the off chance … Spirited Away is about a young girl named Chihiro whose family accidentally enters a haunted amusement park. She gets separated from her parents and becomes trapped by the world of spirits.
November 15–19 | The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to make The Boy and the Heron, a touching story about a young boy grieving his mother. He follows a heron (in the English version, voiced by Robert Pattinson) who takes him into a bizarre otherworld where he meets some familiar strangers.
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
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