Isao Takahata

 

Isao Takahata (October 29, 1935–April 5, 2018) was a film director, producer, and screenwriter who in 1985 founded Studio Ghibli with his longtime collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki. Takahata directed the internationally acclaimed film Grave of the Fireflies (1988). His other directorial work includes Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). He was also the producer for Hayao Miyazaki films such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Castle in the Sky (1986). He completed his last film, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, in 2013 after eight years of production. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards®.