By Arlo Gasca
Staff Writer

Studio Ghibli fans rejoice! From Jan. 10 to Feb. 9, anime fans could see their favorite Studio Ghibli movies on the OMSI’s Empirical Theater screen.

The first thing you should know about the film festival at OMSI is that it was a bit different from a regular movie theater; you don’t buy tickets at some booth and go to watch the film. Instead, you buy online.

Another way this film festival differs from a regular movie theater is with the overall setup and the snacks you can get. Most movie theaters have many areas to watch your movies, but there’s only one area to watch your films, which is close to the entrance, so you won’t get lost.

Once you get inside, you  find a station where you can get your classic snacks like popcorn, a soft drink, or the occasional movie theater candy; but, when you look closer at the menu, you’ll find that you have a lot more options than your typical cinema experience. If you’re feeling cozier, you can get some tea (or coffee if you’re feeling a more cafe vibe) and pastries, like a croissant, cake pops, or a whole sandwich. Unfortunately, I picked the boring choice of gummy bears, chips, and popcorn, so if you go to the festival, be as chaotic or traditional as you want.

The film festival was the perfect place to watch Studio Ghibli films, but it’s also the ideal place to discover a new movie you didn’t even know about or would have

I watched three films that I loved, however, there was one movie that I hadn’t seen and wasn’t planning on watching. I would have chosen “Howl’s Moving Castle”, but it was sold out, so I had to choose another movie, and honestly, I’m glad I was forced to choose a different movie because the film I watched was hilarious. “Porco Rosso” was very different in the overall feel of it compared to the other Studio Ghibli films, but it still had just as much charm as all the other movies had.

The movie was geared more toward a more mature audience than what you would expect from Studio Ghibli. Now, it wasn’t “Grave of the Fireflies” by any means, but it still had a more mature feel to it that you don’t typically get with other Studio Ghibli films. Overall, it was a charming film about a pig pilot that I would highly recommend.

Another film I went to see was “When Marnie Was There,” which is one of my favorite films from Studio Ghibli, which takes you on a journey of self-discovery and explores the feeling of loneliness that speaks to the hearts of people who felt like they were on the outside looking in. Both of the characters speak of alienation so many of us feel and I feel like in this day and age a lot of us feel that way so if you need a movie that will touch your heart I highly recommend it.

I also watched “The Cat Returns,” which is honestly just a silly, goofy movie about cats and stepping into your own. It still has all the emotional depth that the other films have, so if you like cats and you enjoy watching a charming movie about a girl coming into her own, I would recommend it.

The festival is all about reigniting the magic of when you first watched your favorite Studio Ghibli film or discovering something new that you never knew existed until you saw it. OMSI has brought these films to the big screen the past few years and hopefully will do so again.