Michael Leader
@michaeljleader.bsky.social
1.1K followers 240 following 350 posts
Films, etc. | Writer, host, curator | Podcasts, books + screenings as Ghibliotheque
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
michaeljleader.bsky.social
The Animation Atlas is almost here!

Animation is cinema, but it's also *world* cinema, and in our latest book, Jake and I take off and travel around the globe, celebrating great animation from 30 countries. 🌍

Landing in all good bookshops on 9th October! 📚
Reposted by Michael Leader
maxisherealso.bsky.social
The Secret of Kells is, if not the definitive colonial horror for kids then the third purest expression of folklore put to film, behind Tomm’s later films.

Was not prepared for how hard Éiru would wreck me. A scrappy underdog story that transforms into a pained, beautiful cry for a peaceful world.
Jake Cunningham and Michael Leader interviewing Giovanna Ferrari (Éiru) and Nora Twomey (The Secret of Kells)
Reposted by Michael Leader
frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social
Don't miss The Time Masters, a cult animated film by visionary science-fiction animator René Laloux (La Planète sauvage) and Jean Giraud aka Mœbius.

12 & 18 Oct at Ciné Lumière + intro by @michaeljleader.bsky.social @ghibliotheque.bsky.social (18 Oct)
🎟️ www.institut-francais.org.uk/cinema/the-t...
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
📚 Our new book is out today! 📚

The Animation Atlas, our round-the-world trip through the global history of animation, is now available from all good bookshops!
michaeljleader.bsky.social
And as is tradition, I want to share the acknowledgements page for the Animation Atlas. Some of you are on here, some aren't, but you all played a part and I can't thank you enough.
A screengrab of a page from a book, headed 'acknowledgements' and reading as follows: 


Around the world of animation in 30 countries? A piece of cake. Well, only if you have help, and we relied on numerous friends and colleagues as we embarked on this ambitious trip. Thanks as always to our stalwart podcast companion Steph ‘Killer’ Watts, and also the team at our publisher, Welbeck/Headline, specifically Ross Hamilton (who got us into this fine mess in the first place), Giulia Hetherington, Caroline Curtis, Marion Storz and Russell Knowles.

As we sketched out our globe-trotting itinerary, we were guided by invigorating and illuminating chats with many pals and peers, including Sam Summers, Steve Henderson, Jennifer Hall, Alex Dudok de Wit, Susie Evans, Kambole Campbell, Niall Geraghty, Bence Bardos, Sam Clements, Griffin Newman, Paul Williams, Ryan Gaur, Isabel Stevens, Justin Johnson, Andrew Osmond, Young Jin Eric Choi, Ravi Narayanswami and Aga Baranowska.

We were aided in our journey by filmmakers, distributors, sales agents, archivists and other front-line workers from the world of film: Lucy Rubin, Chance Huskey and Dave Jestaet from GKids, Kerry Kasim and Andrew Partridge from the Anime Ltd., Léo Altmann and Xueyin Li from Charades, Kelly Powell and Jake Garriock from Curzon, Luce Grosjean from Miyu Distribution, Jessica Levick and Kate Robinson from Channel 4, Geo Lomuntad at Project 8, Dennis Bartok at Deaf Crocodile, Anna Lewis from Aardman, Jez Strewart and Will Swinburne from the BFI National Archive, Masaya Kaneko, and Mr Kōji Yamamura.

This is our sixth book in about as many years, and we’re indebted to you, our readers, for joining us on these expeditions into animation and world cinema – but most of all, we couldn’t do what we do without the love and support of Mim, Ivo, Louie and our newest fellow traveller, Gene.
michaeljleader.bsky.social
📚 Our new book is out today! 📚

The Animation Atlas, our round-the-world trip through the global history of animation, is now available from all good bookshops!
Reposted by Michael Leader
drdsm.bsky.social
@michaeljleader.bsky.social On proud display in the Ghibli section at Kyobo Books in Seoul (the biggest bookshop in the country)!
The books “Ghiblioteque” and “The World of Studio Ghibli” on display in a bookstore.
Reposted by Michael Leader
edhudson.bsky.social
It’s taken a couple of years, but I have now watched every film in @ghibliotheque.bsky.social Anime Movie Guide. Some if seen before, some were first time watches. My favourites were Akira, Belle, Millennium Actress, Mind Game and Your Name, but really there’s no bad film on the list.
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
I received a DM on here and apparently I have to upload my passport and prove my age in order to read it.
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Fun screening coming up in London! Love to continue our cheerleading of all things Cartoon Saloon a double bill of their brand new short film, plus the feature that started it all.
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
📽️ NEW SCREENING! 📽️

ÉIRU + THE SECRET OF KELLS + Q&A

⌚ 6.10pm
🗓️ 8th October
🍿 Barbican Centre, London

We're delighted to present a special screening of Cartoon Saloon's brand new short film in a double bill with the studio's Oscar-nominated debut feature!
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Fun screening coming up in London! Love to continue our cheerleading of all things Cartoon Saloon a double bill of their brand new short film, plus the feature that started it all.
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
📽️ NEW SCREENING! 📽️

ÉIRU + THE SECRET OF KELLS + Q&A

⌚ 6.10pm
🗓️ 8th October
🍿 Barbican Centre, London

We're delighted to present a special screening of Cartoon Saloon's brand new short film in a double bill with the studio's Oscar-nominated debut feature!
Reposted by Michael Leader
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
📽️ NEW SCREENING! 📽️

ÉIRU + THE SECRET OF KELLS + Q&A

⌚ 6.10pm
🗓️ 8th October
🍿 Barbican Centre, London

We're delighted to present a special screening of Cartoon Saloon's brand new short film in a double bill with the studio's Oscar-nominated debut feature!
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Transatlantic Ghibli book chat!
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
🎙️📚 New Episode! 📚🎙️

@michaeljleader.bsky.social speaks with critic @nicolasrapold.bsky.social about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration.

Find it wherever you find your podcasts!
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Transatlantic Ghibli book chat!
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
🎙️📚 New Episode! 📚🎙️

@michaeljleader.bsky.social speaks with critic @nicolasrapold.bsky.social about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration.

Find it wherever you find your podcasts!
Reposted by Michael Leader
ghibliotheque.bsky.social
🎙️📚 New Episode! 📚🎙️

@michaeljleader.bsky.social speaks with critic @nicolasrapold.bsky.social about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration.

Find it wherever you find your podcasts!
Reposted by Michael Leader
tomhuddleston.bsky.social
Come and see/hear me wang on about David Lynch in the august company of @hannahstrong.co.uk! ITS TOTALLY FREE!!
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Thanks to the writers, critics, editors and hosts who are sharing their time, insights and expertise with us across the Film in Print weekend at the LFF.

All these events are free and going on "sale" on 2nd October. See you there! 📚
Screenshot of the web page for Film in Print, with the following events:

Around the World of Animation
The Art of Conversation
Author on Author: Kim Newman and Anna Bogutskaya in Conversation
A Critical Eye: Justin Chang in Conversation Screenshot of the lineup for FIlm in print, with the events:

The Director's Chair
Long Live Film Mags: Editors Roundtable
Saluting the Silver Screen
The Work and World of David Lynch
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Thanks to the writers, critics, editors and hosts who are sharing their time, insights and expertise with us across the Film in Print weekend at the LFF.

All these events are free and going on "sale" on 2nd October. See you there! 📚
Screenshot of the web page for Film in Print, with the following events:

Around the World of Animation
The Art of Conversation
Author on Author: Kim Newman and Anna Bogutskaya in Conversation
A Critical Eye: Justin Chang in Conversation Screenshot of the lineup for FIlm in print, with the events:

The Director's Chair
Long Live Film Mags: Editors Roundtable
Saluting the Silver Screen
The Work and World of David Lynch
Reposted by Michael Leader
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Film in Print is returning to the London Film Festival!!

I'm back in curator mode and we've put together a stellar weekend of events celebrating books, magazines and the art and craft of writing about cinema.

Coming to the BFI Reuben Library, 11th-12th October! 📚
Poster graphic for the BFI London Film Festival Screengrab of the web page for Film in Print, with the text:

A weekend chock-full of author talks, book signings and panel discussions, celebrating the art of writing about film.

Returning to LFF for Free for its second year, now in its new home at the BFI Reuben Library, Film in Print is a celebration of writing about film – from the ever-thriving world of magazines to the rise of new authors whose books are filling shelves around the country.

Across a whole weekend of conversations and discussions, Film in Print shines the spotlight on this vital corner of the industry: hearing from the key players both on the page and behind the scenes, examining the trends and topics found between the covers, and lifting the lid on the art and craft of writing about cinema.
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Maybe I'll give it a go, then! I can see what he's going for - sort of half Nabokov, half Woody Allen prose. But in the UK in 2025 we don't have a robust New Yorker critical culture for him to satirise, so it's oddly out of place/time. His humour books top the Film lists on certain sellers.
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Just a brilliant way of applying a sort of Criterion mindset to video games, and then in fact they do a much better job of it. I honestly think they've found a whole new way of bringing old art to life, and taking us back through the history and development. Everyone should be taking notes.
michaeljleader.bsky.social
That's the only one I've read, and since then he has only ever written as a 'character'...
michaeljleader.bsky.social
Has anyone read any of Richard Ayoade's books? Are they any good? I find it so intriguing (/troubling) that he has pivoted towards parody film criticism / public intellectualism at a time when those roles are critically endangered, or already extinct.