Quote:AFP-JIJI – Isao Takahata, a Japanese animated film director who co-founded Studio Ghibli and is known for his award-winning “Grave of the Fireflies,” has died at a Tokyo hospital, people close to him said Friday. He was 82.

Takahata co-founded Ghibli with renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki in 1985 and produced a number of films that earned widespread acclaim.

Takahata’s latest film, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” earned him an Academy nomination in 2014 for best animated feature.

It was also selected for a slot in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar to the main competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

However, most consider the 1988 film “Grave of the Fireflies,” a moving tale of two orphans during World War II, to be his best work.