Jurors said the film, which picked up the best first feature award at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, "offers us a transcendent tale of hope and perseverance in a world that few Westerners ever have the chance to see".

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They will also reinstate the prestigious Michael Powell Award for best British feature film in 2012.

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But it failed to win the Bafta panel's award for the best feature film - that prize went to The Incredibles.

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Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away, " which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003, remains the top-grossing Japanese film in history, and Miyazaki, who co-founded the studio in 1985, has been called "Japan's Walt Disney" for his impact on the country's animation culture.

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Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson co-starred in the film, which also earned a best first screenplay award and nomination for best first feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.

BBC: Colin Trevorrow