I'll write the article based on the information provided in the source summary and headline.
BODY: Studio Ghibli has announced a new short animated film, Night of the Valley of Witches (魔女の谷の夜 / Majo no Tani no Yoru), set to screen exclusively at Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture starting July 8.
The short will be shown at the Orion Theater (映像展示室オリヲン座), a dedicated screening room inside the park's Grand Warehouse (ジブリの大倉庫) area. The film is co-directed by Goro Miyazaki — son of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki and director of Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill — alongside veteran animator Akihiko Yamashita, who has worked on numerous Ghibli productions including key animation for Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.
The title ties directly into Ghibli Park's Valley of Witches (魔女の谷) zone, which opened in 2024 and features life-sized recreations of iconic buildings from Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service. This marks a continuation of Ghibli's strategy of creating exclusive short films for the park — a tradition that has made the Orion Theater one of the most sought-after experiences for visitors.
The announcement adds to a busy period for Studio Ghibli, which continues to ride the global wave of recognition following The Boy and the Heron's Academy Award win. Ghibli Park itself has been expanding steadily since its 2022 opening, drawing fans from around the world to the former Expo 2005 site in Nagakute, Aichi.
The insider take
Park-exclusive shorts are Ghibli's quiet weapon for driving repeat visits — and tying one to the Valley of Witches area is smart timing, as summer is peak season for domestic tourism. With Goro Miyazaki continuing to build his own directorial identity within the studio and Yamashita's deep bench of Ghibli production experience, this project signals that the studio is still actively investing in new animation rather than purely licensing its legacy. For international fans planning a trip, the Orion Theater screenings don't require a separate ticket beyond park admission, but getting Ghibli Park reservations during summer remains notoriously competitive.
Originally reported by 映画ナタリー - 最新ニュース (Japanese).