MUMBAI: Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's animation studio says The Wind Rises, in competition at the Venice Film Festival, will be his last feature.

Koju Hoshino announced Miyazaki's intention to retire Sunday, but declined to take questions, deferring to a news conference next week in Tokyo.

Miyazaki was not in Venice for the international premiere. His Italian distributor said he stayed in Japan for the domestic release.

Miyazaki, 72, is one of animation's most admired and successful directors. He won an Oscar for Spirited Away in 2003 and a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement in 2005.

The Wind Rises, Miyazaki's 11th feature film, is a fantasy-filled look at the man who designed Japan's World War II fighter planes.