A NFB Spotlight at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The National Film Board of Canada is coming to the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) with hometown premieres and three fantastic animated short-length movies which explore the human condition.

Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming is going to be the highlight. This feature animation is about the love of family, poetry and history. There’s a blend of Asian and Middle Eastern character designs in this product which offers great contrasts. When the heroine has over-protective Chinese grandparents concerned about her well-being, who is in the right? Will cultures clash? The style looks very colourful and wonderful, and a preview will hopefully be coming soon here at Otakunoculture.com

The voice talents in this film include Sandra Oh, Ellen Page, Don McKellar, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Nancy Kwan.

In the short films category:

Blind Vaysha by Theodore Ushev reminds viewers in how to live in the now through a character with one eye glued to the past and another peering into a distant future. Whether plagued by war or famine, there’s more to this piece that merits repeat viewings to understand. Pablo Picasso must be proud in this artistic interpretation of how worlds get perceived in this product.
 
I am Here by Eoin Duffy is just as thoughtful and existential. The narrative and orchestration is what makes this piece stand out. And the contrast offered at the end suggests more than just a simple solution.

No, the answer to life, universe and everything is not the number 42, even though Douglas Adams fans may lean towards that.
 
Mamie by Janice Nadeau is a very heartwarming piece which is very personal for this illustrator. She’s known for her Governor General’s Award-winning works in children’s books No Fish Where to Go (Les 400 coups, 2003), Ma Meilleure Amie (Québec Amérique, 2007) and Harvey (La Pastèque, 2009) and to see her debut in this work shows a very personal side to her past. This piece explores her own childhood and relationship with her grandmother through a doll’s house perspective.

The Vancouver International Film Festival takes place from Sept 29 to Oct 14th, and it will be delivering the best in cinema across nine theatre houses — including venues like the Vancity Theatre. All genres are represented and for more information, please visit VIFF.org