From February 11 to 24, all Canadians can join in the Oscar celebration as the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) offers two weeks of free streaming of Alison Snowden and David Fine’s new animated short Animal Behaviour on NFB.ca, Facebook and YouTube.
It’s the fourth Academy Award nomination for this Vancouver-based husband-and-wife animation duo. They took home the Oscar 24 years ago for their previous NFB collaboration: the NFB/Snowden Fine Animation/Channel 4 co-production Bob’s Birthday, which would go on to inspire their series Bob and Margaret. They were also nominated for their 1987 NFB short George and Rosemary, with Snowden nominated before that for her 1984 student film Second Class Mail.
This wonderful work (for a review, please click here) takes us inside a group therapy session for animals who grapple with issues not unlike our own. Five animals—including a leech who suffers from separation anxiety and a bird with guilt issues—meet regularly to discuss their inner angst in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist. This hilarious yet emotional short looks at whether we should learn and adapt—or should others just accept our true nature?
Produced and executive produced by Michael Fukushima for the NFB’s Animation Studio in Montreal, Animal Behaviour is the 75th Academy Award nomination for the NFB—more than any other film organization based outside of Hollywood. The NFB has received 12 Oscars over its 79-year history, including a 1989 Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.
The 91st Academy Awards will take place Sunday, February 24, 2019, at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.