Today is International Animation Day, and The NFB is releasing their 12 best pieces online!
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
The National Film Board of Canada has been very busy lately. Not only did they have works featured at the Vancouver Film Festival but also they’re following up with Animez-vous (Get Animated 2020)!
BC-based Abbott has been making films about urgent social, political and environmental issues for 25 years, including co-directing the 2003 Sundance award-winning The Corporation. She’s also back at VIFF this year with The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel, co-directed with Joel Bakan.
The Great Malaise by Catherine Lepage
In the voiceover for this animated short, a young woman attempts to describe herself, casting her life in the ideal light that society expects. The film’s imagery, however, tells a different story, poignantly illustrating the intense anxiety that comes with the quest for perfection and the pursuit of happiness. A film that’s both funny and moving, and above all, profoundly human.
TheNFB has a few new online releases to enjoy this month!
Throughout the month of June, seven new titles will be added to the selection of free content on NFB.ca, featuring the world premiere of The Tournament, a new short film by Winnipeg-based Métis filmmakerSam Vint—along with new titles for Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month.
They’re being added to theNFB’s extensive catalogue of more than 4,000 titles online and its collection of some 100 interactive works, almost all of which are available at no charge.
This week is filled with two celebrations! It’s not only International Animation Day (October 28) but also All Hallow’s Eve (Oct 31st). The two can go hand in hand acknowledging the season (one such work does), but for The National Film Board of Canada, they are acknowledging four works by women as well as new Indigenous animation from the Hothouse Animation Apprenticeship program. They are now available for streaming online at NFB.ca
Georgi Gospodinov’s “The Physics of Sorrow” is animated by Theodore Ushev (best known for Blind Yaysha), and this director/artist’s approach is hauntingly beautiful. It made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 5-15, 2019) and is produced by the National Film Board of Canada. I suspect this animated short will have a few more cinematic screenings before becoming available online. I recommend the big screen version because of the artistry put into the work.
For National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is marking the second anniversary of the launch of its Indigenous Action Plan with a slate of 40 Indigenous-led works in development, production or recent release—while delivering on a commitment to devote a minimum of 15% of its production spending on Indigenous works, one year ahead of schedule.
The NFB’s Indigenous Action Plan is a response to the TRC’s calls to action and systemic inequities in Canada’s screen sector facing Indigenous creators. The plan was drafted in collaboration with an Indigenous advisory group and contains 33 commitments in four main areas: organizational transformation, industry leadership, production, and distribution. In its plan include advances in community engagement, online accessibility, educational resources, and hiring, as well as adopting new industry protocols for working with Indigenous creators and content.
Throughout the month of June, seven new titles will be added to the selection of free content on 