The Hangman at Home is comfortable with the uncomfortable, which is probably par for the course when you base an animated short film on Carl Sandburg’s poem of the same name. The poem wonders about a hangman’s home life and how he manages to compartmentalize his morbid day job during family dinner. But even if the poem didn’t do any of that, the word “hangman” is already loaded with ghoulish significance, so when we hear it spoken within the first minute of the film’s narration, we’re already making associations with death, violence and the macabre.  Directed by Michelle and Uri Kranot, H ..read more

Theodore Asenov Ushev (1968, Kyustendil, Bulgaria) is one of the most accomplished NFB creative collaborators of the last few decades. During his 25-year career as an animator and filmmaker, Ushev has won dozens of accolades and awards across the globe. To commemorate International Animation Day 2023, this instalment of Curator’s Perspective will shine a spotlight on Ushev’s impressive body of work at the NFB. To begin, I invite you to watch Borislav Kolev’s remarkable documentary Theodore Ushev: Unseen Connections (2022), released online today at nfb.ca. Kolev generously walks viewers th ..read more

Guest writer Alexandra Ouchev heaps praise and some playful shade on her distinguished dad, world-renowned animator Theodore Ushev. “Alex, my daughter, I love you!” is the message I receive from Theodore Ushev, the filmmaker.  “What do you want?” is what I reply. “NFB wants you to write a text about me?” I honestly don’t know why they would ask me to do this, because I will make fun of him, but I can only accept such a request. This is my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to embarrass him in the most respectful way possible. But let me introduce myself first, before we make this all about ..read more

On my only trip to the top of the CN Tower, my then-partner—who frustratingly fears nothing—led us to the part with the glass-bottom floors. He lay down on one of the thick windows overlooking the faraway ground while young children next to him horrifyingly jumped on the glass to see if the sheer force of their weight would make it pop out of the structure. He somehow persuaded me to try laying on it too, and as I crawled my way there, I left a trail of sweaty palm prints before suddenly freezing. The cognitive part of my brain knew that I was safely enclosed and not in a perilous situation, b ..read more

In keeping with 20 incredible years of nurturing new Canadian talent, Hothouse has returned with a fresh crop of promising animators offering their spin on this edition’s theme, “Small Things Considered.” After all this time, perhaps it’s fitting to return to the root metaphor (get it? ROOT) from which the mentorship program draws its name: from over 400 applications, six young seedlings were chosen to be sown in the fertile soil of the NFB, emerging after 12 nourishing weeks as lush and blooming flora. Together, the six selected animators will each create a one-minute film, drawing on a wide ..read more

After graduating from the UBC Film Production program back in 2004, I had no idea where or if my degree would take me anywhere. I was more afraid of entering the real world than my immigrant parents, who let their youngest daughter pursue a degree in the fine arts. I mustered the courage to call up the NFB and schedule a meeting with then-producer Svend-Erik Eriksen to show him my graduation film. He was kind enough to sit down with me to watch my first film, and he gave me thoughtful and encouraging feedback—and some insights—into the NFB production model. Svend also mentioned this exciting n ..read more

Asia is the largest continent on the planet. It’s home to more than half the world’s total population and a multiplicity of nations and cultures. Over the past two centuries, and for social, political or historical reasons, countries throughout both American continents—including Canada—have become home to millions of Asian people who’ve made and continue to make huge contributions to their adopted societies. May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, an opportunity for us all to reflect on and celebrate the countless ways Asian Canadians have shaped our country, in myriad fields, from the sciences ..read more

This week’s NFB.ca debut of the documentary Evan’s Drum (2021), by Inuk filmmaker Ossie Michelin, provides an opportunity to give an overview of Inuit cinema at the NFB. But before we get into the first of these films, shot in the 1970s, we need to step back and take a look at the three previous decades, so we can better understand the context in which those first films were made. Myths and stereotypes The people and landscapes of the Far North had fascinated settlers since the arrival of Europeans in North America in the 16th century. The Arctic was always depicted as an almost mythical place ..read more

Although I didn’t know it at the time, I remember clearly the moment the idea for The Storm took root. A woman had come to the hospital in labour, her partner at her side, and together with her nurse, we all guided the baby safely into the world. A practising family physician and poet, Monica Kidd grew up in the farming town of Elnora, Alberta. She has authored seven books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. With The Storm, now available for free online, she makes her directorial debut. As usual, there had been moments of deep calm, gratitude, trust in the process; there had also been moments ..read more

A spirit of pure invention informs the latest edition of Hothouse which got underway on November 15. That’s when the National Film Board opened the doors of its famous animation studios, now housed in new headquarters in downtown Montreal, to six young animation artists from across Canada. “This is our first Hothouse since the ‘before times’ and we want to strike an upbeat note,” says Maral Mohammadian, producer of this 13th edition. “Given the strange pandemic times we’ve all been living through, we want this edition to be fun. The focus is on discovering talent, offering young animators the ..read more