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| Edmond Was a Donkey. Photo taken from the production, courtesy of the NFB |
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) wants animation fans
of all generations to celebrate the art form. The NFB is launching the sixth
edition of Get Animated!, bringing
many of the country’s finest and funniest animated films to communities across
Canada in celebration of International Animation Day (October 28). Among these
films are favourites such as Edmond Was a
Donkey (reviewed here) and Kali the
Little Vampire (my pick for Best Animated Short at both the Worldwide Short Film Festival and the Ottawa International Animation Festival). Get Animated! features workshops and
industry events in addition to screenings. The event takes place across Canada
from October 26 to November 10 (see below for cities and dates) and it’s FREE, which makes Get Animated! an ideal activity for families and fans alike.
From the NFB:
Get Animated! is
coming to a location near you, in Abbotsford, BC (October 27 & 30); Calgary
(November 2 & 4); Charlottetown (November 2 & 4); Edmonton (November
7); Flin Flon (October 28); Halifax (October 26 & 27); Iqaluit (November
8); Miramichi, NB (October 28); Moncton (October 27 & 30); Montreal
(October 27); New Westminster (November 7 & 8); Prince George (November 2
& 4); Regina (November 2, 3 & 10); Richmond (November 4); St. John’s
(October 27, 28 & 31); Saskatoon (October 29, 30 & November 1);
Stephenville, NL (November 4); Tatamagouche, NS (October 28); Toronto (October
27 & November 1); Vancouver (October 27 & 31); Victoria (November 7);
Whitehorse (October 28); Windsor (November 3 & 4); Winnipeg (October 26
& 27; November 2–5); Yellowknife (October 29)―and more.
Get Animated! programs:
New Releases
The New Releases program features a dazzling selection of
the NFB’s most acclaimed international co-productions, created by many of the
world’s top animation directors.
Highlights include Georges Schwizgebel’s Genie Award-winning
Canada-Switzerland co-production Romance;
Franck Dion’s Canada-France co-production Edmond
Was a Donkey, winner of a Special Jury Award at the Annecy International
Animation Film Festival; Régina Pessoa’s Kali
the Little Vampire, a France-Canada-Portugal-Switzerland co-production,
recipient of the Hiroshima Prize at the Hiroshima International Animation
Festival; Oscar nominee Paul Driessen’s latest NFB short, the
Canada-Netherlands co-production Oedipus;
and Polish filmmaker Kamil Polak’s international co-production The Lost Town of Switez, winner of 10
awards.
Family Program
Get Animated! also offers kid-friendly animation fun for
all.
The “Not So Scary Stories” program of animated films
features Lynn Smith’s The Sound Collector,
the quirky tale of a six-year-old who collects sounds, along with Antoine
Lanciaux and Pierre-Luc Granjon’s colourful and charming fairy tale Bonifacio in Summertime—perfect films
for children ages five and up.
“Friends and Monsters” is ideal for the 10+ crowd, with
Catherine Arcand’s Nightmare at School,
a humorous look at the unsettling experience of being in a new school, Claude
Grosch and Luc Otter’s Rose & Violet,
about a very unusual set of twins, and Paula Gillgannon’s vignette The Big Swing, from the NFB’s renowned
Hothouse program for young animators.
Workshops
Hands-on workshops will accompany the Family Program in a
number of Canadian cities, giving participants the thrill of being part of an
animation film crew while making their own short film.
Workshops in Toronto and Montreal on October 27. Both
workshops include a half-hour program of animated short films. Workshops are
offered in English or French, based on demand. Pre-registration is required for
the workshop; screenings are open to everyone.
Industry Events
Get Animated! will include free events for animation
filmmakers and students―however, these industry events are open to the public,
too.
Highlights will include a presentation about the NFB’s
Hothouse program by producer Michael Fukushima and industry panels led by
Animation Studio executive producer Roddy McManus.
List of industry events:
-Panel discussion with Roddy McManus: Carbon Arc cinema
(Halifax, October 27, 3 p.m.)
-Hothouse presentation with Michael Fukushima: Emily Carr
University of Art and Design (Vancouver, October 31, 11:30 a.m.)
-Panel discussion with Roddy McManus: OCAD University
(Toronto, Nov. 1, 6:00 p.m.)
-Panel discussion with Roddy McManus: ACAD (Calgary, Nov. 2,
1:00 p.m.)
-Industry presentation with Roddy McManus: Université
St-Boniface (Winnipeg, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.)
-Industry presentation with Roddy McManus: Winnipeg
Cinematheque (Winnipeg, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.)
Get Animated! is
presented by the NFB in collaboration with local partners across Canada. For a
complete and up-to-date schedule of screenings, and for more information on
workshops and industry events, visit nfb.ca/getanimated.
About International Animation Day
International Animation Day, October 28, is an annual
celebration in over 40 countries, initiated by the International Animated Film
Association (ASIFA) in 2002. Norman McLaren was the first president of ASIFA,
and the NFB is proud to be bringing this global celebration to Canadian
communities for the sixth consecutive year.
