National Film Board of Canada

Information about National Film Board of Canada

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The current National Film Board of Canada logo
The National Film Board of Canada (usually National Film Board or NFB) is a Canadian public filmmaking organization established to produce and distribute films that inform Canadians and promote Canada around the world. Its name in French is Office national du film du Canada or ONF. The NFB is best known for its documentaries and animated short films, many of which have won Genie and Academy Awards. In total, the NFB has produced over 12,000 productions which have won over 5000 awards.[1] The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It has French and English production branches.

Purpose

The organization's purpose and mission have been re-defined numerous times throughout its history. Currently, the NFB's mandate is defined by the Minister of Canadian Heritage:

The overarching objective of the National Film Board is to produce and distribute audio-visual works which provoke discussion and debate on subjects of interest to Canadian audiences and foreign markets; which explore the creative potential of the audio-visual media; and which achieve recognition by Canadians and others for excellence, relevance and innovation. — Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage (2000)


The National Film Board has defined a list of primary and secondary goals to fulfill in order to meet its mandate, as well as a set of related activities that can be performed to meet those goals. Primary activities are:
  • create programming reflecting Canada's linguistic duality and cultural diversity
  • create programming of film and audiovisual works on subjects relevant to the general public or niche audiences
  • support innovative and experimental projects in new and interactive media
  • exploit the audiovisual heritage of the NFB
These are to be achieved through various programs, such as the Aboriginal Film Program, implementing a major bilingual website on the history of Canada, and incorporating Internet and interactive tools into filmmaking.

Secondary activities include:
  • broadcasting NFB films on national television networks and specialty services
  • developing and maintaining an e-commerce system to sell products directly to Canadian and international customers
  • developing and diversifying markets for NFB products
To achieve these goals, the NFB plans include: creating educational television markets by signing contracts with American school boards, colleges and universities, and granting them certain rights; developing in-flight markets by working with airlines and distributors specilizing in that field; and developing the CineRoute project, a cinema-on-demand service via the internet. The NFB plans to develop new territories, particularly China, Brazil and Mexico.

History

In 1938, the Government of Canada invited John Grierson, a British documentary film-maker, to study the state of the government's film production. To that date, the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, established in 1918, had been the major Canadian film producer. The results of Grierson's report were included in the National Film Act of 1939, which led to the establishment of the NFB. In part, it was founded to create propaganda in support of the Second World War.

When Norman McLaren joined the organization in 1941, the NFB began production of animation. The NFB proved to be an organization that would give Canada a presence in the film world. The animation department eventually gained distinction, particularly with the pioneering work of McLaren, an internationally recognized experimental filmmaker. The NFB was a pioneer in several novel techniques such as pinscreen animation, but most of the Oscars and many other awards it won were done in traditional cell animation.

A revision of the National Film Act in 1950 removed any direct government intervention into the operation and administration of the NFB.[2]

In 1952, McLaren's Neighbours won an Oscar. An allegory about war and peace featuring two neighbours fighting over a flower, the short was considered too violent by some; it has garnered the label "one of the most controversial films the NFB ever made".[3] Further, the eight-minute film was politically motivated:

"I was inspired to make Neighbours by a stay of almost a year in the People's Republic of China. Although I only saw the beginnings of Mao's revolution, my faith in human nature was reinvigorated by it. Then I came back to Quebec and the Korean War began. (...) I decided to make a really strong film about anti-militarism and against war." — Norman McLaren [4]


However, the version of Neighbours that ultimately won an Oscar was not the version McLaren had originally created. In order to make the film palatable for American and European audiences, McLaren was required to remove a scene in which the two men, fighting over the flower, murdered the other's wife and children.[5]

Neighbours also popularized the form of character movement referred to as pixillation, a variant of stop motion.

With the creation of the Canadian Film Development Corporation (now known as Telefilm Canada) in 1967, the mandate for the National Film Board was refined. The Canadian Film Development Corporation would become responsible for promoting the development of the film industry[6], a role the NFB had never undertaken, and for which it was ill-suited.

In the mid-90s, the NFB absorbed a 32% cut to its operating budget, forcing it to lay off staff, close its film lab, sound stage (now privatized) as well as other departments. This has been followed by smaller budget cuts in recent years. The six-storey John Grierson Building at its Montreal headquarters has sat empty for several years – with staff now based solely in its adjacent Norman McLaren Building.

In 2006, the NFB marked the 65th anniversary of NFB animation with an international retrospective of restored Norman McLaren classics and the launch of the DVD box set, Norman McLaren - The Master's Edition.

Still Photography Division

Upon its merger with the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau in 1941, the NFB's mandate expanded to include motion as well as still pictures, resulting in the creation of the Still Photography Division of the NFB.

From 1941 to 1984, the Division commissioned freelance photographers to document every aspect of life in Canada. These images were widely distributed through publication in various media.

In 1985, this Division officially became the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.[7]

Government Film Commissioner

On May 17, 2007, Tom Perlmutter was named the NFB's 15th Commissioner, having served as its head of English Program since 2001. [1]

Controversy

In addition to Neighbours, many NFB productions have been criticised for their content, either for moral and social reasons, or because the production presents an unpopular interpretation of widely-held beliefs.

The 1982 film If You Love This Planet, which won an Academy Award for best documentary short subject, was labelled foreign propaganda under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 in the United States.

The Kid Who Couldn't Miss, also released in 1982, is one of the most controversial films produced by the NFB. Directed and produced by Paul Cowan, it questions the facts of fighter pilot Billy Bishop's accomplishments during World War I. Bishop, a highly-decorated military figure, is considered a Canadian icon — many books and films have been created about him, and a museum in Owen Sound, Ontario bears his name. The film specifically questions accounts of Bishop's solo mission to attack a German aerodrome on June 2, 1917, for which he was awarded a Victoria Cross, and suggests the event was imaginary and that Bishop exaggerated his own accomplishments. Canadian veteran's groups were outraged by the insinuation, and Cowan received many irate letters, "He got inundated by thousands of furious letters, rumblings in the Senate subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, and demands that the government cut off funding to the NFB."[8]

H. Clifford Chadderton, Chief Executive Officer of The War Amps, created the film The Billy Bishop Controversy to counter the bias he and other veterans perceived in the NFB film. Released in 1986, it attempts to demonstrate that Cowan and the NFB did not properly research the historical records, and reached faulty conclusions about Bishop. The Kid Who Couldn't Miss also led Chicago native, and Bishop fan, Albert Lowe to create a website (www.billybishop.net) devoted to the fighter pilot.[9] Lowe complained about the characterization of Bishop in the film, and commented that "That year Mr. Paul Cowan, with $514,007.00 of Canadian Taxpayer's money, did one of the foulest deeds possible without committing some form of violence."[10] Originally released as a documentary, The Kid Who Couldn't Miss is now listed as a docudrama in NFB documents.

Despite the problems and criticisms it may generate, the NFB does not avoid controversial topics, and sometimes encourages its artists to pursue such topics. Most of the controversial work currently produced by the NFB centres on polarized social and moral issues. During the height of the pro-rights and pro-life abortion debate of the 1980s, the NFB released the documentary film Abortion: Stories from North and South (1984). According to a synopsis by the American Friends Service Committee:

"[It shows] that women of all races, religions and social classes have had - and always will have - abortions, whether society allows the right to abortion or not. The only issue is whether abortions will be safe or whether they will be dangerous to women's health."[11]


Another controversial NFB film, Out Stories of Lesbian and Gay Youth (also referred to as Out) from 1993, targets Canadian teens. The film promotes equality with respect to sexual orientation:

Delving into the emotional, societal and familial conflicts lesbian and gay youth often face, this film breaks the damaging silence surrounding sexual orientation and sexual differences.[12]


The film drew some attention from religious groups and social conservatives, who felt the taxpayer-funded NFB should not promote the so-called "lifestyle choice" of homosexuality among teens. Silvia Basmajian, the film's producer (and sister of the late,Canadian poet, Shaunt Basmajian ), was quoted by the Western Report as saying that "Mainly we're going to be selling it to schools. There's some resistance to it out there, so we'll have to work it in across the country, school board by school board."[13]

Works

Enlarge picture
The NFB's Toronto office features the "Mediatheque," where visitors can watch up to 90 minutes of NFB productions, at private digital viewing stations.


The National Film Board produces works in various styles. It is most notable for documentaries, short films and animation. The government-funded organization has enjoyed success in part because it has had the freedom to pursue artistic endeavours with minimal government intervention.

Key filmmakers

The following animators are the "Key Filmmakers" of the National Film Board of Canada [14]:

Canada Vignettes

During the 1970s and early 1980s, the National Film Board produced a series of vignettes, some of which aired on CBC during commercial breaks. The vignettes became popular because of their cultural depiction of Canada, and because they represented its changing state. Indeed, the vignette Faces was made to represent the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of Canada.

Operations

The National Film Board maintains its head office in Ottawa. However, its operational headquarters are located in Saint-Laurent, a borough of Montreal; this is also its distribution centre, and where the bulk of production occurs. Interactive public access centres operate in downtown Toronto and Montreal. International distribution centres are also located in New York and Paris.

In addition to the English and French-language studios in its Montreal HQ, there are other centres throughout Canada. English-language production occurs at centres in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Halifax. French-language productions are also made in Toronto and Moncton. The NFB also offers support programs for independent filmmakers: in English, via the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) and in French through its Aide du cinéma indépendant - Canada (ACIC) program.

The organization has a hierarchical structure headed by a Board of Trustees, which is chaired by the Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson. It is overseen by the Board of Trustees Secretariat and Legal Affairs. Reporting to the Government Film Commissioner are various departments:
  • English Program
  • French Program
  • Distribution
  • Marketing & Communications
  • Technical Resources and Innovation
  • Administration
  • Human Resources
  • Planning, Evaluation, and Audit.
The NFB employs 490 full-time equivalent staff, with an annual budget of $70 million (for 2000-2004). Funding is derived primarily from government of Canada transfer payments, and also from its own revenue streams. These revenues are from print sales, film production services, rentals, and royalties, and total up to $10 million yearly; the NFB lists this as Respendable Revenues in its financial statements.

Awards

Over the years, the NFB has been internationally recognized with more than 4,500 film awards.[15][16]

Genie Awards

The NFB has received more than 90 Genie Awards. The following is an incomplete list:

Winners: Nominated:

Academy Awards

The NFB has garnered a total of 69 Academy Award nominations. The first-ever Oscar for documentary went to the NFB production, Churchill's Island. On January 23, 2007, the NFB received its 12th Academy Award for the animated short The Danish Poet, directed by Torill Kove and co-produced with MikroFilm AS (Norway).

Winners: Nominated: (incomplete list)

Other

  • The National Film Board's extensive library of short films, documentaries and animation has led to an enthusiastic fan base. Various festivals, film exhibits and university clubs host retrospectives and showings designed to promote the work of the NFB.[18] The NFB now has over 30,000 members in its NFB Film Club, who receive info on NFB screenings and workshops, special prices on NFB videos and access to the Film Board's broadband service, CineRoute.
  • The NFB is a minority owner of Documentary Channel in Canada. NFB-branded series Retrovision appeared on VisionTV, along with the French-language Carnets ONF series on APTN. Moreover, in 1997 the American cable channel Cartoon Network created a weekly 30-minute show called O Canada specifically showcasing a compilation of NFB-produced works; however, the segment was discontinued in favour of Adult Swim.[19][20]
  • The Scottish music act Boards of Canada takes its name from the NFB.
  • The Board's logo consists of a standing stylized figure (originally green) with its arms wide upward. The arms are met by an arch that mirrors them. The round head in between then resembles a pupil, making the entire symbol appear to be an eye with legs. Launched in 1969, the logo symbolized a vision of humanity and was called "Man Seeing / L'homme qui voit". It was designed by Georges Beaupré.[21] It was updated in 2002 by the firm of Paprika Communications.[22][23]
  • An episode of the cartoon The Simpsons, "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", has the Simpson family watching a Zorro movie whose production is credited to the National Film Board of Canada.[24]

See also

References

1. ^ About the NFB
2. ^ National Film Board of Canada/Office national du film du Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation of Canada. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
3. ^ McLaughlin, Dan (2001). A rather incomplete but still fascinating history of animation. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
4. ^ Norman McLaren. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved on 2005-09-16.
5. ^ Cartagena, Rene (2003). Neighbours. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
6. ^ Canadian Film Policy: History of Federal Initiatives. Heritage Canada (2003-01-22). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
7. ^ "Photo Collections" in Project Naming, the identification of Inuit portrayed in photographic collections at Library and Archives Canada
8. ^ Alioff, Maurie (2002). Paul Cowan's inquisitive eye: war games porn stars and the Ghosts of Westray. TAKE ONE. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
9. ^ Lowe, Albert (1999-05-26). Defender of home town hero on the net. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
10. ^ Lowe, Albert (1998-08-20). Air Marshal William Avery Bishop. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
11. ^ Films on Ireland. American Friends Service Committee (2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
12. ^ Out: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Youth. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
13. ^ Flury, Jann (2002-01-14). Legacy of Modern Art. Education News.org. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
14. ^ Key Filmmakers. Focus on Animation. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
15. ^ The National Film Board Of Canada:Eyes of Canada. Canadian Tributes. Government of Canada Digital Collections. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
16. ^ Tribute to Canada at Annecy International Animated Film Festival. ReelWest (2005-05-31). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
17. ^ Unger, Leslie (1999-11-01). Academy to Celebrate National Film Board of Canada Anniversary. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
18. ^ National Film Board Retrospective. The Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
19. ^ Simensky, Linda (1997). O Canada: Canadian animators. TAKE ONE. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
20. ^ O Canada. Toonarific Cartoons. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
21. ^ [2] NFB History 1969
22. ^ [3] NFB history 2002
23. ^ [4] Canadian Design Resource
24. ^ Penner, Wade. Simpsons, Eh?. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.

Further reading

Evans, Gary (1991). In the National Interest: A Chronicle of the National Film Board of Canada from 1949–1989. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-2784-9. 

External links

NFB Web Sites

Articles concerning the NFB

Films, shorts and animation

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Norman McLaren, C. C., C. Q. (b. April 11 1914 - d. January 27 1987) was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
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Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways.
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