Montreal – More productions than ever from NFB studios across the country will be available free of charge on nfb.ca in April, including the world premieres of two documentaries: Why? by Danielle Sturk and My 2020 by Sarah McNair-Landry. The NFB will also be highlighting events such as Earth Day with five thematic channels, as well as the launch of Daniel Gray’s award-winning animated short HIDE.
nfb.ca now offers more than 6,000 titles, not to mention a collection of some 100 interactive works, most of which are available for free online viewing, such as Michel Huneault’s Roxham, still as relevant as ever. There are also several in-person events in April, including the NFB’s participation in the Festival Cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke, the Montreal and Quebec City theatrical release of Oana Suteu Khintirian’s film Au-delà du papier (Beyond Paper), and the exhibition on Alanis Obomsawin at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Starting April 3
Why? by Danielle Sturk (NFB’s Quebec, Canadian Francophonie & Acadian Documentary Studio) – WORLD PREMIERE
Short documentary (39 min 22 s)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/why
Danielle Sturk tackles the thorny issue of sexual violence against young people by boldly asking: Why? Young men, witnesses to the prevailing culture, and young women survivors of sexual assault share their personal reflections in the hopes of sparking the dialogue needed to end gender-based violence. Because things only change when people start talking and taking action.
Marking World Health Day, April 7
Health and Living Channel: nfb.ca/channels/health_and_living
Take care of yourself. This channel assembles some 30 documentaries and animated films about health, nutrition and well-being from the NFB’s rich collection. Watch films like Yung Chang’s Earth to Mouth and Jonathan Ng’s Asthma Tech.
Starting April 10
My 2020 by Sarah McNair-Landry (NFB’s Quebec, Canadian Francophonie & Acadian Documentary Studio) – WORLD PREMIERE
Short documentary (34 min 10 s)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/my-2020
Over the course of a year, accompanied by her partner, Erik Boomer, and their spirited team of huskies, Sarah McNair-Landry recorded a fascinating cinematic travelogue, filled with breathtaking Arctic landscapes. Filmed from Nunavut to Idaho, the documentary is a meditation on isolation, freedom, tourism and the thirst for adventure.
Starting April 17
HIDE by Daniel Gray (2020, La Cellule Productions/NFB’s English Program Animation & Interactive Studio/CUB Animation Studio)
Animated short (11 min)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/hide-short-film
Two brothers entertain themselves with a game of hide and seek. As one counts, the other hides in a small cabinet. Seconds pass… then minutes… years… and decades. Winner of a dozen honours at festivals across the globe, HIDE is a heartrending and prescient story about family and disconnect in a world that is increasingly fragmented and unrecognizable.
Marking National Canadian Film Day, April 19
Channel: nfb.ca/channels/national-canadian-film-day
A selection of documentaries and animated films to celebrate Canadian cinema and its creators. Don’t miss Peter Wintonick’s Cinéma Vérité: Defining the Moment and Donald McWilliams’s Eleven Moving Moments with Evelyn Lambart.
Marking Earth Day, April 22
Green Channel: nfb.ca/channels/the_green_channel
Our planet is precious! This channel presents close to 65 documentaries and animated films on environmental and ecological topics, selected from the many fascinating productions on these subjects in the NFB’s collection. Watch recent films like Kevin McMahon’s Borealis or classics like Bill Mason’s Cry of the Wild.
Marking International Dance Day, April 29
Channel: nfb.ca/channels/dance-films
This channel celebrates dance, whether it be classical, modern, folk or popular. It includes almost 25 documentary and animated films, including Rosana Matecki’s recent short Saturday Night.
Marking International Jazz Day, April 30
Channel: nfb.ca/channels/jazz
A selection of nearly 20 films on jazz or with a jazzy flavour, from the animated shorts Oscar by Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre and Street Musique by Ryan Larkin to the documentary Liberty Street Blues by André Gladu.
In-person events
- The NFB at the Festival Cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke
- The NFB is back at the festival, which runs from April 6 to 13, 2023, with seven productions and co-productions, including Oana Suteu Khintirian’s new documentary Au-delà du papier (Beyond Paper), where the filmmaker travels the world, navigating between the paper and digital realms to understand the future of human memory in the age of the virtual revolution. The film will be released in theatres in Montreal and Quebec City on April 7. The filmmaker will be in Sherbrooke for the festival, as will be Hélène Magny for her film Je pleure dans ma tête (Les traumas par les mots) / Unspoken Tears (Trauma Through Words) and Brian D. Johnson for La couleur de l’encre (The Colour of Ink).
Details: mediaspace.nfb.ca/comm/nfb-at-fcms-202/
- The NFB is back at the festival, which runs from April 6 to 13, 2023, with seven productions and co-productions, including Oana Suteu Khintirian’s new documentary Au-delà du papier (Beyond Paper), where the filmmaker travels the world, navigating between the paper and digital realms to understand the future of human memory in the age of the virtual revolution. The film will be released in theatres in Montreal and Quebec City on April 7. The filmmaker will be in Sherbrooke for the festival, as will be Hélène Magny for her film Je pleure dans ma tête (Les traumas par les mots) / Unspoken Tears (Trauma Through Words) and Brian D. Johnson for La couleur de l’encre (The Colour of Ink).
- Alanis Obomsawin exhibition in Vancouver
- From April 7 to August 7, 2023, the Vancouver Art Gallery presents The Children Have to Hear Another Story: Alanis Obomsawin, tracing Obomsawin’s artistic activism over the last five decades. The exhibition is organized by Richard William Hill and Hila Peleg and made possible through a partnership between Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, and the Vancouver Art Gallery in collaboration with the NFB, and by the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Embassy of Canada, Berlin, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Details: vanartgallery.bc.ca/exhibitions/alanisobomsawin - A conversation between Alanis Obomsawin and Jason Ryle will take place on April 8 at the gallery: vanartgallery.bc.ca/events/apr8alanistalk
- From April 7 to August 7, 2023, the Vancouver Art Gallery presents The Children Have to Hear Another Story: Alanis Obomsawin, tracing Obomsawin’s artistic activism over the last five decades. The exhibition is organized by Richard William Hill and Hila Peleg and made possible through a partnership between Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, and the Vancouver Art Gallery in collaboration with the NFB, and by the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Embassy of Canada, Berlin, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
A web experience that’s still topical
The Roxham (2018) web experience, by Michel Huneault, centres on Roxham Road, taking us to the moments when RCMP officers intercept asylum seekers. An immersive experience based on 32 true stories.
Learn more about the NFB’s filmmakers and its collection: