Montreal – The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is kicking off autumn in a big way, with nfb.ca premieres of two new feature documentaries in September, special online programming and an immersive VR installation. Brian D. Johnson’s award-winning Sphinx Productions/NFB co-production The Colour of Ink will premiere online September 5, followed by the online launch of Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok’s feature doc from British Columbia, Unarchived, on September 25. There’s also a rich selection of NFB channels marking key dates and events in September:
- The NFB’s Ottawa International Animation Festival channel;
- Residential Schools channel;
- Representing Gender Equality and Diversity channel;
- Plus, the Latin America on Screen channel.
And from the online to a virtual reality collective experience: September 6 through October 15, the NFB Space in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles is hosting the North American premiere of Sandra Rodriguez’s interactive exploration of the promises of artificial intelligence (AI), CHOM5KY vs CHOMSKY: A playful conversation on AI. In all, nfb.ca now features more than 6,000 online films as well as a collection of over 100 interactive works.
Starting September 5 | Online premiere, The Colour of Ink
- The Colour of Inkuncovers the mystery and power of our oldest medium through the eyes of Jason Logan, a visionary Toronto inkmaker who harvests colours from the natural world to make ink from just about anything.
- An Official Selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film received the Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary.
- Director Brian D. Johnson is a distinguished Canadian writer, filmmaker and cultural commentator. In 2015 he produced and directed Al Purdy Was Here, a feature documentary that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was runner-up for the TIFF Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award.
Starting September 6, through to October 15 | VR installation, CHOM5KY vs CHOMSKY: A playful conversation on AI, NFB Space in the Quartier des Spectacles, Montreal
- AI is everywhere—from the photo enhancer in your smartphone to the virtual assistant in your kitchen. But what is it exactly?
- Noam Chomsky has left behind an extensive wake of data traces, enough to create an AI system based on his legacy. Skeptical about AI’s promises, Chomsky is the perfect guide to encourage visitors to question everything they see.
- Created by Sandra Rodriguez and co-produced by the NFB and Germany’s Schnelle Bunte Bilder, CHOM5KY vs CHOMSKY is an engaging shared VR experience that lets participants take part in a fun and collaborative exploration. Tickets are on sale now.
Starting September 11 | 50th anniversary of 1973 Chilean coup d’état
- NFB Collection Curator Camilo Martín-Flórez has published a special Curator’s Perspective on what the coup in Chile has meant for Chileans and democracy.
- The Latin America on Screen channel features 15 NFB films from across Latin America that illuminate the continent and its people, arts and culture, in addition to Canadian intersections with Latin America over the years. Highlights of the Curator’s Perspective and channel include two landmark works by distinguished Chilean directors: Patricio Guzmán’s Chile, Obstinate Memory and Patricio Henriquez’s The Dark Side of the White Lady.
Starting September 20 | Ottawa International Animation Festival channel
- Thanks to the Ottawa International Animation Festival (September 20–24, 2023), this month is a special time for Canadian animation.
- The NFB is showcasing its Ottawa International Animation Festival channel, bringing together many of the NFB animated shorts that have been honoured at the fest since 1976. Includes new hits like Terril Calder’s Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics and Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby’s Oscar nominee The Flying Sailor.
Starting September 25 | Online premiere, Unarchived
- In community archives across British Columbia, local knowledge keepers are hand-fashioning a more inclusive history. Through a collage of personal interviews, archival footage and deeply rooted memories, the past, present and future come together in Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok’s Unarchived—fighting for a space where everyone is seen and everyone belongs.
Starting September 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada
- To help mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the NFB’s Residential Schools channel features a powerful selection of films about the tragic impact of residential schools in Canada.
- Included in this 18-film collection are such classic works as Gil Cardinal’s profoundly personal Foster Child, alongside newer films like Marie Clements’ rousing musical documentary The Road Forward.
Starting final week in September | Gender Equality Week
- The fourth week of September is Gender Equality Week in Canada. To mark the occasion, nfb.ca is showcasing its Representing Gender Equality and Diversity channel, a selection of films on the important contributions of women and gender-diverse communities in Canada.
- Includes such award winners as Courtney Montour’s Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again, the powerful story of Mary Two-Axe Earley, who fought for more than two decades to challenge sex discrimination against First Nations women; and Sheona McDonald’s Into Light, capturing a season of change in the North as a mother and child navigate the complexities of gender identity together.