L'hiver de Léon/Léon in Wintertime (by Pierre Luc Granjon and Pascal Le Nôtre, co-produced by the NFB, Divertissement Subséquence and Folimage), winner of the Excellence Grand Prize awarded by the Alliance for Children and Television and the Gemini Award for Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series, has already won over young audiences. Wintertime is harsh in the land of King Balthasar, especially if you're Léon, an eight-year-old adopted bear suffering from an identity crisis. After the distraught cub runs away from home, a mischievous storyteller called Bonifacio sweet-talks him into performing on stage. Braving an ogre, the cold and the storm brewing in his heart, Léon travels far and wide. His courage eventually leads him back to his beekeeper parents. Pure, tender and as sweet as honey, this puppet animation is a delightful medieval tale. Léon is irresistible.

Watch the clip of Léon in Wintertime on NFB.ca...<<

The Coca-Coca Case (2009) follows labour rights lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth as well as activist Ray Rogers of the "Stop Killer Coke" campaign as they attempt to hold the giant U.S. multinational beverage company accountable in a legal and human rights battle.

Gutiérrez and Garcia will attend the screenings on March 26 at 7pm and March 27 at 3pm for introductions and audience Q&As, and on March 28 at 7pm for an introduction only.

Written and directed by Germán Gutiérrez and Carmen Garcia
Producers: Carmen Garcia (Argus Films),
Yves Bisaillon (NFB), Johanne Bergeron (NFB)
Executive Producer: Yves Bisaillon (NFB)

Watch the trailer on NFB.ca...<<

See the schedule...<<

Excessive noise, the build-up of urban areas, portable personal sound environments . . . Our world has become increasingly noisy. Écologie sonore is an interactive investigation, leading to greater awareness of our soundscape and sensitivity to it. The project stimulates the imagination and makes use of the most recent digital production technologies to foreground sound on the web. It uses this special medium to draw attention to the scale of noise pollution and put it into perspective, within a broader reflection on our relationship to sound and silence.

The four soundscapes - a term coined by the Canadian composer and environmentalist R. Murray Schafer - create a unique immersive experience and a playful multimedia journey. They include some fifteen video portraits by Alexandra Guité of various people and their relationships with sound, soundscapes created by multi-instrumentalist Freeworm (Vincent Letellier) and thoughts by environmental researcher and consultant Mathieu Régnier. The elements recombine as each user chooses where to go next, resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience - a true dialogue with the work.

ECOLOGIESONORE.ONF.CA is designed and produced at the NFB by Hugues Sweeney, with Nicolas Saint-Cyr directing and doing art direction in conjunction with the agency Toxa.

Experience it at ecologiesonore.onf.ca...<<

Details on the press release...<<

Program 1
Éloge du chiac (NFB) was made by Michel Brault in 1969. Taking the form of a conversation between a young teacher at a French school in Moncton and her students, the documentary shows how hard it is for francophones to preserve their language in New Brunswick. Forty years later, Marie Cadieux travelled to Moncton, Shediac, Bouctouche and even France to meet people committed to safeguarding and enhancing the status of the unique Chiac language. The result is Éloge du chiac - Part 2 (Celebrating Chiac - Part II) (Bellefeuille Production/NFB). Featuring animated clips starring the Chiac-speaking cartoon hero Acadieman, the film elicits laughter and some teeth-gnashing, but above all, it sparks reflection. Program length: 105 min.

Program 2
In Pis nous autres dans tout ça? (So, Where Do We Fit In?) (NFB), filmmaker Andréanne Germain recruits two young Quebecers to wander across the Plains of Abraham brandishing huge Franco-Ontarian flags during the St. Jean Baptiste Day celebrations in Quebec City. The film playfully implies the existence of a third Canadian solitude. Le choeur d'une culture (Together in Harmony) (NFB), by Marie-France Guerrette, captures the unforgettable journey of Chorale Saint-Jean, an Edmonton choir, as they prepare for and participate in Quebec City's 400th-birthday celebrations. With emotion and humour, the film shows that Franco-Albertan culture is not only surviving, it is enriching our country's heritage. These two documentaries are preceded by Vive la rose (Global Mechanic/NFB), an animated short by Bruce Alcock inspired by Émile Benoit's touching performance of a song from Newfoundland's traditional francophone repertoire. It tells the tragic tale of a fisherman's love for a beautiful woman who dies an early death. Program length: 57 min.

Program 3
Specially designed for families, Program 3 features Le 7e voyage de La Mouette (On the Road with La Mouette) (NFB), by François Aubry and Philippe d'Hauterive. The camera follows the d'Hauterive family - a very special clan who have crisscrossed Canada with their travelling puppet show - as they hit the road for the Maritimes and Newfoundland. The family's three boys are growing up. Will they all be part of the next adventure? The documentary is preceded by an animated short, Une courtepointe pour grand-maman (Oma's Quilt) (NFB), by Izabela Bzymek, a charming film made in British Columbia about love, life and change. Program length: 64 min.

►Watch the trailers

Celebrating Chiac - Part II...<<
Vive la rose...<<
Oma's Quilt...<<

►Consult the screening calendar...<<

The Sweetest Embrace (73 min.) tells the moving story of two Afghan schoolboys, Soorgul and Amir, who became stranded in Tajikistan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Following 16 years in exile, and after coming to Canada as refugees, the young men return to Afghanistan in search of their families. The film is in English, Russian, Dari and Shughni, with English and French subtitles. It was directed by Najeeb Mirza and produced by the NFB, in co-production with Oxus Apertura Films. Soorgul Sakai, the film's main subject, will attend the screening and participate in the discussion on March 4.

A Dream for Kabul (81 min.) follows Haruhiro Shiratori, a Japanese father who lost his only son in the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. He tries to end the cycle of violence by travelling to Afghanistan to get to know its people, and devotes himself to building a cultural centre for the children of Kabul. The film, co-produced by Informaction and the NFB, is in Japanese, Dari and English, with English and French subtitles. Following the screening, director Philippe Baylaucq will discuss cross-cultural influences on architecture and cultural reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Watch the trailer on NFB.ca...<<

Admission to both screenings is free, but tickets must be obtained at the Museum's Box Office.

The Sweetest Embrace: Return to Afghanistan
Thursday, March 4 - Theatre Musical performance and tour of Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures at 5 p.m.
Film at 7 p.m.
Bilingual

A Dream for Kabul
Thursday, March 11 - Theatre
Musical performance and tour of Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures at 5 p.m.
Film and discussion with the director at 7 p.m.
Bilingual

Photo: A Dream for Kabul

The NFB is a major collaborator in Canada CODE: a national initiative created by CODE, the Cultural Olympiad's digital edition which offers Canadians in every region a unique way to connect with one another and create a collective portrait of our country - a first for Canada and any Olympic Games. There will also be a rich selection of Quebec and francophone films shown in Vancouver at citywide screenings organized by the NFB in collaboration with its long-time partner, the Rendez-vous du cinéma québecois et francophone de Vancouver. The NFB will be presenting films in Canadian classrooms and communities highlighting the Games' theme of environmental sustainability, screening Aboriginal NFB films at Vancouver venues, as well as adding Olympic-themed playlists at its acclaimed NFB.ca online Screening Room.

Canada CODE
Canada CODE is an online scrapbook in which Canadians can post and remix images and stories - it's the first time that a Cultural Olympiad has included an online component of this magnitude. Launched in May 2009, this collective portrait brings together experiences from every corner of our vast nation. User-generated content from Canadians is also being incorporated into three NFB experimental short films featured on Canada CODE by filmmakers Murray Siple, Julia Kwan and Chloé Leriche, also available for viewing at the NFB's online Screening Room.

Available globally on the web at Canada CODE Remixes will also be on display at Games Celebration Sites in Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond and Surrey B.C. Audience attendance is estimated to reach 2 million cumulatively over the 17-day period.

The NFB's expertise in community engagement and media literacy has been harnessed to bring the greatest number of Canadians into this unique online community. The Canada CODE  website features NFB-produced short films with tips and inspiration from such luminaries as filmmakers Denys Arcand, Zacharias Kunuk, Léa Pool and Mina Shum, and author Roch Carrier, among others.

The NFB also offered over 60 Canada Code Digital Storytelling workshops reaching thousands of Canadians in schools and community centres across the country, in partnership with regional and national organizations. As well, it produced an educator's guide in partnership with VANOC and 2010 Legacies Now, providing ways to integrate Canada CODE and digital storytelling into school curricula.

More details on the press release...<<

► Antonine Maillet - The Possibilities Are Endless
After its very well-attended world premiere in Moncton in November to mark the 30th anniversary of Antonine Maillet's Prix Goncourt, Antonine Maillet - Les possibles sont infinis will have its Quebec premiere at this year's FIFA. Through  this documentary, we get to know Antonine Maillet, the Acadian writer who came to fame in 1971 with La Sagouine and reached the peak of French literary success in 1979, winning the Prix Goncourt for her novel Pélagie-la-Charrette. The documentary was produced by Murielle Rioux-Poirier of the NFB's Acadia Studio in co-production with Pauline Bourque of Améri Ka Productions.

► Montréal Symphony - Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
FIFA will be the backdrop for the first public screening of Montréal Symphony - Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, produced by Ciné Qua Non Média (Michel Ouellette) in co-production with BCE Film (Bettina Ehrhardt) and the NFB (Colette Loumède). The film follows conductor Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) during the symphony orchestra's 75th season, an extraordinarily rich mix of music and concert tours.

►Peggy Baker: Four Phrases 
This unique short is built around a private interview with the acclaimed Canadian dancer and choreographer Peggy Baker. "A primary metaphor for dance is simply transformation," says Baker of her approach. The film artfully mixes animation and documentary techniques to celebrate Baker's work and legacy, resulting in a substantial and ephemeral, conceptual and immediate work. It was produced by the NFB's Michael Fukushima for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

►Walk-in-the-Forest
This short is a whimsical animation in the best NFB tradition. It follows medicine man Walk-in-the-Forest on a walk in the woods that leads to the discovery of an intriguing secret world. Produced by Michael Fukushima (NFB) and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), the film is part of VISTAS, an NFB-APTN series of 13 short films on the theme of nationhood.
___
Photo: Antonine Maillet-Les possibles sont infinis

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life tells the story of Jennie, who once had everything. She had two bowls to eat from, two pillows, and for cold weather a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn't care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favourite window for the last time. Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Jennie's surreal, suspenseful and unexpectedly moving journey to gain new experiences and realize her dream of becoming the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre.

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life will be featured as an exclusive short on the Where the Wild Things Are Warner Home Video Blu-ray out March 2.

Created around "Contrôle," a Malajube song about madness, the interactive video will be launched tonight at 5 pm, at the Sphère AXA as part of the Montreal High Lights Festival, and will be followed later in the evening by an outdoor Malajube concert in the Old Port. The band and the project creators will be present this project at the launch - a free event where the public will be invited to create their own interactive videos onsite. People around the world will also be able to participate online at .

The first interactive music video at NFB.ca, 100 mots pour la folie uses visitors' words as a navigation interface to let them create a unique, ephemeral video clip based on Malajube's music, with visuals from the NFB's archives spanning over 70 years of production.

How does the interactive experience work? A question appears onscreen. The user answers, and then the song begins. A choice of words - the user's answer along with the answers of all the other users - appears onscreen. The user clicks these words to generate the video. Answers are associated with one of six basic emotions: love, happiness, surprise, anger, sadness and fear to determine which visuals play.

Watch the explanatory video (in French)...<<
Watch the trailer at  (in French)...<<
Create your own video clip at Malajube.ONF.ca...<<

From the Atlantic coast to the shores of the Pacific, we are proud to propose three programs of films that help make our culture so rich and unique.

Consult the national screening calendar...<<

The Montreal CineRobotheque and NFB Cinema are holding a night-long event dubbed Cinema That Never Sleeps. The public will have free access to 10,000 films at the CineRobotheque and be able to enjoy the presence of artists such as Geneviève Godin, with her creation Dis-moi, and John Blouin, with Cabina Obscura and Point d'écoute. The event will also feature screenings of the best short films of Planet Kino 2009 and 10 years of Kino in Montreal, as well as shorts by ACIC/FAP independent filmmakers.

Program details...<<
See the CineRobotheque site for the full list of activities...<<

MONDAY, MARCH 15
Take out the Trash! Getting rid of garbage used to be easy! Help get the recycling and organics to their proper collection bins. (3D clay)

TUESDAY, MARCH 16
Aquatic Adventure What will you find under the waves... is it something that belongs in the water? (pixillation)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17
One, Two, Three... Grow! There's no need to wait... these trees will rise before your eyes! (painting on glass)

THURSDAY, MARCH 18
Car Free and Carefree! Taking public transport is good for the environment. Animate your subway adventure! (3D clay)

FRIDAY, MARCH 19
Gone Fishing Reel in some fishy friends, or maybe some bizarre deep sea creatures! (paper cut-out)

SATURDAY, MARCH 20
Lettuce Animate! Grow your own food in our animated garden. (3D clay)

SUNDAY, MARCH 21
Race Against Time Help the polar bears find their way to safety before their ice floe melts! (3D clay)

Looking for a more in-depth animation experience? Sign up for our WEEK-LONG GREEN SCENES CAMP for children aged 8 to 14. From Monday to Fri¬day (9 AM to 4:30 PM), participants will work in teams to create their own original animated film. Your film will premiere on the BIG SCREEN on Friday afternoon at the NFB Cinema! (Limited enrolment. $275 per child. Pre- and post-care available at an additional cost. Call 416-973-7114 for details.)

More activities at the NFB Mediatheque...<<

To be eligible, the projects must, among other things, be directed by one or more Aboriginal filmmakers. They must also include an interactive digital component, for which the NFB will provide expert advice, and a training component in the form of production internships for emerging Aboriginal filmmakers. The interns will be part of the project team at each step of production, from development to post-production. They will be selected jointly by the NFB and the successful producer and will be paid by the NFB for a period of three to six months.

Details...<< (In French)
For more information, read the press release...<<

Screening on February 20 at 5:15 pm is Fernand Dansereau's Les porteurs d'espoir (NFB). A unique and invaluable witness to an experimental education project, the film follows a group of schoolchildren and their teacher as they attempt to identify, analyze and resolve a problem in their environment. In the process, they also learn about the uncertainty faced by those who want to instigate change. The film is set for release across Quebec this spring. Filmmaker Dansereau, a noteworthy figure in Quebec cinema, will also take part in the RVCQ series entitled "Les leçons de cinéma", in which he will discuss his pioneering approach, on February 20 at 2 pm.

Programming details on the press release...<<

All proposals for short documentaries (12 to 15 minutes long) must be submitted by March 4, 2010. In addition to allowing budding filmmakers to make a short film under professional conditions, Tremplin features training workshops on script development and, new this year, film direction. The workshops are led by experienced professionals.

A Sunday at 105, by one of the participants in the 2006 edition, Daniel Léger, has become one of the most popular films on the ONF.ca Web site, seen by 100,000 people so far!

Details...<< (In French)
Watch A Sunday at 105 on NFB.ca...<<

The conference is being held in conjunction with the Journée Infopresse, Cultural Agency Marketing: Communication Strategies 2.0.

Details...<<

 A Dream for Kabul was produced by InformAction in co-production with the NFB. It won the Outstanding Canadian Documentary award at the ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto and a Gémeaux award (Best Original Music: documentary).

The film...<<
Watch the trailer on NFB.ca...<<

The awards ceremony celebrating the excellence of interactive marketing took place last Wednesday in Montreal with representatives from the advertizing and marketing industry in attendance.

Congratulations!

View the greeting card...<<
Watch the film on NFB.ca...<<

In the winter of 2001, the program was renamed L'ONF à la maison as a reference to the maisons de la culture where the screenings were held and to reflect the NFB's desire to reach film fans close to home. Since the fall of 2000, this initiative has also offered audiences an inside look at the films by giving them a chance to meet the filmmakers or craftspersons following the screenings. Over the past 10 years, close to 36,000 people have participated in L'ONF à la maison events, attending almost 500 screenings in the Accès culture network.

Playing at the Centre communautaire Elgar on Wednesday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m., Le magicien de Kaboul, Philippe Baylaucq's moving documentary about a father who lost his son in the attack on the World Trade Center (original French version).

For the L'ONF à la maison schedule, check Accès culture's Calendrier culturel (in French)...<<

Watch the trailer for the English version, A Dream for Kabul, on NFB.ca...<<

Produced by the NFB and designed by Jam3Media, Waterlife Interactive was inspired by the documentary Waterlife by Kevin McMahon, a coproduction with Primitive Entertainment and the NFB. It is the story of the last great supply of fresh drinking water on earth. It is a creative and educational take on a relevant and pressing social issue that directly affects over 350 million people. Waterlife Interactive builds on the film's stunning visuals and luscious soundtrack to create an immersive experience that allows users to explore the beauty of water and the danger in taking it for granted.

Enter...<<

Directed by Germán Gutiérrez and Carmen Garcia, and produced by Argus Films in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada, The Coca-Coca Case follows labour rights lawyers Daniel Kovalik, Terry Collingsworth and activist Ray Rogers of the Stop Killer Coke campaign as they attempt to hold the giant U.S. multinational beverage company accountable in this legal and human rights battle.

The tour began with a screening at Concordia University in Montreal, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and Ray Rogers.  In Canada, Cinema Politica will hold discussions after all screenings on the tour. 

In addition to screenings in 18 Canadian cities, The Coca-Cola Case will travel to Norway, Sweden, New Zealand and the U.S. from January 18 to the end of March. The DVD will be out in early March.

►Press release information...<<

►Watch the trailer...<<

►Listen to an interview with the directors...<<

►Consult the site for information about the schedule and list of discussants...<<

 Details on the press release...<<

The Calling Card Program provides an opportunity for emerging filmmakers and new-media teams from Ontario to work with the NFB and TVO to create documentaries for new-media platforms or television broadcast.

Unheralded centres on the big personalities behind small newspapers in Ontario who cover the untold stories that matter to regional communities. Whether writing about dog shows and 100th birthdays, or telling stories of citizen opposition and community loss - local news reporters have a difficult job, especially when the readers are their neighbours. Unheralded will be produced and directed by Aaron Hancox and Allie Caldwell.

The Next Day is a magic realism documentary told in an interactive graphic novel form, constructed from interviews with three survivors of near fatal suicide attempts. In this philosophical exploration, three subjects from diverse backgrounds, now removed from their attempts, each answer the same key questions about life, the decision to end it, and what comes after. The Next Day will be created by Shahid Quadri and produced by Alex Jansen (Pop Sandbox).

Details on the press release...<<

More information on the Calling Card Program...<<

Toronto theatrical engagement - Feb. 5-6 and 8-9

Details on the press release...<<

Watch the trailer...<<

Musée Director Paulette Gagnon is delighted to have Mamori on the Projections series program: "This series introduces the Montreal public to works by artists on the local and international scenes who are building and enriching the art of film. Lemieux's work fits in perfectly with this tradition."

According to Monique Simard, Director General of French Program at the NFB, "Mamori is being presented in one of the most conducive places for discovering its artistic qualities, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. In keeping with its mission, the NFB supports innovation in all types of cinematic practices, including experimental films, and is proud to work all across the country with bold creative artists like Karl Lemieux."

Mamori will be screened continuously in Beverly Webster Rolph (BWR) Hall at the Musée d'art contemporain from January 13 to March 14, 2010, as part of the Projections series. At the end of January, Karl Lemieux will be showing his creation at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam, devoted to innovative, independent and experimental films.

An interview with Karl Lemieux...<<

For more information, read the press release...<<