Awash with Academy Awards®: Watch 7 Oscar®-Winning Flicks on NFB.ca
Awash with Academy Awards®: Watch 7 Oscar®-Winning Flicks on NFB.ca
Once again, Oscar® frenzy has engulfed the NFB. Our film Me and My Moulton is nominated for best animated short and everyone has their fingers and toes crossed for Torill Kove to take home her second Academy Award®. Excitement, excitement!
(For those of you who haven’t caught this clever little film yet, Me and My Moulton will stream for free all day on NFB.ca this Sunday, February 22.)
Although the thrill of being nominated never gets old, we’re far from newbies at this Oscars® thing. With more Academy Award® nominations than any other production company outside Hollywood (73!), and 11 Oscars® so far, we’re slowly getting the hang of handling close encounters with that tantalizing pint-size golden man.
So to pass the time (and nerves) until Sunday, here are 7 exceptional Oscar®-winning NFB shorts to watch for free.
Special Delivery: Best Animated Short Film (1979)
Special Delivery, John Weldon & Eunice Macaulay, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
When Ralph refuses to shovel snow off the front steps one morning, a black comedy about adultery, death and the Letter Carriers Union is inexorably set in motion.
Every Child: Best Animated Short Film (1980)
Every Child, Eugene Fedorenko, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Discover this animated short about a baby that gets passed from house to house before finding an unusual home. The film illustrates one of the ten principles of the Declaration of Children’s Rights: every child is entitled to a name and a nationality.
If You Love This Planet: Best Short Documentary (1983)
If You Love This Planet, Terre Nash, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Explore the drive for nuclear disarmament as Dr. Helen Caldicott, president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, criticizes the deadly nuclear arms race.
Flamenco at 5:15: Best Short Documentary (1984)
Flamenco at 5:15, Cynthia Scott, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Be mesmerized by a group of young ballet dancers as they learn the centuries-old art of flamenco from icons Susana and Antonio Robledo.
Bob’s Birthday: Best Animated Short Film (1995)
Bob's Birthday, Alison Snowden & David Fine, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Follow Bob’s meandering descent into an existential midlife crisis as his wife Margaret plans his surprise 40th birthday party. Will Bob’s reaction ruin the whole thing?
Ryan: Best Animated Short Film (2005)
Ryan , Chris Landreth, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Dive deep into influential Canadian animator Ryan Larkin’s life, art, and personal struggles with this riveting animated short by Chris Landreth.
The Danish Poet: Best Animated Short Film (2007)
The Danish Poet, Torill Kove, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Accompany a creatively blocked poet on a trip to Norway where he meets a famous writer and tackles life’s big questions. Can we trace the chain of events that leads to our own birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Bad weather, an angry dog, slippery barn planks, a careless postman and a bunch of hungry goats all end up being part of the answer.
Wonderful flicks…..are they available to be purchased by the general public? If so through the NFB?
Hi David! Thank you for your kind words and interest. All but two of the films listed in that post are available for online download directly from NFB.ca. It you look at any of the film players, you will notice a BUY FILM button in the upper right hand corner. Clicking that button will take you through the steps to purchase and download the film onto your computer. The other two films (Bob’s Birthday and The Danish Poet) are available on iTunes. Additionally, most of these titles are offered as DVDs. You may browse the DVD store here.