Tom Perlmutter, the head of the NFB, is heading out on a cross-Canada tour. The tour is meant to allow him, and the NFB, to connect with Canadians. He’ll talk about the new directions we’re heading in, take your questions and talk about ways in which we can better interact.
For the past 70 years, the NFB has been telling stories that matter to Canadians – whether it be in the form of documentary, animation or fiction. Our films are inherently Canadian because they tackle issues close to our hearts and stem from the minds of filmmakers in your community, cities and provinces.
Every person who works at the NFB is intensely aware that we have been charged with the task of telling your stories, and we take that commitment as seriously today as we did 70 years ago.
The tour will take place between September 2010 and October 2011. You’ll find the tour schedule listed below. If your city isn’t listed among the 20 or so stops, don’t worry. We will be opening up a discussion forum on our Facebook page so that anyone who wants to take part in the conversation or ask questions will have the opportunity.
Stay tuned for more details.
Atlantic Region (September 20–23, 2010)
| City |
Province |
Day |
Date |
Venue |
Time |
| Moncton
(In French) |
New Brunswick |
Monday |
September 20, 2010 |
Centre des arts et de la culture de Dieppe
331 Acadie Ave.
Tel: 506.854.2787 |
5 p.m. |
| Tatamagouche
(In English) |
Nova Scotia |
Tuesday |
September 21, 2010 |
Fables
259 Main St.
Tel: 902.657.3388 |
5 p.m. |
| Charlottetown
(In English) |
Prince Edward Island |
Wednesday |
September 22, 2010 |
Confederation Centre Art
145 Richmond Street
Tel: 902.628.1864 |
5 p.m. |
| Fredericton
(In English) |
New Brunswick |
Thursday |
September 23, 2010 |
The Charlotte Street Arts Centre
732 Charlotte Street
Tel: 506.454.6952 |
5 p.m. |
Ontario (October 26–28, 2010)
| City |
Province |
Day |
Date |
Venue |
Time |
| Timmins
(In French) |
Ontario |
Tuesday |
October 26, 2010 |
Centre Culturel La Ronde32 Nord, rue Mountjoy
(705) 267-8401 |
5 pm |
| Windsor
(In English) |
Ontario |
Wednesday |
October 27, 2010 |
The Windsor Art Gallery401 Riverside Drive West
(519) 977-0013 |
5 pm |
| Kitchener-Waterloo
(In English) |
Ontario |
Thursday |
October 28, 2010 |
The Tannery151 Charles St. W. |
5 pm |
Prairies (November 22–25, 2010)
| City |
Province |
Day |
Date |
Venue |
Time |
| Edmonton
(In English) |
Alberta |
Monday |
November 22, 2010 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Saskatoon
(In English) |
Saskatchewan |
Tuesday |
November 23, 2010 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Regina
(In English) |
Saskatchewan |
Wednesday |
November 24, 2010 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Winnipeg
(In English) |
Manitoba |
Thursday |
November 25, 2010 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
British Columbia (February 1–3, 2011)
| City |
Province |
Day |
Date |
Venue |
Time |
| Victoria
(In English) |
British Columbia |
Tuesday |
February 1, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Vancouver
(In English) |
British Columbia |
Wednesday |
February 2, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Vancouver
(In English) |
British Columbia |
Thursday |
February 3, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
Quebec (February 14–17, 2011)
| City |
Province |
Day |
Date |
Venue |
Time |
| Rouyn-Noranda
(In French) |
Québec |
Monday |
February 21, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Trois-Rivières
(In French) |
Québec |
Wednesday |
February 23, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
| Sherbrooke
(In French) |
Québec |
Thursday |
February 24, 2011 |
To be confirmed |
To be confirmed |
Toronto – Week of March 22, 2011
Montreal – Week of April 4, 2011
Halifax – September 2011
Newfoundland – September 2011
Far North – October 2011
Please note that the dates, times and venues for the meetings during the tour may change. This table will provide the most up-to-date information.
Updated on 09/16/10 to add: We’ve opened up the Discussion board on our Facebook page. Please join us there for a conversation about the tour: http://bit.ly/95OIVf.
What about Ottawa, I know you guys have offices in Toronto and Montreal, why aren’t you coming to the capital?
Regarding the Newfoundland visit in September 2011: will Tom only be visiting the island portion of the province? A Labrador visit would be appreciated.
Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to comment here. We understand that some of you are disappointed with the tour’s schedule. The reality is that Canada is a big country, and we’re working on a small budget.
It’s for this reason that we set up the discussion board on Facebook. We want to hear from all of you. We want to give you the chance to have your concerns addressed and your questions answered.
Please keep the comments coming, and please join in the conversation on Facebook (http://bit.ly/95OIVf).
And if you are in one of the communities we’re visiting, please come out to the meeting. It will be a great opportunity to address all these issues face to face.
Thanks.
Thank you Julie for your reply to my earlier comment.
Over the years the NFB has established itself in centres throughout Canada, and that is greatly to its credit. It could have decided to stay holed up in Montreal or Toronto and simply send producers out to visit the colonies, but it didn’t. And it did this, I think, because it recognized the obvious: how can you tell the stories of the country if you are not willing to be there among the people who’s stories you want to tell?
No, fulfilling its mandate – so eloquently presented by Tom Perlmutter in his video – has meant being there. And being there has always meant more than a small office for the occassional use of a visiting producer. It has meant being part of the life of the community, getting to know the people and their stories, getting to know their filmmakers, making links and connections.
That’s what has been taken from Winnipeg, Manitoba and this prairie region.
You suggest there will be a continued presence here. Well, what will that be? An office for an itinerant producer to use on occasional visits? A place for a digital producer whose concern will necessarily be digital projects in general, not the stories of this part of Canada?
In my opinion Winnipeg, Manitoba and the prairies have been cheated, for the NFB is as much ours as yours. If Tom Perlmutter means what he says, the only answer can be to acknowledge that a mistake has been made and to return to this part of Canada the institution that has been taken from it.
@Peter – Thank you so much for the invitation! For now, there are no additional cities planned but we’ll keep you in mind when we get closer to the BC dates. You can also check back here to see updates to the schedule.
In the meanwhile, please join the conversation on Facebook. We’ve opened up the discussion board for the Tour which can be found here: http://bit.ly/c2NSE8. We also hope to have a live chat in the near future.
All information about the tour will be posted here, on our Facebook page and announced in our newsletter, which you can subscribe to here: http://nfb.ca/subscription.
Thanks!
I -love- Kevin’s use of irony. He forgot to include support, passion,, communication,,,
Nice work done. He’s got it, on the “Main”.
I agree with Tom, Winnipeg isn’t diverse, dynamic or evolving.
Great, nothing better than up personal, but have you got something against Calgary?
I remember the days that I could get a film from the NFB office here. I really don’t like watching a movie on a computer screen. New technology diminishes the art form.
How about Calgary ?
It would be great to see some presence in “other”
cities…There is a huge misconception that Vancouver/Victoria are BC. And lets not forget Whitehorse and Yellowknife. Canada’s future is in the North! With modern technology the rural/urban divide for media/education access should become a myth.
Is there any way to expand to number of dates on this tour? A number of stops, especially in 2011, have rather vague information… does this mean other centres could be added?
I run a small cinema in Prince George, BC [Cinema CNC], attached to the local community college. We would happily host the NFB’s traveling road show. What better way to put the “N” back in NFB than to take it to the nation?
Hi
Would like to meet you in Edmonton on the 22 November if you come
Regards
Walter
Pretty meek voice now, with not much more than an evangelist blowing into town from the east with good news about films. And not even a Calgary appearance. Tisk, Tisk. Earle. Edmonton
@John Whiteway – Thanks so much for your comment. Tom will be pleased to discuss the NFB presence in Winnipeg on November 25, during his tour in the Prairies. While it is true that we have made some changes in the Winnipeg office, there is still an office there and we plan to remain present in the region. We’ll be posting more information about the Winnipeg event in the coming weeks. I hope you get the chance to attend the event and ask your questions in person.
Is Tom going to say anything constructive or is it the same speech that he’s been going on about for last 3 or so years
I don’t get it. Tom Perlmutter says in his little video: “Today the NFB remains as passionate and committed to exploring the stories that reflect the reality of our diverse, dynamic and evolving country”,but you have just shut down the Winnipeg Prairie office. You know you can’t hear a voice when you’re not there.