Oscar night is almost upon us!
If you’re an Oscar junkie like we are, you’re probably looking for more films to date your Oscar hunger, and we’re more than happy to help provide you with some snacks while you’re getting your Oscar pool locked down.
The concept is the same as our “Netflix Recommends” – we’ve taken some of the best films from the Oscar 2017 race and matched them up with NFB films that are similar in theme and subject matter. The idea being…
If you liked La La Land, enjoy The Log Driver’s Waltz
In the mood for a musical? We’ve got the singing, the dancing, and even the catchy tune that won’t leave your head for days. Sure we’ve traded in sunny California for a Northern logging town, but hey! We’ve got animation.
Canada Vignettes: Log Driver's Waltz, John Weldon, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Arrival, enjoy Invasion of the Space Lobsters
Large aliens resembling marine life, an inability to find a common language and communicate, and a big question mark as to the purpose of their arrival. Sound intriguing? Then you’ll love Invasion of the Space Lobsters.
Invasion of the Space Lobsters , Janet Perlman, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you’re into movies about miscommunication between youth and adults, then this film’s right up your alley. Don Owen’s classic 1960’s drama tells the story of a teenage boy who rebels against his parents’ middle-class goals and conventions.
Nobody Waved Good-bye, Don Owen, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Hidden Figures, try Women Space Pioneers
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were instrumental in the early days of the NASA space program. In this documentary, we look at the efforts and accomplishments of some of the first women in space, including Sally K. Ride and Jerrie Cobb.
If you liked Hell or High Water, enjoy The Great Toy Robbery
Okay, so granted these two films don’t exactly fall into the same category, but if you’re looking for a lighter, shorter, and animated version of the first film, look no further than the second.
The Great Toy Robbery, Jeff Hale, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked 20th Century Woman, enjoy Motherland: Tales of Wonder
In 20th Century Woman, Dorothea tries to be a good mother by enlisting the help of those around her to raise her son, in an “it takes a village” kind of approach. Motherland: Tales of Wonder looks at the very question of what it means to be a good mother.
Motherland: Tales of Wonder, Helene Klodawsky, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Lion, enjoy Foster Child
Upon discover the magic of Google Earth, once-lost, then adopted Saroo becomes obsessed with finding his biological mother back in India and letting her know he’s all right. In Gil Cardinal’s film, the filmmaker also searches for his biological family, but for him it’s to try and understand how he ended up in foster care in the first place.
Foster Child, Gil Cardinal, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Moonlight, enjoy Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia
While vastly different in storylines and genres, both films are, at heart, about black youth discovering their voices and who they are.
Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia, Sylvia Hamilton, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Jackie, enjoy Michaëlle Jean: A Woman of Purpose
Who doesn’t love a great biopic? These two films focus on the lives of extraordinary women who lived in the public eye. Jackie follows the story of a woman who redefined the way we look at the First Lady, while Canada’s Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, redefined the possibilities of her office.
Michaëlle Jean: A Woman of Purpose, Jean-Daniel Lafond, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you liked Loving, enjoy Crossroads
Both these films take place during the same time period and tackle the same issue of interracial relationships, although one is a fictional drama, and the other more of a biopic. And although the approaches are different, they’re both excellent films.
Crossroads, Don Haldane, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
If you’re looking for more recommendations, check out the first two posts from the series, here and here.
