Where the Sun Rises: The Films of Alanis Obomsawin
When asked about her creative process, Alanis Obomsawin, the renowned Abenaki filmmaker, always says that first she listens—without a camera in the room—to people share their stories
Documentary
Explore the world of documentary—including biography, history, social and political issues, global cultures, and aboriginal topics.
Got shots? Seeking Images of Mary Two-Axe Earley
The term ‘archival material’ covers a dizzying spectrum of possibilities, everything from radio interviews to family snapshots, and it can provide the lifeblood to a historical documentary. Just ask Courtney...
#MyNFB: In Love and Anger: Milton Acorn – Poet
In 1984–85, I was a CEGEP student and aspiring writer, hoping to eventually make a name for myself writing poetry. One of my English teachers introduced me to the work of PEI poet Milton Acorn, and I was drawn to him right away.
Barb Cranmer: Bak̓wam Storyteller & Wonder Sister
“It was important for me to get the truth out there, from our own perspective, and do it with the respect and integrity that comes from our community. That’s been...
#MyNFB: Paddle to the Sea
It’s June, 1970, close to the end of the school year. I’m in Grade One at Lynwood Elementary School in Edmonton, Alberta. Our class is going to the gym to watch a film. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a film in a big room like this.
This is Not a Movie & Other Cinematic Events: NFB at Canada’s Fall Festivals
The NFB is heading to Canada’s fall festivals with a slate pulsating with contemporary energy and vision, with no fewer than five titles getting world premieres at this year’s edition of TIFF.
A Fine Day in Masset: Christopher Auchter Revisits Crucial Moment in Haida Renaissance
It was a fine day in Masset: August 22, 1969. For the first time in living memory a traditional totem pole was being raised in the community. Surrounded by their...
Director’s Notes: Robert Moberg and Way of the Hunter
I grew up in the 1960s in rural Alberta, on a small farm near the town of Rocky Mountain House. My father had to provide for a large family of four adults and seven kids, and hunting in the nearby woods was a large part of how he did it.
If These Walls Could Talk: 7 Portraits Of The NFB
Before our headquarters moves, we wanted to immortalize people and places that shaped the NFB. Explore this series of portraits by Stephan Ballard.
Blake, The Hobo of the Skies | Curator’s Perspective
The 1969 Oscar nominated short film Blake follows Blake James, a free spirit who flies in his homebuilt biplane across Canada.
Eight participants chosen for Otherly—the NFB and POV Spark’s new program for innovative non-fiction Instagram Stories
The NFB and POV Spark have announced the eight participants in Otherly—a partnership that sets out to help define creative non-fiction storytelling in the age of mobile and ephemeral media.
The First Indigenous-made Film I Ever Saw
The very first Indigenous-made film I saw was Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child by Alanis Obomsawin, and it was the first time I felt that a filmmaker could understand Indigenous social-political issues.