Stunt Family: A Story About Daredevils
Lois Seigel’s documentary Canada Vignettes: Stunt Family (1978) paints a portrait of a family of stunt people working in the film industry. I was fortunate to get a chance to...
2 Films to Help You Quit Smoking (Maybe)
Like an idiot, I started cigarette smoking at 15. Considering the havoc that little habit went on to wreak on both my respiratory tract and financial assets, it would be...
The Sloane Affair: Tax Fraud Drama with a Twist
Do you enjoy tense, exciting, dramatic films that focus on police investigations? What about gripping courtroom dramas? If you answered “Yes” to both questions, have I got a good film...
Take a Master Class with animator Patrick Bouchard in Toronto on September 9
We’re thrilled to announce that as part of our activities surrounding the Toronto International Film Festival this year, filmmaker Patrick Bouchard will be hosting a free Animation Master Class at...
Loyalties: A Trip Down Slavery Lane
“Do you remember the days of slavery?” tirelessly asks Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear in his 1976 song Slavery Days. It’s a good question, and one that Loyalties, one of...
Stories We Tell: A post by Sarah Polley
The following is a guest post from filmmaker Sarah Polley about her new film, Stories We Tell. *** Today in Venice my latest film, Stories We Tell, will be screening...
Honouring the Memory of Former NFB Commissioner Jacques Bensimon
Jacques Bensimon, former NFB Government Commissioner, director, producer, and scriptwriter passed away yesterday at the age of 69. He headed the NFB from 2001-2006 after a stint as president of...
Some Thoughts on Frog Electrocution, Plagiarism and the Pain of Being Judged
First off, I want to apologize to the last person left standing who might visit this blog to see if I’ve finally posted anything new. Well, you may or may...
More NFB Apps
Last week, we talked about our free film apps. These – in case your were sleeping on the switch – are apps you can and obviously should install on your...
Keep Your Mouth Shut: McLaren’s 1944 “Stop Snitching” Film
If remembering the past is essential to understanding the present, remembering the NFB’s past is essential and occasionally totally hilarious. Consider for example Keep Your Mouth Shut, a 1944 animated...
Free NFB Apps: A Recap
As far as misfortunes go, being Canadian and never having heard of the National Film Board has to be on par with loving the NFB and never having installed the...
Meet the Lab Coat-Clad Granddaddies of LSD
When he was 101 years old, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann wrote Steve Jobs to seek his help in transforming his “problem child” into a “wonder child”. The wild one in...