November 24, 2016 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the Sommets du cinéma d’animation are joining forces to present a series of Artists’ Talks on animation at the Cinémathèque québécoise, beginning Thursday, November 24, with “Une journée avec Diane Obomsawin.” In the months to come, animation filmmakers Janice Nadeau, Eva Cvijanovic, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre, Theodore Ushev and Torill Kove will take turns giving the public a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their most recent productions. Audiences will have a rare opportunity to explore these artists’ creative processes and talk to them about their approach, inspiration and techniques.
The talks will be given in French unless otherwise indicated.
Artists’ Talks program lineup:
- November 24: “Une journée avec Diane Obomsawin.” The artist will begin by presenting and commenting on her films, and then invite attendees to create an animated GIF inspired by her works.
Diane Obomsawin is a cartoonist and animator of Abenaki descent who calls Montreal home. She started in the comic book scene in the late 1990s, during which time she became better known under the pseudonym “Obom.” In 1992, she created her first animated short, launching a long and wild adventure in filmmaking. I Like Girls, the film adaptation of her most recent graphic novel, is produced by Marc Bertrand and executive produced by Julie Roy and marks the eighth collaboration between the filmmaker and the NFB. The short received the Grand Prize for Independent Short Animation at the 2016 Ottawa International Animation Festival.
- January: Janice Nadeau presents Mamie
A film co-produced by Corinne Destombes for Folimage and Marc Bertrand for the NFB
- Mamie is Janice Nadeau’s solo directorial debut and follows her first animated film, No Fish Where to Go, co-directed with Nicola Lemay and produced by the NFB. That film was widely shown at festivals and won several awards. Nadeau studied graphic design at Université du Québec à Montréal and illustration at the École supérieure des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg (France). She has illustrated a number of books and is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Governor General’s Award for Illustration, including for No Fish Where to Go, written by Marie-Francine Hébert.
- February: Eva Cvijanovic presents Hedgehog’s Home (masterclass in English)
A film co-produced by Jelena Popovic (NFB) and Vanja Andrijevic (Bonobostudio), executive produced by Michael Fukushima (NFB)
Eva Cvijanovic is a freelance animator and illustrator currently living in Montreal. After studying at Concordia University, in 2011 she took part in the seventh edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship program for emerging animators, where she made the short The Kiss. Hedgehog’s Home, based on a poem by Branko Copic, marks her second collaboration with the NFB.
- March: Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre presents Oscar
A film co-produced by MJSTP Films (Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre and Jocelyne Perrier) and the NFB (Marc Bertrand), in collaboration with Télé-Québec, executive produced by Julie Roy
Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre founded the independent production company MJSTP Films in 2004 to produce her own films, which lie at the intersection of animation and documentary. Two major themes consistently emerge from her work: motherhood and artistic creation, which she has explored in the films Jutra and Oscar, among others. Jutra was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and won three prestigious Canadian awards (a Gemini, a Jutra and a Canadian Screen Award). Saint-Pierre is a graduate of Concordia University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Artistic Studies and Practices at UQAM.
- April: Theodore Ushev presents Blind Vaysha (Vaysha l’aveugle)
A film produced by Marc Bertrand (NFB) with the participation of ARTE France, executive produced by Julie Roy
Animation prodigy Theodore Ushev’s film Blind Vaysha, adapted from a short story by Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov, won the Jury Award and Junior Jury Award for a Short Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, along with several other Canadian and international distinctions. In 2006, Ushev began work on an acclaimed trilogy about the relationship between art and power with Tower Bawher, which was soon followed by Drux Flux (2008) and Gloria Victoria (2013). In parallel, he made several short films that focused on artists and filmmakers and their relationship to the world, including Lipsett Diaries (2010), winner of 16 awards.
- September: Torill Kove presents Threads (in English)
A film co-produced by Lise Fearnley (Mikrofilms AS) and Michael Fukushima (NFB)
Norwegian-born Torill Kove moved to Canada in 1982. After earning her master’s degree in Urban Planning at McGill University, Kove pursued a lifelong passion for drawing and sketching, studying animation at Concordia University. In addition to her film work, she is an accomplished author and illustrator of children’s books. Her 2006 short film The Danish Poet (NFB/Mikrofilm AS) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. She also received Oscar nominations for her 1999 directorial debut, My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts (NFB/Studio Magica), and her 2014 animated short, Me and My Moulton (NFB/Mikrofilm AS).
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Associated Links
Sommets du cinéma d’animation
Zorobabel
Papy3D
ARTE France
Folimage
MJSTP Films
Télé-Québec
Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal
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Media Relations
For the Cinémathèque Québécoise
Catherine Vien-Labeaume
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For the NFB
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Lily Robert
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About the Cinémathèque Québécoise
The Cinémathèque québécoise is Montreal’s museum of moving images. Its mission is to acquire, document and preserve Quebec’s film, television and audiovisual heritage, as well as international animation; to collect significant works of Canadian and world cinema; and to make these materials available for cultural and educational purposes.
About the NFB
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produces groundbreaking animation at its studios in Montreal and at NFB centres across Canada, as well as via international co-productions with many of the world’s leading auteur animators. The NFB is a leader in developing new approaches to stereoscopic 3D animation and animated content for new platforms. The NFB has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 15 Canadian Screen Awards, 17 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.