July 28, 2026 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
On August 17, 2026, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is launching three new animated documentary shorts for free online. Hospital, with Love by Carine Khalifé, Matrescence by Elizabeth Laferrière and Ambiguous Losses by Fanny Lord-Bourcier are the products of Alambic, the NFB’s six-month creative lab. All three films combine the animation and documentary formats to tell profoundly human stories that can spark enduring conversations in the public space.
Each of the films sensitively addresses social issues within its own unique visual world. From the profound transformation that results from becoming a mother, to adoptees’ quest for identity, to the role of humanity in hospitals increasingly transformed by technology, each illustrates the power of animated documentary in bringing intimate experiences to light in ways that resonate well beyond the personal stories depicted.
Throughout the process, the three members of the second cohort of Alambic, the NFB’s creative lab for emerging francophone filmmakers, received support and guidance from Karl Lemieux, production mentor; Raquel Sancinetti, associate producer; Jelena Popović, producer; Joël Vaudreuil, editor; Sacha Ratcliffe, sound and music designer; and the NFB production team. The theme for this year’s edition of Alambic was “Animating Reality.”
Quote
“This second edition of Alambic at the NFB’s French Animation Unit proved to be a true animated documentary lab. The program resulted in the creation of daring projects and original artistic approaches. The ultra-short animated documentary format, with a runtime of approximately three minutes, demanded succinct storytelling and a cohesive visual approach, in which the technique and choice of materials truly reflect what the artists wanted to say. The experience has not only helped grow the three emerging filmmakers’ skill sets; it has also enriched the animated documentary ecosystem at the NFB.” – Jelena Popović, Producer, National Film Board of Canada
The films
Hospital, with Love | Carine Khalifé | 2026 | 3 min 23 s
Paint on glass and charcoal
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/hospital-with-love
- Synopsis: As a surgeon’s daughter, she once roamed the hospital with wonder. As an adult, she searches for the humanity that has been replaced by machines.
- Quote: “My father is a surgeon, and as a child, I loved going to the hospital with him: I watched and listened; I even liked the smells. Hospitals have undergone a technological transformation in recent years, and I wanted to reflect on the role of humanity in this huge machine.” – Carine Khalifé, filmmaker
- About the filmmaker: Montreal-based French-Canadian visual artist Carine Khalifé paints, draws and animates—sometimes simultaneously. Her projects include immersive installations for the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption’s Cathedral in Moncton, New Brunswick (Améri Ka Productions, Inc. and MR21), and La mer intérieure, a 360-degree film projected inside the Alma water tower in Quebec’s Lac Saint-Jean region (original concept and direction by the Société d’histoire du Lac-Saint-Jean and cadabra).
Matrescence | Elizabeth Laferrière | 2026 | 3 min 18 s
Mixed media
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/matrescence
- Synopsis: A captivating short film about the neurological, identity and cellular upheavals of motherhood. A visual and aural dive into the science of becoming a mother. “Matrescence” is the profound transition experienced by women as they become mothers.
- Quote: “To explore this deeply personal change, I filmed three generations of women from my family: my mother, my sister and my daughter. This lineage echoes microchimerism, the exchange of cells between mother and child, which literally inscribes one into the body of the other. We all carry the biological traces of those who came before us and those who follow.” – Elizabeth Laferrière, filmmaker
- About the filmmaker: Filmmaker and graphic designer Elizabeth Laferrière brings her poetic, sensitive and spontaneous vision to the art of moving images. She is also a lecturer in graphic design at Université du Québec à Montréal and is currently writing an animated series for young audiences. Her filmography includes videos for songs by well-known artists, including My Mind & Me (Selena Gomez x Apple, 2022), Manche de pelle (Robert Charlebois, produced by Champagne Club Sandwich, 2021) and Les choses invisibles (Alfa Rococo, 2020).
Ambiguous Losses | Fanny Lord-Bourcier | 2026 | 4 min 24 s
Mixed media
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/ambiguous-losses
- Synopsis: Two sisters adopted from China confront their fragmentary past in this sensitive portrait that blends personal archival footage and origami-inspired collages.
- Quote: “Making this film was cathartic, both artistically and personally. It was the first time my sister and I talked openly about our adoption. Growing up, I’d never really explored this facet of my cultural identity, probably to protect myself from feeling different.” – Fanny Lord-Bourcier, filmmaker
- About the filmmaker: Multidisciplinary artist Fanny Lord-Bourcier was born in Nanning, China, grew up in L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, and now lives in Tio’tia:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal. Using her preferred medium, animation—the art of motion—Fanny creates interpretations of reality that are both playful and thought provoking. Her film Abby (2023) won an award at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Her films and video installation work have been featured at the Cinémathèque québécoise (2024), TIFF Lightbox (2023) and the McCord Stewart Museum (2022).
– 30 –
Press release – PDF here.
Version française ici.