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Cannes Film Festival Martine Frossard’s animated short Hypersensitive (NFB) in Official Competition

PRESS RELEASE
25/04/2025

April 25, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada will be at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with the animated film Hypersensitive, directed by France-born, Montreal-based filmmaker Martine Frossard. The film is part of the Official Selection – Short Film Competition at this year’s edition, which runs from May 13 to 24.

The film recounts the turbulent, surrealistic journey of a young woman struggling to rebuild her self, in defiance of social norms that tell us to repress our emotions—and reminding us that to be sensitive is to be alive.

The animated short Bread Will Walk (Le pain se lève) by Alex Boya, produced by the NFB, has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar section of the Cannes Film Festival, taking place May 14 to 24, 2025.

Quotes 

“I was deeply moved to learn that Hypersensitive has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. There are no words to describe what an honour this is. I share this overwhelming joy with the entire team at the National Film Board of Canada, including my producer, Marc Bertrand, who was on board right from the very first sketches, and the rest of the team with the French Animation Unit, whose support was invaluable. My deepest hope is that Hypersensitive will open up a dialogue on vulnerability and resilience, so that people everywhere take greater heed of our emotions, even the most painful ones.”
– Martine Frossard, filmmaker 

“Seeing the talent of an emerging director acknowledged at Cannes is such a source of pride for us at the NFB. Discovering and supporting next-generation filmmakers is integral to our mandate. With Hypersensitive, Martine Frossard has made an affecting film of outstanding visual quality. It’s a stunning example of the creative vitality and distinctive signature of our animation units and our artists. Congratulations to the director and everyone at the NFB who played a part in this great success!”
– Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB

Quick Facts

About the film

Hypersensible (Hypersensitive) by Martine Frossard (6 min 44 s)
An NFB production (Marc Bertrand)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/hypersensitive

  • For her first collaboration with the NFB, this self-taught filmmaker continues to explore themes that have marked her work thus far: the quest for identity, the realm of perception and memory—but also grief, trauma and resilience. 
  • The artist illustrates how heightened sensitivity is all too often interpreted as some kind of resistance to conformity with social and relationship norms. Since most people will encounter hypersensitivity, in others or in themselves, at some point in their lives, Martine Frossard’s film is a heartfelt plea for us all to take greater heed of our emotions, even the most painful ones.
  • The film was edited by filmmaker and editor Oana Suteu Khintirian (Beyond Paper).
  • After its Cannes premiere, Hypersensitive will be shown in the Canadian Competition of the Sommets du cinéma d’animation, which runs from May 26 to 31, in Montreal.

About the director

Martine Frossard is a multidisciplinary artist who works in illustration, animation and participatory installations. Born in Strasbourg, France, she moved to Montreal in 2005, where she earned a master’s degree in design project creation and management. Her first short film, Thirty Masks (2015), was named a Vimeo Staff Pick. Her works have since been shown in Canada, the United States and Europe.

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French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    For more than 80 years, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has produced, distributed and preserved those stories, which now form a vast audiovisual collection—an important part of our cultural heritage that represents all Canadians.

    To tell these stories, the NFB works with filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, from across the country. It harnesses their creativity to produce relevant and groundbreaking content for curious, engaged and diverse audiences. The NFB also collaborates with industry experts to foster innovation in every aspect of storytelling, from formats to distribution models.

    Every year, another 50 or so powerful new animated and documentary films are added to the NFB’s extensive collection of more than 14,000 titles, half of which are available to watch for free on nfb.ca.

    Through its mandate, its stature and its productions, the NFB contributes to Canada’s cultural identity and is helping to build the Canada of tomorrow.