October 26, 2020 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada

NFB.ca continues to release new works this fall. This selection of free-to-watch films from various NFB studios across the country includes Mike Maryniuk’s short film June Night—the latest release in The Curve series, a collection of timely projects exploring the pandemic. Two urgent and moving feature-length documentaries will also be released to mark different awareness days: Gentille M. Assih’s Into the Light, having its world premiere exclusively on NFB.ca, and Pascal Sanchez’s Far from Bashar. These must-see new films join more than 4,000 titles already available on NFB.ca, along with our collection of some one hundred interactive works, most of which are also available online free of charge.

Starting October 26

The Curve is the pulse of our nation, beating in its own time during this unprecedented time. Our creators, with their talent and insight, are bringing to life the voices of Canadians touched by COVID-19, both near and far. This collection is delivering thematically linked works in documentary, animation and digital storytelling formats, released at various times over the next few months, closely following ongoing developments in the COVID-19 era. Coming October 26:

• Theme: Ruptures and EnlightenmentJune Night

  by Mike Maryniuk (2020, North West Studio)
  Animated short (4 min)Working in sublime self-isolation during the strange pandemic spring of 2020, avant-garde filmmaker Mike Maryniuk composes a surreal ode to rebirth and reinvention. Juxtaposing archival imagery with handcrafted animation, he conjures up a shimmering utopian dreamscape, a post-COVID world shaped by the primordial forces of nature—haunted by the genial spectre of Buster Keaton.

Follow #TheCurveNFB #LaCourbeONF to learn more about The Curve’s creators and get news and sneak peeks of upcoming works.

Starting November 12 – Marking Journées québécoises de la solidarité internationale

• Far from Bashar by Pascal Sanchez (2020, French Program Documentary Studio)
  Feature-length documentary (73 min)
  Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/far-from-basharA few years ago, the al-Mahamids fled Bashar al-Assad and Syria to settle in Montreal. A nuanced portrayal of a courageous family coping with a seemingly interminable war, thousands of kilometres away, that continues to affect their lives.

  This online release supports the initiative of the Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI), in partnership with the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), the Comité régional d’éducation pour le développement international de Lanaudière (CREDIL), and Children’s Care International (CCI), which will present the film to their network as part of Journées québécoises de la solidarité internationale.

Starting November 25 – Marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – WORLD PREMIERE

• Into the Light by Gentille Menguizani Assih (2020, French Program Documentary Studio)
  Feature-length documentary (79 min 46 s)
  Rough clips from the film: https://vimeo.com/471528996/9da4888af4
  Preliminary press kit (synopsis, images): mediaspace.nfb.ca/into-the-lightInto the Light features the liberating life stories and powerful words of inspiring Quebec women of West African origin who’ve regained control over their lives after suffering from domestic violence. The film transcends prejudice and breaks taboos, pulling back the curtain on a poorly understood, hidden world, while testifying to the tremendous power that comes from overcoming isolation and accepting one’s self. It’s a luminous dive into the quest for personal healing and universal humanity. This is the Togo-born director’s third documentary.

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopses: Far from Bashar | Into the Light

Promotional clip from The Curve: Bundle 6

Associated Links

Journées québécoises de la solidarité internationale
Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI)
Canadian Council for Refugees
CREDIL
Children’s Care International (CCI)
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

French version here | Version française ici.