April 1, 2020 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Looking for something new and original? Check out the latest crop of captivating films available for free at NFB.ca in April. Three feature-length documentaries—First Stripes by Jean-François Caissy, 24 Davids by Céline Baril, and True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball by Ryan Sidhoo—will be added to our already extensive catalogue of over 4,000 titles, not to mention our collection of some 100 innovative works produced by the NFB’s Digital Studios over the past 10 years, most of which is available free online.

• First Stripes by Jean-François Caissy (starting April 6)
  Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/first-stripesWorld premiere at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival

  First Stripes is a touching and humorous depiction of how civilians are transformed into Canadian Armed Forces soldiers. The film is the third in a series of feature-length documentaries by Caissy (after La belle visite and Guidelines) that examine different stages of life—in this case, the transition to adulthood.

• 24 Davids by Céline Baril (starting April 21)
  Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/24-davidsOpening film – 20th Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM)

  A refreshingly freewheeling cinematic experience, the film takes us across three continents on a quest driven by a simple yet original idea: to shine a spotlight on the inimitable Davids of this world. The 24 Davids in the film are of varying ages and professions, ranging from cosmologist to recycler; together, they construct a playful “ecosystem” of ideas that touches on every sphere of knowledge.

• True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball by Ryan Sidhoo (starting April 28)
  Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/true-north-the-featureOn the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA Championship and the record-setting number of Canadian draft picks, the Toronto hoop dream is more alive than ever. The director shines the spotlight on 12-year-old Elijah Fisher, 15-year-old Keone Davis and 18-year-old Cordell Veira as they navigate today’s youth basketball machine. Produced in association with Red Bull Media House.

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French media alert is here | La note aux médias en français se trouve ici.