1. Media Space

  2. Press Releases

NEW THIS FALL ON NFB.CA: MORE THAN 60 NEW FILMS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND FREE OF CHARGE, STARTING TODAY

PRESS RELEASE
29/08/2016

0565_WEB_new_this_fall_blog_960x435

August 29, 2016 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

New this fall on NFB.ca: more than 60 new films can be viewed free of charge as of noon today (EDT), including several recent documentaries that have won awards in Canada and abroad, by renowned filmmakers such as Alanis Obomsawin, Paul Cowan, William D. MacGillivray and Justin Simms. The films deal with a range of subjects that are relevant to the lives and concerns of Canadians: refugees and war zones, homophobia and human rights, environmental issues, the living conditions of Indigenous peoples, the challenges of adolescence, the evolution of urban and rural communities, and much more. The entire selection is grouped together at nfb.ca/new and is almost fully accessible from anywhere in the world. More new free films will be added weekly in the fall.

A different selection of new free films, comprising 50 recent titles, is available in French at ONF.ca (38 titles are available in both French and English on ONF.ca and NFB.ca).

Featured highlights: a few suggestions from NFB collection curator Albert Ohayon

  • Danny, by Justin Simms and William D. MacGillivray (NFB, 2014, 84 min)

A fascinating portrait of Danny Williams, Newfoundland’s premier from 2003 to 2010, and his fight to transform the province from a have-not into a have. The film also covers the battle between the premier and Stephen Harper, which thrust Williams into the spotlight and earned him a good deal of praise.

Is the rising rate of cancers and respiratory illness in Prince Edward Island linked to its agricultural industry? This short film looks at alternate ways of growing food.

Did multinational giant Coca-Cola hire hitmen to assassinate Colombian workers who tried to set up a union? This investigative documentary attempts to shed light on a sordid affair. Received a Special Mention for the Documentary award at the International Environmental Film Festival (FIFE) in Paris.

Award-winning filmmaker Paul Cowan (Paris 1919; The Kid Who Couldn’t Miss) had unprecedented access to the United Nations in making this film about U.N. Peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where all hell had broken loose.

Legendary Indigenous filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin explores the experiences of a Cree community in Northern Ontario, where living conditions resemble those of a country in the developing world. Delving deeper than the shock news reports, Obomsawin introduces us to the people and their lives.

  • Last Chance, by Paul Émile d’Entremont (NFB, 2012, 85 min)

An absorbing documentary about five people from countries around the world who seek asylum in Canada to escape homophobic violence. Winner of two awards in 2012: in Moncton (FICFA – International Francophone Film Festival in Acadie) and in Halifax (Atlantic Film Festival).

This powerful film sheds light on the struggle for women’s rights in Canada, showing that we have come a long way—and that there’s still a long way to go. Winner of the Whistler Film Festival’s World Documentary award.

–30–

Associated Links

Trailer
New this fall on NFB.ca
Argus Films
ARTE France
13 Productions

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.