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The NFB at FICFA 2025. Two films in competition: François Pierre Breau’s Fernand’s Christmas, screening in the fest’s opening program, and Martine Frossard’s Hypersensitive.

PRESS RELEASE
28/10/2025

October 28, 2025 – Moncton – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA), taking place November 18 to 23, 2025, in Greater Moncton, with two short films screening in competition.

  • The documentary Fernand le père Noël (Fernand’s Christmas), by Acadian filmmaker François Pierre Breau, will make its world premiere in the festival’s opening program, with the director in attendance.
  • The animated short Hypersensible (Hypersensitive) by Martine Frossard, the only Canadian short in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, will also be screening at FICFA.

Opening Night and Best Acadian Short Competition

Fernand le père Noël (Fernand’s Christmas) by François Pierre Breau (10 min) – WORLD PREMIERE
Produced at the NFB (Moncton) by Christine Aubé
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/fernands-christmas

Screening: Tuesday, November 18, at 7 p.m. at Théâtre l’Escaouette in Moncton

  • Fernand’s Christmas is the story of an extraordinary man. Despite his fragile health, every year he dons the familiar red costume to delight the children in his area, the Acadian Peninsula. For them, he’s the real Santa Claus, and watching this film, you’ll believe, too. Supported by his family’s love and driven by his devotion to children and his community, Fernand shows us what the true spirit of Christmas is all about: having a generous heart and a passion for giving.
  • The film will be launched online in December on NFB platforms.
  • François Pierre Breau is an Acadian filmmaker and the owner of Productions Les Frères Breau. He collaborates primarily with his brother Domenic Bro, with whom he’s worked on many projects for television and the web, including the video seriesArtistes acadiens à Montréal, the documentary Un DocHumour acadien and the variety series Tuné in. Fernand’s Christmas pays tribute to his father, a figure of inspiring generosity.

International Short Film Competition

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

Screening: Saturday, November 22, at 7 p.m. in the Bernard-LeBlanc Hall at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre in Moncton

  • Hypersensitive 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. The film is a heartfelt plea for us all to take greater heed of our emotions, even the most painful ones.
  • Hypersensitive has been selected to screen at over 15 major festivals across Canada, the United States and Europe, including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film was edited by filmmaker and editor Oana Suteu Khintirian (Beyond Paper), and author and actor Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard consulted on the screenplay.
  • 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 independent 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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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.