February 13, 2017 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is back at the Festival international du film pour enfants de Montréal (FIFEM) with two animated shorts in competition: Patrick Péris’s Nadine, in its world premiere, and Diane Obomsawin’s J’aime les filles (I Like Girls), which returns to Montreal after winning two major awards since its world premiere at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and being nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. J’aime les filles will also be shown in a program of short films for kids aged 10 and up, followed by a discussion with the director. Both films offer humourous and whimsical explorations of first love. The 20th FIFEM will take place from March 4 to 12, 2017, during spring break. [Note that all films will screen in French.]
Also during spring break, from February 27 to March 31, the NFB will be offering an online selection of 40 shorts for kids at nfb.ca/springbreak. The soon-to-be-announced program will include films that are fun, entertaining and even educational!
NFB films at FIFEM
Nadine by Patrick Péris – world premiere – in competition
Sam is studying quietly in the library when he’s suddenly distracted by the most beautiful girl in the world. When she takes a seat right in front of him, he is immediately bewitched. Who is she? And how should he go about approaching her? This shy adolescent with an overactive imagination has no choice but to find the courage within himself to talk to her before it’s too late. Produced for the NFB by Marc Bertrand, with Julie Roy as executive producer.
About the director
Quebec filmmaker Patrick Péris is a versatile multidisciplinary artist as well as an accomplished and prolific director. He developed his signature look and mastered different animation techniques while working on various projects: music videos (notably for singers Alexandre Désilets and Urbain Desbois and the bands Mes Aïeux, Tricot machine and Pamplemousse), commercials, short films (including Grenailles (2014) and Our Seasons (2013), both presented at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois), educational and corporate videos, and interactive artworks. A self-taught, do-it-yourself director known for his ambitious projects, Patrick is also a cameraman and an editor. His self-produced series of artist portraits have been seen around the world, with almost a hundred million views on the major visual arts platforms. The Kino’00 independent film movement recently acknowledged his contribution to emerging artists by creating an award in his name.
J’aime les filles (I Like Girls) by Diane Obomsawin – in competition
Four women reveal the nitty-gritty about their first loves, sharing funny and intimate tales of one-sided infatuation, mutual attraction, erotic moments and fumbling attempts at sexual expression. Produced for the NFB by Marc Bertrand, with Julie Roy as executive producer, the film has received a number of awards, including the Grand Prize for best independent short animation at the 2016 Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Guy-L.-Coté Award for best Canadian animation at the Sommets du cinéma d’animation in Montreal.
In addition to screening in official competition, J’aime les filles will also be shown in a program of short films for kids aged 10 and up, followed by a discussion for the whole family with the director and officials from the Régie du cinéma, on Thursday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m. at Cinéma Beaubien. [Note that all screenings are in French.]
About the director
Diane Obomsawin, better known as “Obom,” is a Quebec cartoonist and animator of Abenaki descent. Her work was first published in the late 1990s by L’Oie de Cravan, a small Montreal publisher specializing in works of poetry. In 1992, she directed her first acclaimed film, launching a long and prolific career. A master of storytelling and framing, Obom has made a name for herself worldwide with her uniquely naïve, minimalist style and her distinctive creations: human characters with animal heads. Ever striving for simplicity, this multidisciplinary artist depicts humanity in a profoundly perceptive and earnest way that’s both captivating and bewitching. J’aime les filles (I Like Girls), the highly anticipated animated adaptation of her latest graphic novel, marks the eighth collaboration between this talented filmmaker and the NFB.
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Associated Links
Festival international du film pour enfants de Montréal
NFB springbreak