February 8, 2023 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

On February 25, during the 20th edition of Nuit Blanche à Montréal, the NFB will mark the 50th anniversary of the Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ) with a dazzling program that showcases the diversity of homegrown talent. At the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre, audiences can watch a selection of short documentaries and animated films produced at the NFB over the last 50 years, and they can experience virtual reality works at the NFB Space, free of charge. The event will go late into the night! In addition to Nuit Blanche, the NFB will participate in the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE festival with more audiovisual works, including a special March Break program. The festival runs from February 16 to March 5, 2023.

Quick Facts

• Nuit Blanche at the NFB, February 25 
  • At the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre:

• • • Two programs of short documentaries and animation, each running 35 minutes, screening in a loop until late at night.
    • All films were produced in Quebec over the last 50 years, in French and English. They include Tout écartillé by André Leduc (1972), based on the Robert Charlebois song; Mobilize (Mobiliser) by Caroline Monnet (2015); and Magical Caresses – Masturbation: A Short History of a Great Taboo (Caresses magiques – Masturbation: la petite histoire d’un grand tabou) by Lori Malépart-Traversy (2022).Free admission. No reservations required.

• • At the NFB Space

• • • Two virtual reality works, with several headsets available:
      •  Roxham (2018), by Michel Huneault, centres on Roxham Road, taking us to the moments when Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers intercept asylum seekers.

• • • • GYMNASIA (NFB/Felix & Paul Studios, 2019), by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, plunges you into a dream, where the ghostly ephemera of a lost childhood await you. An unsettling and weirdly wonderful virtual reality experienceFree admission. No reservations required.

• During MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE

• • Epic projections
    This year marks the return of Montréal d’hier et d’hiver by multi-disciplinary artist Karine Lanoie-Brien. Created in collaboration with the NFB, it showcases archival winter scenes that depict Montreal’s great love of skating. This work is one of the giant projections being shown simultaneously on the facades of the Wilder Building – Espace Danse and UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy, to enliven the Place des Festival’s Skating Loop.

• • Family films for March Break at the NFB’s theatre, on the afternoons of March 1 and 2
    The NFB and the Festival international du film pour enfants de Montréal (FIFEM) have come together to present a program of films that will delight the whole family! During the break, viewers of all ages can enjoy a carefully curated selection of colourful and fun short films. See you at the NFB’s Alanis Obomsawin Theatre!Admission is free. No reservations required.

Quotes

“The NFB is very pleased to participate in Nuit Blanche for the first time since our move to the Quartier des Spectacles, and to use our new spaces to celebrate an important milestone in Quebec cinema: the 50th anniversary of the ARRQ. We invite members of the public to join us on the night of Nuit Blanche, as we highlight the work of Quebec directors with films and virtual reality experiences from our collection, specially selected for this occasion. We also would like to highlight our fruitful collaboration with MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and FIFEM, which will delight young film lovers. Enjoy the films!” – Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada

“The history of the NFB is closely tied to that of the directors that built its reputation. This open window onto their talent is a unique opportunity for the public to experience the breadth of their creativity, as part of the festive environment of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE.” – Gabriel Pelletier, Chair of the ARRQ

“Since the creation of Nuit Blanche in 2003, the NFB has been one of the festival’s most faithful participating partners. We are pleased that the 50th anniversary of the ARRQ, which will be highlighted in our programming this year, falls during our own 20th anniversary. Through our fertile collaborations with the NFB, Quebec directors make an enormous contribution to the rich programming of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and Nuit blanche. Now that our organizations are neighbours in the entertainment district, we hope to work even more closely together, to present wide-ranging winter programming downtown.” – Jacques Primeau, Chief Executive Officer of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and Nuit Blanche

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French version here | Version française ici.