December 21, 2021 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just announced that three NFB co-productions — Affairs of the Art by Joanna Quinn and Les Mills (Beryl Productions International Ltd./NFB), Mauvaises herbes (Bad Seeds) by Claude Cloutier (L’Unité centrale/NFB) and Comme un fleuve (Flowing Home) by Sandra Desmazières (Les Films de l’Arlequin/NFB) — are among the 15 films shortlisted for this year’s Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Link to the Academy press release: osca.rs/OscarsShortlists

NFB productions and co-productions have garnered 75 Oscar nominations and won the big prize on 12 occasions: mediaspace.nfb.ca/oscars

 

Affairs of the Art
Directed by Joanna Quinn and Les Mills
A co-production between Beryl Productions International Ltd (Les Mills) and the National Film Board of Canada (Michael Fukushima).
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/affairs-of-the-art

Stream the film for free in Canada and the US via The New Yorker: bit.ly/30AiLn6

Highlights:

• Affairs of the Art was supported by a stellar creative crew, including Olivier Calvert, sound designer on Sylvain Bellemare’s team for the Denis Villeneuve film Arrival, which won the 2017 Oscar for Sound Editing, and foley artist Nicolas Gagnon.
• The French-language version of Affairs of the Art was dubbed and recorded entirely in Canada in virtual co-operation with Beryl Productions.
• Quebec-based actors Chantal Baril (Beryl), Benoît Brière (Ifor), Marika Lhoumeau (Beverly) and Nicolas Bacon (Colin) are the French voices of the film.
• Since its debut at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in January 2021, where it won the Best Animation award, Affairs of the Art has been screened at more than 65 festivals and picked up 23 awards, including:
  • the Special Jury Distinction for Direction, Short Film, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival;
  • the Jury Award in the Comedy category at Aspen Shortsfest;
  • the Audience Award at the New York City Short Film Festival;
  • and the Gold Hugo for Best Animated Short Film at the Chicago International Film Festival.

 

Mauvaises herbes (Bad Seeds)
Directed by Claude Cloutier
Co-produced by L’Unité centrale (Galilé Marion-Gauvin) and the National Film Board of Canada (Julie Roy).
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/bad-seeds

Now through February 7, stream the film for free in Canada and the US via: youtu.be/fbXDb5dWwR4

Highlights:

• An official selection at 27 film festivals, Bad Seeds has already won six awards, including Best Animated Short at the 2021 New York City Short Film Festival.
• Bad Seeds was supported by a stellar creative crew, including Olivier Calvert, sound designer on Sylvain Bellemare’s team for the Denis Villeneuve film Arrival, which won the 2017 Oscar for Sound Editing, and foley artist Nicolas Gagnon.

 

Comme un fleuve (Flowing Home)
Directed by Sandra Desmazières
A co-production between Les Films de l’Arlequin (Dora Benousilio) and the National Film Board of Canada (Julie Roy).
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/flowing-home-nhu-mot-dong-song

Now through February 7, stream the film for free in Canada and the US via: youtu.be/M7rfQun0tVE

Highlights:

• Comme un fleuve (Flowing Home) was supported by a stellar Canadian animation crew, including multi-award-winning Janet Perlman, Eva Cvijanović and Keyu Chen.

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Associated Links

Oscars Shortlist
Beryl Productions International
Unité centrale
Les Films de l’Arlequin

French version here | Version française ici.