A Tonic DNA and National Film Board of Canada co-production

IN PRODUCTION | COMING SOON
FROM CORDELL BARKER, THE LEGENDARY CREATOR OF THE CAT CAME BACK

Envious of his northern counterpart, the Anta Claus of the South Pole embarks on a penguin-powered journey to uncover the secret of a flawless Christmas. Along the way, he learns that the true spirit of the holiday lies not in perfection but in the lovable community of oddballs he left behind.

• The film’s creator Cordell Barker is a two- time Oscar®-nominated animator best known for creating acclaimed animated shorts such as The Cat Came Back and Strange Invaders.

• Dedicated to the misfits of the holidays, this subversive and hilarious film will appeal to audiences of all ages with a message of embracing imperfections. The film tells an original story featuring brand-new characters, expanding the Christmas universe.

• The main character is voiced by prominent Canadian actor Tyrone Benskin in English, and by comedic talent Anthony Kavanagh in French, who also voices secondary characters.

• The music is composed by celebrated Montreal composer and songwriter Martin Léon, who is known for his evocative work on My Salinger Year, The Good Lie and the Academy Award®–nominated Monsieur Lazhar.

After dreaming for two decades of creating an irreverent Christmas film for the misfits and outsiders—a reaction to the standardized picture-perfect version of the holidays—Cordell Barker’s vision has finally come to life with The Anta Claus of the South Pole. As Barker explains, “the whole film is about that polarization of ideas and people’s perspectives on things.”

Interestingly, a holiday film was the original spark that inspired Barker to become a filmmaker. He recalls: “I always loved watching A Charlie Brown Christmas when I was a kid. I think I was nine, or maybe even younger, when it first came out. I was blown away, partly because it was so naïve. It gave me a glimmer of ‘Well, I think I could do that! I could become an animator and draw like that.’”

Writer and director Cordell Barker collaborated with a team of animators at Montreal’s Tonic DNA studio to bring the 24-minute special to life. Speaking about his approach to direction, he notes: “For me, the most important thing is the timing of the actions. If the characters don’t look exactly as I would have drawn them, that’s okay. But if the timing is off, I feel it instantly. Some of what I’ve seen from the animators has blown me away—really beautiful, subtle motions, pauses and secondary actions.”

Perhaps inspired by his hometown of Winnipeg—often ranked among the coldest major cities in Canada—Barker chose the South Pole as the setting for his story. Among the film’s characters, the one closest to his heart is Elmondo, the reclusive yet lovable elephant seal, whom Barker voices himself.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the decision to pursue the film was rekindled at a Christmas party. There, an NFB producer—who would later become a co-producer on the project—approached Barker about making a holiday film. Her name? Christine Noël (the French word for Christmas). Barker recalls: “It was pure serendipity—we almost didn’t cross paths because I nearly didn’t go to the party. I was that close to bailing!”

The rest, as they say, is history.

To explore Cordell Barker’s impressive filmography and watch his acclaimed films, visit:
A Cat, a Strange Visitor, a Cow, a Frog and a Little Girl: The World of Cordell Barker