National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a federal public agency of the Canadian government dedicated to producing and distributing films, TV, and digital content to educate and promote Canada while providing resources for such projects to deserving applicants. The Board began in 1939 to give Canada some presence in the film world considering how American films dominated Canadian culture.
With the advent of cable TV and later streaming services to show Canadian media to Canadians, the NFB's mandate shifted in the early 2000s from promoting Canada to promoting and nurturing up-and-coming Canadian talent.
While the board is well known for its documentary films and some dramatic features, the Board is most famous internationally for its animation, which has garnered several awards, including Oscars. Its documentaries have received a bit of a boost in recognition after being cited as a key influence on Scottish electronic band Boards of Canada, who even named themselves after the Board.
For a sampling of the Film Board's animation genius, see Animation Favorites from the National Film Board of Canada, hosted by Leonard Maltin, and The National Film Board of Canada's Animation Festival.
- The Big Snit: One of The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
- The Cat Came Back: One of The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
- Cries from the Deep and St. Lawrence: Stairway to the Sea: Two documentaries made with oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.
- Games of the XXI Olympiad: The official film of the Montreal Olympic Games.
- The Merry World of Léopold Z: Director Gilles Carle's first feature film.
- Mon oncle Antoine: Considered one of the greatest Canadian films ever made. (Original French and translated English)
- Neighbours: Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 1953.
- Universe (1960): Its special effects influenced 2001: A Space Odyssey, and its narrator went on to play HAL-9000 in the same film.
- Deranged Animation: The Board is famous for the experimental work of Norman McLaren and other animators who tried out various techniques like Drawn on Film, Pinscreen Animation and Stop Motion.
- Streisand Effect: In 1982, the US Department of Justice suppressed the NFB anti-nuclear film, If You Love This Planet, as "foreign political propaganda." The move backfired, causing a storm of protest that helped the film win the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.