Tribute to Canada at Annecy International Animated Film Festival

Montreal, May 31, 2005 - This year, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival features a special tribute to Canada. The National Film Board of Canada is pleased to be associated with the 2005 edition of the festival and to contribute to enhancing the visibility of Canada's expertise in animation filmmaking. The NFB has two films in competition in the Short Film category: Remote Paradise by Frédérick Tremblay and Louise by Anita Lebeau. Several retrospectives of NFB animated shorts have also been programmed: Annecy award winners, classic films, new releases, and a presentation of short films produced with the SANDDE(tm) system. In addition, a program of films by Ryan Larkin will screen along with the documentary Alter Egos by Laurence Green. Co Hoedeman, one of the NFB's leading animation filmmakers, will travel to Annecy to present an exhibition and a retrospective of his films, both entitled Co Hoedeman: The Gardens of Childhood.

The films in competition
Louise, which won an award at the most recent edition of the prestigious Hiroshima International Animation Festival, is a refreshing short film inspired by the grandmother of director Anita Lebeau. Louise is a fiercely independent woman of Belgian descent who has reached the sprightly age of 96. Remote Paradise is the first professional animation film by Frédérick Tremblay, winner of the 2003 "Cinéaste recherché(e)" competition held by the NFB's French Animation & Youth Studio. Brimming with sly humour, the film takes us into the zany world of two kids suddenly deprived of television. In competition in the Short Films for Internet category is That Crazy Game Called Life by Annie Frenette (Groupe Kiwistiti): five hilarious and poetic minutes to debunk two thousand years of prejudice about mental illness. The Stephen Lewis Foundation PSA Numbers, by Francis Desharnais, is competing in the Educational, Scientific or Industrial Films category, while Chris Hinton's cNote and Shira Avni's John and Michael will screen out of competition in the Panorama section.

NFB Annecy award winners
This series of NFB films that won awards in previous editions of the Annecy festival includes Flux by Chris Hinton, The Boy who Saw the Iceberg by Paul Driessen, The Big Snit by Richard Condie, Village of Idiots by Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove, When the Day Breaks by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, Two Sisters by Caroline Leaf and The Hat by Michèle Cournoyer.

So young and already classics
This retrospective of classic NFB films demonstrates the diverse talents of the creative geniuses who have haunted the halls of the NFB. Several generations of filmmakers have contributed to the NFB's tradition of excellence in animation filmmaking, from Norman McLaren with his film Begone Dull Care to Martine Chartrand with her magnificent short Black Soul. Other films on the program: Hunger by Peter Foldès, The Bead Game by Ishu Patel, Mindscape by Jacques Drouin, The Cat Came Back by Cordell Barker and Balablok by Bretislav Pojar.

The NFB today
Animation is one of the great treasures of the National Film Board of Canada. Its films have been shown around the world, introducing international audiences to the originality, creativity and innovative spirit of the latest generation of animation artists. This program pays tribute to the talent of Canadian filmmakers, who share their vision of today's world. It includes Accordion by Michèle Cournoyer, Imprints by Jacques Drouin, Welcome to Kentucky by Craig Welch, Stormy Night by Michèle Lemieux, Islet by Nicolas Brault, Home Security by John F. Weldon, Rumors by Francis Desharnais, Walking Catfish Blues by Paul Morstad, The Brainwashers by Patrick Bouchard and, of course, Ryan by Chris Landreth, 2005 Oscar®-winner for best animated short.

The director of Ryan, Chris Landreth, has been invited to attend the festival as a jury member for short and feature-length fiction films. Marcel Jean, who produced several of the Animation & Youth Studio's films screening at Annecy, will sit on the jury for school and graduation films in competition.

Creative Process: Norman McLaren
Animator, director and visual poet Norman McLaren won more than 200 international awards, including the Short Film Palme d'Or for Blinkity Blank at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 and an Oscar® for Neighbours in 1952. Don McWilliams was a close collaborator of McLaren, and his assistant on Narcissus. In his documentary Creative Process: Norman McLaren, screening at the Festival, he presents not a biography of the legendary animator but a passionate examination of the creative process of an artist who was always brimming with ideas.

About Ryan
Another great name in Canadian animation was Ryan Larkin, whose short but dazzling career inspired Chris Landreth's recent film Ryan. Three films made by Larkin will be screened: Syrinx, Walking and Street Musique. Rounding out the program is Laurence Green's documentary Alter Egos, which explores the relationship that developed between the two artists, Ryan Larkin and Chris Landreth, during the making of Ryan.

Co Hoedeman: The Gardens of Childhood
Through the score of films he made since joining the NFB in 1966, Co Hoedeman has built a reputation as a master of puppet animation. Seven of his films have been selected for this retrospective of his work: Oddball, Tchou-Tchou, The Owl and the Raven: An Eskimo Legend, The Sand Castle, The Sniffing Bear, Ludovic: Visiting Grandpa and Marianne's Theatre. An exhibition entitled Co Hoedeman: The Gardens of Childhood, organized by the Cinémathèque québécoise and the NFB, will also be presented at the Musée-Château Annecy.

SANDDE(tm) screenings
Four NFB animated shorts made with SANDDE(tm), an innovative system for creating hand-drawn animation in 3D space, will screen at the Festival. The films are June, Falling in Love Again and Everything (a work in progress) by Munro Ferguson, as well as Moon Man by Paul Morstad.

Since its creation in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada has produced over 10,000 films and won over 4,500 awards, including 11 Oscars®. As Canada's public film producer, the NFB produces and distributes distinctive, culturally diverse, challenging and relevant audiovisual works that provide Canada and the world with a unique Canadian perspective. For more information on the NFB or to order films, go to <www.nfb.ca> or call 1 800 267-7710.

Press conference of the Canadian delegation at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival June 7 at 2:30 pm, Centre Bonlieu - Club partenaires, Annecy.

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