O scar Spotlight by C hristine A mendola Short and sweet C anada holds out hope at the O scars fo r tw o N ational F ilm B oard entries Scenes from W hen the Day Breaks (left) and M y Grandm other Ironed the King's Shirts T he National Film Board has been part Founded by John Grierson in 1939, the NFB in France is considered a prestigious honour, of Canada's heritage for more than 50 has played a pivotal role in exploring thethe Oscars remain a high-profile event, says years. Yet with 9.000 documentaries Canadian identity and exporting it to the rest Barbara Janes, the NFB's director-general of and animated shorts to its name, the of the world. In the process, the organization English programming. “It has a lot to do with NFB often leaves Canadians scratching their has picked up more than 3.000 awards at fes­ visibility.” says Janes, because the Hollywood heads at Oscar time. tivals around the globe. gala is telecast to an enormous audience. Historically, its obscure productions have To date, the NFB has received 65 Academy Even though getting an Oscar (or even a been overshadowed by the nominations ofAward nominations for both animation and nomination) can spark added interest, the pub­ more glamorous compatriots. However, nowdocumentaries. And while receiving an award lic often doesn't get to see the productions that big-name Canadians Jim Carrey(Man on from the Annecy International Film Festival because theatrical distribution is limited. How­ the Moon), Norman Jewison(The H urricane), ever. the NFB recently partnered with Atom Egoyan F( e lic ia ’s Journey) and Historically, NFB productions the Famous Players theatre chain to Christopher Plummer (The Insider) are out of have been overshadowed by pair certain animation shorts with the race, it's up to a grandmother and a pig to suitable features across Canada. This secure the gold statuette on Sunday night. the nominations of more allows some animated films a greater This year's contenders, in the animated glamorous compatriots audience, especially if the main shorts category, areMy Grandmother Ironed attraction is successful. “Feature the K in g ’s Shirts and When the Day Breaks. Oscars won by the NFB films tend to be very entertainment-oriented as CBC’s Canadian Reflections will air the two opposed to artistic,” says Janes, so it's the films prior to the Academy Awards ceremony. 1 9 4 1 : Churchill's Island, documentary by more traditional animation that winds up on My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts is Stuart Legg. the big screen. an NFB/Norwegian co-production directed by 1 9 5 2 : Neighbours, animated short by Canadian TV broadcasters, particularly Torill Kove, whose reminiscences about her Norman McLaren. Teletoon, also cany' a lot of NFB animation grandmother in Oslo during the Second World 1 9 7 8 : I'll Find a Way, documentary short by (although viewers often don’t make the con­ War take on epic proportions. Bom in Nor­ Beverly Shaffer. nection). Packaged compilations also are 1 9 7 8 : The Sand Castle / Le Chåteau de way, Kove studied animation at Montreal’s extremely popular on international television. sable, animated short by Co Hoedeman. Concordia University and has worked on a For consumers who want to add to their video 1 9 7 9 : Special Delivery, animated short by number of NFB films. John Weldon and Eunice Macaulay. libraries. NFB compilations can be purchased via a toll-free number (l-800-267-7710) or When the Day Breaks, directed by Wendy 1 9 8 0 : Every Child / Chaque enfant, Tilbv and Amanda Forbis, captures a moment animated short by Eugene Fedorenko. the NFB’s website (www.nfb.ca/homevideo). in time for Ruby the pig, who makes some 1 9 8 3 : If Y o u Love This Planet, documentary “It’s not like the market forTitanic," admits startling observations about life after witness­ short by Terre Nash. Janes. Still, the videos do remarkably well. ing an accident that results in the death of a 1 9 8 4 : Flamenco at 5:15, documentary short "Animation, especially, tends to be ever­ stranger. This short has already won a number by Cynthia Scott. green because it doesn't age," she says. The 1 9 8 9 : Honourary Oscar in recognition of of other awards, including a Genie Award in NFB is still distributing Norman McLaren’s the NFB's 50th anniversary. Canada and a Palme d’Or at Cannes. Tilby Oscar-winning short.Neighbours, almost 40 1 9 9 5 : Bob's Birthday, animated short by and Forbis both hail from Alberta and are Alison Snowden and David Fine. years later. graduates of Vancouver’s Emily Carr Institute 1 9 9 8 : Technical achievement award to Ed As for this year's Oscar nominees. Janes of Art and Design. Tilby was nominated for an Zwaneveld and Frederck Gasol for their remains hopeful. "We always want to win," Oscar in 1991 for the animated shortStrings. contributions to film editing technology. she says. “But you can't always win.” PHOTOS: NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA TV TIMES The Prince George Citizen - 41.