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Comedy films

Comedy films

Included amongst our collection of documentaries and auteur animations lies a small treasure trove of intensely funny films. These rare (and often hidden) gems shine when brought out into the light.

Our comedy collection include works from the twisted minds of filmmakers like Richard Condie and Cordell Barker to the sheer slapstick genius of Buster Keaton; from emerging filmmakers like Philip Eddolls to seasoned pros and past recipients of the Governor General Performing Arts Awards like Eugene Levy.

So sit back, swallow any liquids and hit the "play" button. Enjoy the laughs.

  • Congratulations, Mr. Levy
    2008|5 min

    A legend in his own mind, as well as a few other places, actor Eugene Levy's (American Pie, Best in Show) eyebrows alone deserve a place in the hallowed halls of national treasures. Join director Robin Neinstein as he engages Levy in an infotainment interview that goes horribly wrong. This film was produced for the 2008 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.

  • Git Gob
    2009|1 min

    In this animated short from the Hothouse 5 series, two creatures wonder, What is a hole? They have different points of view. Their debate leads to an idea, an idea that changes the world. This is a story of practical magic.

    Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.

  • The Big Snit
    1985|9 min

    This wonderful wacky animation film looks at two simultaneous conflicts, a macrocosm of global nuclear war and a microcosm of a domestic quarrel, and how each conflict is resolved. Filled with warmth and unexpectedly off-the-wall humour, the film leaves it to viewers to decide which Snit has really been the Big One.

    Love this film? Bring it home with you with its’official merchandise!

  • The Railrodder
    1965|24 min

    This short film from director Gerald Potterton (Heavy Metal) stars Buster Keaton in one of the last films of his long career. As "the railrodder", Keaton crosses Canada from east to west on a railway track speeder. True to Keaton's genre, the film is full of sight gags as our protagonist putt-putts his way to British Columbia. Not a word is spoken throughout, and Keaton is as spry and ingenious at fetching laughs as he was in the old days of the silent slapsticks.

    For more background information about this film, visit the NFB.ca blog.

  • Land of the Heads

    This animated short tells the tale of a vampire forced go out every night to separate children from their heads. The reason? His vain wife wants to replace her wrinkled head with one that is young and pretty. What a horror! Especially since the lady of the house is never satisfied and the heads keep piling up on the floor. How will our reluctant vampire ever get out of this vicious cycle?

  • Strange Invaders
    2001|8 min

    Cordell Barker strikes again with this hilarious animated short about a new addition to the family.

    This film is a must-see film for parents of young children and a cautionary tale for those planning a family. Part science-fiction, part autobiography, Strange Invaders is another irrepressible comedy from the director of the much-loved classic The Cat Came Back.

  • La Salla
    1996|8 min

    In this animated short, the classic tale of temptation is revealed in the form of a comic opera. In a room full of wind-up toys, our hero sets a chain of events into motion that ends up disturbing both his own, and the viewer's, sense of reality. La Salla has won many awards and earned an Oscar®-nomination.