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Outside the Box

Experimental films, humorous films and films that make you go "Wha...?"

  • Turbine
    Turbine
    Alex Boya 2018 8 min
    A war pilot crash-lands through his apartment window. When his wife returns from work, she discovers that her husband’s face has been replaced by an airplane turbine. He’s also fallen in love with their kitchen ceiling fan. To save their faltering marriage, his wife decides she will no longer let her humanity get in the way of love.
  • Sext Apes
    Sext Apes
    Laurence Vallières 2017 36 s
    YOUR PHONE IS HAVING MORE SEX THAN YOU. A bleak picture of sex in the digital age.
  • The Law of Expansion
    The Law of Expansion
    Malcolm Sutherland 2017 20 s
    THEY FIGHT YOU AND THEN YOU WIN. THEY FIGHT YOU AND THEN YOU WIN. An anti-violence statement in reaction to the police brutality that fuelled Quebec’s Red Square student movement.
  • Sweet Childhood
    Sweet Childhood
    Zviane 2017 3 min
    In this animated short, cartoonist Zviane comes across an old audiocassette while packing up before a move. Just the sight of the tape plunges her back into her childhood fantasies and her perceptions of the world. But the reality of what's on the tape results in a hilarious episode that questions just how "sweet" childhood really is.

    This film is part of the Comic Strip Chronicles, a collection of shorts celebrating the strong affinity between comic strips and animated film. Inspired by moments of everyday life, these films showcase the playful imaginations of renowned artists Guy Delisle, Zviane, Aude Picault, Lewis Trondheim, and Jean Matthieu Tanguy. Produced by the NFB, Canal+, and Sacrebleu.
  • Albertosaurus
    Albertosaurus
    Munro Ferguson 2017 36 s
    DARE TO PANIC. A poke at climate-change deniers.
  • Blind Vaysha
    Blind Vaysha
    Theodore Ushev 2016 8 min
    This short film tells the story of Vaysha, a young girl born with one green eye and one brown eye. But colour isn’t the only thing that’s different about Vaysha’s gaze. While her left eye sees only the past; her right sees only the future. Like a terrible curse, Vaysha’s split vision prevents her from inhabiting the present. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities. “Blind Vaysha,” they called her.

    In this metaphoric tale of timeless wisdom and beauty based on the eponymous short story by Georgi Gospodinov, filmmaker Theodore Ushev reminds us of the importance of keeping our sights on the present moment.
  • Dialogue(s)
    Dialogue(s)
    Philippe David Gagné 2016 6 min
    Air force pilots, a heavy metal band and two fans of modified cars are the unlikely focus of a deadpan film essay on language. Through a clever, unpredictable edit, Philippe David Gagné takes great delight in revealing the strange ways that men communicate.
  • Hell Runs on Gasoline!
    Hell Runs on Gasoline!
    Martin Bureau 2015 7 min
    This short documentary transports us to the Saint-Félicien racetrack, where engines are running hot and excitement has reached a fever pitch. With its thunderous soundtrack, jarring backfires and choking clouds of smoke, Martin Bureau's Hell Runs on Gasoline! takes us deep inside a chaotic battle to the finish. Race cars hit the track, accidents pile up and the flames of burning engines wreak havoc - an infernal vision that soon dissipates into an eerily silent cemetery of abandoned carcasses.

  • Lipsett Diaries
    Lipsett Diaries
    Theodore Ushev 2010 14 min
    This animated short by Theodore Ushev depicts the maelstrom of anguish that tormented Arthur Lipsett, a famed Canadian experimental filmmaker who died at the age of 49. His descent into depression and madness is explored through a series of images as well as sounds taken from Lipsett's own work.
  • Git Gob
    Git Gob
    Philip Eddolls 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.
  • Orange
    Orange
    Sylvie Trouvé 2009 1 min
    This animated short poses some interesting questions: what if buildings pulsed, trees tapped out beats, or shadows could whistle a tune? Through the creative interpretation and animation of the city's natural rhythms, Orange orchestrates a contagious urban dance.

    Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.
  • Madame Tutli-Putli
    Madame Tutli-Putli
    Chris Lavis  &  Maciek Szczerbowski 2007 17 min
    This stop-motion animated film takes viewers on an exhilarating existential journey into the fully imagined, tactile world of Madame Tutli-Putli. As she travels alone on the night train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past, she faces both the kindness and menace of strangers. Finding herself caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure, adrift between real and imagined worlds, Madame Tutli-Putli confronts her demons.
  • Meta Pre Ptolemy
    Meta Pre Ptolemy
    Rachel Peters 2006 2 min
    In this whimsical animated short, filmmaker Rachel Peters asks: "what if the laws of physics suddenly ceased to apply?" Peters explores this question through the tale of a man and his two goldfish as they prepare for the end of the world. Technique: drawn animation, digitally coloured and composited.

    Produced as part of the third edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.
  • Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny
    Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny
    Mark Sandiford 2006 52 min
    This documentary pokes fun at the ways in which Inuit people have been treated as “exotic” documentary subjects by turning the lens onto the strange behaviours of Qallunaat (the Inuit word for white people). The term refers less to skin colour than to a certain state of mind: Qallunaat greet each other with inane salutations, repress natural bodily functions, complain about being cold, and want to dominate the world. Their odd dating habits, unsuccessful attempts at Arctic exploration, overbearing bureaucrats and police, and obsession with owning property are curious indeed.

    A collaboration between filmmaker Mark Sandiford and Inuit writer and satirist Zebedee Nungak, Qallunaat! brings the documentary form to an unexpected place in which oppression, history, and comedy collide.
  • Ryan
    Ryan
    Chris Landreth 2004 13 min
    This animated short from Chris Landreth is based on the life of Ryan Larkin, a Canadian animator who produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. Ryan is living every artist's worst nightmare - succumbing to addiction, panhandling on the streets to make ends meet. Through computer-generated characters, Landreth interviews his friend to shed light on his downward spiral. Some strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.
  • Vertical
    Vertical
    Theodore Ushev 2003 4 min
    To the sound of a ramshackle brass band, a world slides towards ruin, carrying with it houses, birds, idols, balloons and whatever is left of reason. Theodore Ushev's Vertical combines expressionistic graphics with a scathing black humour and sense of the absurd.
  • The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane
    The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane
    Kenton Vaughan 2000 1 h 16 min
    This feature documentary is a profile of one of the most fascinating and innovative men in popular entertainment today: Todd McFarlane. MacFarlane is a legend to legions of fans. His fictional superhero Spawn has made him the most successful comic book artist in history. He is driven, controversial, relentless in the pursuit of his dreams - yet lives a happy suburban life married to his childhood sweetheart, a level-headed beauty who helps him manage a multi-million dollar entertainment empire. The Devil You Know charts this enigmatic man and explores some of his most intimate thoughts.
  • How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of Angels
    How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of Angels
    Craig Welch 1996 11 min
    The main protagonist of this short, surreal film is a man obsessed with control. In an automated world drained of all emotion, he is tortured by vague longings. Will he be able to transcend his obsessions and fears?
  • Project Grizzly
    Project Grizzly
    Peter Lynch 1996 1 h 12 min
    In this feature-length documentary, Troy James Hurtubise goes face to face with Canada's most deadly land mammal, the grizzly bear. Troy is the creator of what he hopes is a grizzly-proof suit, and he repeatedly tests his armour – and courage – in stunts that are both hair-raising and hilarious. Directed by Peter Lynch, the film has become a cult classic in the United States and is rumoured to be a favourite of director Quentin Tarantino.
  • "E"
    "E"
    Bretislav Pojar  &  Francine Desbiens 1981 6 min
    Under the guise of a pretty fairy tale, this animated short makes a strong political statement. Animated paper cut-outs enact a drama in which a dictator imposes his delusions on his unfortunate subjects. The humour is black and, despite the absence of dialogue, the message is crystal clear.
  • The Sweater
    The Sweater
    Sheldon Cohen 1980 10 min
    In this animated short, Roch Carrier recounts the most mortifying moment of his childhood. At a time when all his friends worshipped Maurice "Rocket" Richard and wore his number 9 Canadiens hockey jersey, the boy was mistakenly sent a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey from Eaton's. Unable to convince his mother to send it back, he must face his friends wearing the colours of the opposing team. This short film, based on the book The Hockey Sweater, is an NFB classic that appeals to hockey lovers of all ages.
  • This Is Your Museum Speaking
    This Is Your Museum Speaking
    Lynn Smith 1979 12 min
    This animated short features a night watchman who, with his dog Fang, discovers that museums are not just a collection of dusty old artefacts. With humour, the film shows how the past is very much alive and connected to our present.
  • Hunger
    Hunger
    Peter Foldès 1974 11 min
    In this animated short, director Peter Foldès depicts one man’s descent into greed and gluttony. Rapidly dissolving and ever-evolving images create a contrast between abundance and want. One of the first films to use computer animation, this satire serves as a cautionary tale against self-indulgence in a world still plagued by hunger and poverty.
  • This Is a Recorded Message
    This Is a Recorded Message
    Jean-Thomas Bédard 1973 10 min
    This experimental animated short takes a critical look at consumerism in a material world. Thousands of cut-out ads are presented in increasingly fragmented, rapid succession. The film's disorienting and hectic pace seeks to interrogate the extent to which seductive advertising is a shockingly strong force in shaping our desires, needs, and lives in contemporary capitalism.
  • Doodle Film
    Doodle Film
    Donald Winkler 1970 10 min
    This short mockumentary explores the life of chronic doodler David Watts. Taking himself very seriously, the film’s narrator traces the history of Watts’ problem back to a second grade notebook cover and follows it through to its natural end – a man who covers every available surface with doodling… including his wife.
  • King Size
    King Size
    Kaj Pindal 1968 6 min
    This short animation about the perils of tobacco smoking takes us to the kingdom of King Size, a land where "no smoking" is illegal. Here, intoxication dangers and health risks linked to cigarettes are blissfully ignored, and non-smokers are unwelcome. A humorous invitation for young people not to start smoking, or if they have, to relinquish the hazardous habit.
  • Poen
    Poen
    Josef Reeve 1967 4 min
    This short film features 4 readings of a prose poem from Leonard Cohen’s novel Beautiful Losers. Read by Cohen himself, the poem produces a distinct emotional effect every time it is read, following the poet’s rendition and accompanying visuals.
  • Dynamite
    Dynamite
    Kaj Pindal 1967 1 min
    A clip to discourage smoking.
  • Volcano
    Volcano
    Kaj Pindal 1967 20 s
    A clip to discourage smoking.
  • Fringe Benefits
    Fringe Benefits
    Kaj Pindal 1967 20 s
    A clip to discourage smoking.
  • Funeral
    Funeral
    Kaj Pindal 1966 20 s
    A clip to discourage smoking.
  • Toys
    Toys
    Grant Munro 1966 7 min
    This stop-motion animation takes a dark look into the war toys often given to children at Christmas time. Starting off as harmless objects, the toys quickly take on the gestures of real soldiers, mimicking the actions and penalties of a real war. This critical commentary on war and glamorized violence creates a real and frightening battle.
  • Instant French
    Instant French
    David Bairstow 1965 21 min
    This short film features the adventures of a group of businessmen who are forced into taking French lessons to stay competitive in their field. At first put out by this news, one by one they begin to realize that gaining fluency in another language has its benefits. Produced in 1965, the film, intended as a good-natured spoof, is definitely a product of its time.
  • 21-87
    21-87
    Arthur Lipsett 1963 9 min
    This short film from Arthur Lipsett is an abstract succession of unrelated views of the passing crowd. A commentary on a machine-dominated society, it is often cited as an influence on George Lucas's Star Wars and his conceptualization of "The Force."
  • Very Nice, Very Nice
    Very Nice, Very Nice
    Arthur Lipsett 1961 6 min
    Arthur Lipsett's first film is an avant-garde blend of photography and sound. It looks behind the business-as-usual face we put on life and shows anxieties we want to forget. It is made of dozens of pictures that seem familiar, with fragments of speech heard in passing and, between times, a voice saying, "Very nice, very nice." It was critically acclaimed and plays frequently in festivals and film schools around the world.