Capturing Captain Canada (a.k.a. Peter A. Herrndorf)

This short film pays tribute to Toronto philanthropist Earlaine Collins, recipient of the 2012 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. Generous and thoughtful, Collins speaks of her bond with performers, the importance of giving, and how much has music meant to her and her late husband from their very first days together.

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

Mohammed and Yulanda Faris are generous and devoted patrons of the arts. Through dramatic re-creation, this short documentary captures the spirit of Montreal in the 1950s, the early days of their relationship, and their passion for music and dance. If we all danced more, says Yulanda Faris, we would be happier people.

Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2010 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

In this short documentary about The Tragically Hip, director David Battistella uses a split-screen and acid-etched colours to distil the iconic Canadian band’s essence. After decades together, through hotels, highways, gigs and recording sessions, The Hip’s members have forged a powerful brotherhood. "These guys are my life partners, musically" says bass guitarist Gord Sinclair. The Hip's brand of straight-ahead rock and roll has catapulted the band to international stardom, and ensured them a place in Canadian musical history, but at heart, they remain a bunch of guys from Kingston, Ontario, making music together just for fun.

This film was produced for the 2008 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.

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.

“Ideas and inventions are a strange thing.” William H. Loewen’s dynamic support of the arts has translated into a blossoming of imaginative work in Manitoba and across the country. Bolstered by an all-Manitoba creative team, director Mike Maryniuk sets documentary against experimental animation and a unique musical score to explore what it means to nurture creativity and see it grow.

Eric Charman is the life of the party, and not only because he's usually the person organizing it. As a lifelong patron of the arts, Charman has raised money for the Victoria Symphony, the Pacific Opera Victoria, and, most significantly The Victoria Conservatory of Music. The life of a bon vivant is not nearly as effortless as it seems. Over the past 40 years, Charman has presided over 400 charity auctions. In this short film created for the 2008 Governor General Awards, director Carl Bessai captures the effervescent Eric Charman doing what he does best - throwing a party.

Throughout his imposing career in the energy and financial sectors, Michael Koerner has dedicated himself to philanthropic work of similarly epic proportions. In his personal life, long-standing passions still burn as bright and steady as the North Star. Driven by generosity and an unadulterated curiosity, he seems heroically intent on evading the limelight.

Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2015 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

This revealing portrait of NFB filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin was shown at a gala ceremony in 2008, where Obomsawin received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Her work has captured some of the most startling events in Canadian history, including the armed standoff between the Canadian Army and Mohawk warriors in 1993. Her films cross a spectrum of social issues, but they are always human. Obomsawin explains in the interview, "For me, a real documentary is when you're really listening to somebody; they are the ones that will tell you what the story is, not you."

For more than half a century, John D McKellar has been an active volunteer, generous donor, and pro bono legal advisor for dozens of performing artists and arts organizations. Now in his eighties, he has facilitated and witnessed first-hand the enrichment of society by the arts. This short documentary profiles Mr. McKellar as he takes on a more involved creative role, as the producer of a large-scale, original musical theatre production. We come to know a man who is not only tirelessly in service to the arts, but who can also do a nimble soft-shoe!

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2016 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

This short film profiles Jean Giguère, a lifelong volunteer and champion for the arts. Giguère has witnessed the transformative power of the arts in our society—an experience that’s enriched her life immeasurably. Jean Giguère: The Measure of a Place offers a creative representation of Giguère’s arts community and celebrates her particular brand of volunteerism—one marked by humour, compassion and a dedication to changing the world. 

This film was produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2014 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

This documentary describes the final 3 months leading up to the opening of Moulin à images, an impressionistic performance-event celebrating Quebec City's 400th anniversary. Director Robert Lepage works with a member of the Ex Machina team, leading a group of talented and creative young people who were invited to build this monumental panorama.

This film by Mariano Franco and Marie Belzil demonstrates the scope of the Lepage project, highlighting the contribution of every artist. The Image Mill Revealed is an adventure in art for the viewing audience.