The NFB's 25th Oscar®-nominated film.
A humorous animation film about a fellow who builds his house in the best suburb he can afford. He has a picture bride, a picture window and a garden as pretty as a picture, but he wanted something special and, like Jack and the Beanstalk, he finally got it! What he got is a moral for all.
The NFB's 55th Oscar®-nominated film.
This animated romantic comedy about two golden agers proves that passion is not exclusively for the young. With humour and empathy, it tells of George's affection for his female neighbour and the outcome of his decision to quit daydreaming and take action.
The NFB's 64th Oscar®-nominated film.
In this animated short, Ruby the pig seeks affirmation in the city around her after witnessing the accidental death of a stranger… and finds it in surprising places. With deft humour and finely rendered detail, When the Day Breaks illuminates the links that connect our urban lives, while evoking the promise and fragility of a new day. Winner of over 40 prizes from around the world, the film also features singer Martha Wainwright.
In this Oscar®-winning animated short, Ralph's day gets off to a bad start when he dismisses his wife's orders to clear the snow from the front walk. When he comes home and finds the mailman dead on his front stairs, Ralph attempts a massive cover-up with disastrous results. One dead mailman leads to a case of mistaken identity, a runaway bride, and a very confused coroner. Life starts looking up for Ralph once he decides to stop worrying about it all.
The NFB’s 11th Academy-Award winning film. This short animation follows Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, on a holiday to Norway to meet the famous writer Sigrid Undset. Kasper attempts to answer some pretty big questions: can we trace the chain of events that leads to our own birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Do little things matter? As Kasper's quest for inspiration unfolds, it appears that a spell of bad weather, an angry dog, slippery barn planks, a careless postman, hungry goats and other seemingly unrelated factors might play important roles in the big scheme of things after all.
The NFB's 30th Oscar®-nominated film.
In this short animation, adapted from E.B. White's tall tale, we meet a family of seven who live happily in isolation on a small island in Barnetuck Bay. Somehow, word gets out that they are in distress and an ill-conceived rescue attempt makes for some unexpected adventures.
For more background information on this film, please visit the NFB.ca blog.
The NFB's 58th Oscar®-nominated film.
This animated film paints a vivid portrait of two strangers intimately linked by the shared ceilings, floors and plumbing of their apartments. When an unexpected problem arises, these comfortable connections are compromised. Wendy Tilby uses a painstaking animation process involving painting on glass and stop-action filming. Strings is a film as beautiful as it is haunting. Without words.
In this animated short, Frank proves he’s no ordinary rabbit. He's a highly intelligent "wrabbit" with a philosophical world view that affords him great comfort. Unfortunately, his outlook is challenged when the farmer's carrots disappear. His quick wit allows him to survive and prosper. In Frank the Wrabbit, filmmaker John Weldon tells a deceptively simple tale with a subversive twist.
The NFB's 53rd Oscar®-nominated film.
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 NFB's 56th Oscar®-nominated film.
This hilarious animated short is based on the century-old folk song of the same name. Old Mr. Johnson makes increasingly manic attempts to rid himself of a little yellow cat that just won't stay away...
Love this film? Bring it home with you with its’ official merchandise!
The NFB's 62nd Oscar®-nominated film.
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.
The NFB’s 10th Academy-Award winning film.
This Oscar®-winning 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.
Ages 12 to 17
Health/Personal Development - Body Image
Social Studies - Contemporary Issues
Social Studies - Economics
How is this film a parody? Discuss the criteria for parody and identify any other known examples. Create a class parody using another fable or fairy tale. What characteristics of human beings are being exposed? Why could the film be considered a cautionary tale? What does Jack climbing the beanstalk really represent?