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Social distancing stories that bring us closer together

  • Employing a range of cinematic techniques, three directors craft stylish and thoughtful reflections on the COVID-19 experience.

  • Animated bedtime stories for budding rebels in the post-COVID world.

  • Inspiring, insightful and wildly inventive, these works explore the physical and emotional aspects of pandemic isolation.

  • These creators defy clichéd representations of their communities while navigating the uncharted waters of a global health emergency.

  • Distinct voices, speaking from different points on the COVID-19 map, enhance our understanding of the pandemic experience.

  • What new knowledge does COVID reveal? As old systems and attitudes crumble, artists muse on the impact and creative potential of disruption.

  • Made in the Beyond the Curve documentary lab, these seven short films capture their creators’ perspectives on the pandemic’s multifaceted impacts in Quebec.

The Curve

The Curve is the pulse of our nation, beating in its own time during this unprecedented time. Our creators, with their talent and creativity, are bringing to life the voice of Canadians touched by Covid-19, both near and far.

The Curve is an online destination where these experiences will be expressed in animation, documentary and digital storytelling formats.

Explore

Laura Cortes

Laura Cortes
Laura Cortes has worked in Europe and North America, directing creative projects for commercial clients like Samsung and Google. As former Head of Digital at Warner Bros Records (UK), she created digital campaigns for Muse, Liam Gallagher and other artists. Adept at crafting interactive storytelling with AR, VR and web technology, she’s currently Creative Director at Jam3, a Toronto-based digital design company.

Andrea Dorfman

Andrea Dorfman
Halifax-based filmmaker, animator and artist Andrea Dorfman has written and directed numerous shorts and feature films. Her animated films include the NFB’s Emmy-nominated Flawed (2009) and the children’s animation Big Mouth (2012). She also directed the feature doc The Girls of Meru (2018), following a precedent-setting human-rights case in Kenya. Dorfman’s video collaboration with PEI poet-musician Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone (2010), became a viral YouTube hit. How To Be at Home is their follow-up.

Sophie Jarvis

Sophie Jarvis
Sophie Jarvis is a Vancouver-based writer and director whose award-winning short films have screened internationally. She holds a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University, and participated in the Berlinale Talents program in 2013. Sophie’s work is recognized for its absurd sense of humour and striking visuals, informed in part by her background as a production designer. She is currently in pre-production on her debut feature film, Invasions, produced with Experimental Forest Films, and is co-directing the stop-motion short film Zeb’s Spider with Alicia Eisen for the National Film Board.

Alicia Eisen

Alicia Eisen
Alicia Eisen is an award-winning animation filmmaker and visual artist based in Vancouver, BC. Her most recent stop-motion film, Deady Freddy, has won praise for its distinctive blend of existentialism and dark humour, picking up awards for Best Screenplay and Best Director. She is currently working with the National Film Board of Canada on a new stop-motion short film which she is co directing with frequent collaborator Sophie Jarvis. She has also optioned her latest work, “Old People Island,” to Ceroma Films to be developed into an immersive storytelling experience.

Millefiore Clarkes

Millefiore Clarkes
Millefiore Clarkes is an award-winning filmmaker from Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island. Through her company One Thousand Flowers Productions, she produces a variety of media work: documentaries, music videos, drama, experimental shorts and video installations. She recently received the DOC Institute’s Vanguard Award Her most recent work is a short lyrical film, Solastalgia, that explores the theme of climate grief. She has directed three documentaries for the NFB: The Song and the Sorrow, Blue Rodeo—On the Road, and Island Green.

Darcy Wittenburg, Colin Jones and Darren McCullough - Anthill Films

Darcy Wittenburg, Colin Jones and Darren McCullough - Anthill Films
Darcy Wittenburg, Colin Jones and Darren McCullough are partners at Anthill Films, specialized in outdoor adventure films. Their award-winning work has screened at international festivals and been featured on Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Recent credits include Return to Earth, a film about the bicycle's power to immerse riders in the present moment.