Oscar-nominees Amada Forbis and Wendy Tilby’s ‘The Flying Sailor’ among 4 films selected in official competition; other films include the special presentation and world premiere of ‘Theodore Ushev: Unseen Connections’ by Borislav Kolev.
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) with six animated short films, including four selected for official competition. In addition, the NFB programming contributions will include a special presentation, the world premiere of Borislav Kolev’s documentary, Theodore Ushev: Unseen Connections, and a John Weldon retrospective. The festival runs September 21-25.
Here’s the NFB’s rundown for Ottawa 2022:
Narrative Short Animation - Official Competition Selection
The Flying Sailor:
From Oscar-nominated duo Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, the animated short was produced by David Christensen for the NFB’s North West Studio in Edmonton.
NFB Synopsis:
Two ships collide in a harbor, an explosion shatters a city, and a sailor is blasted skyward. With ears ringing, blood pulsing, and guts heaving, he soars high above the mayhem and towards the great unknown. A bold blend of comedy, suspense, and philosophy, The Flying Sailor is an exhilarating contemplation of the wonder and fragility of existence.
100 Miles:
By Louis Bodart, the short is produced by Maral Mohammadian for the NFB’s English Program Animation and Interactive Studio in Montreal and part of the 13th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.
NFB Synopsis:
Are we there yet? When the kids act up in the back seat, a family road trip gets knocked hilariously off course.
Animated Series Category - Official Competition Selection
Magical Caresses – Masturbation: A Short History of a Great Taboo (Caresses magiques – Masturbation: la petite histoire d’un grand tabou):
From animator Lori Malépart-Traversy and produced by Julie Roy and Christine Noël for the NFB’s French Program Animation Studio in Montreal.
NFB Synopsis:
A skillful blend of humor and confession, the animated documentary’s four-minute episodes provide a range of female perspectives, taking a healthy and uninhibited approach to demystifying masturbation. The film’s source material is adapted from intimate accounts published in the “Caresses magiques” book series written and edited by Sarah Gagnon-Piché and Sara Hébert. Using the tremendous creative freedom afforded by animation, Malépart-Traversy tells these stories from a new angle, crafting a bold and insightful original series about solo sexuality.
The Great List of Everything 2 – The Bathtub (La liste des choses qui existent 2 – Le bain)
By Francis Papillon and co-produced by Anne-Marie Bousquet and Marc Bertrand for the NFB’s French Program Animation Studio in Montreal, Solen Labrie Trépanier for La Pastèque, in collaboration with Télé-Québec and with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund.
NFB Synopsis:
Cathon and Iris are inseparable. One likes to show off her knowledge, the other enjoys sharing off-the-wall theories. The two friends’ quirky humor and wild, free-floating imaginations will make you want to learn more about the objects that surround us. Travel with them through history as they explain the origins of everything from the fishing rod to the refrigerator to the toothbrush. But don’t believe everything you hear!
Special Presentation
Theodore Ushev: Unseen Connections by Borislav Kolev – World Premiere
NFB Synopsis:
Theodore Ushev, the auteur behind a number of renowned animated shorts, reveals his inner universe, formed by a half-century of personal experience acquired in a constantly changing world. In this feature documentary, Ushev reminisces about the “unseen connections” in his life—biographical, historical, cultural, and subcultural and the connections that shaped him as a person and an artist.
Canadian Panorama
50 ans Vidéographe
By Karl Lemieux, the film is produced by Anne-Marie Bousquet for the NFB’s French Program Animation Studio in Montreal.
NFB Synopsis:
The film is an homage made using traditional animation with 16mm film stock. It’s a multi-layered work, remixing textures and materials to reveal Vidéographe’s 50th-anniversary logo gradually.
Baek-il
By Grace An, the film is produced by Maral Mohammadian for the NFB’s English Program Animation and Interactive Studio in Montreal as part of the 13th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.
NFB Synopsis:
The Korean legend of Ungnyeo, a bear reborn as a woman, becomes a percussive and mesmerizing riff on the themes of transformation and quarantine.
John Weldon Retrospective
The OIAF pays homage to artist John Weldon, best known for the popular Canadian animation Log Driver’s Waltz and his 1979 Oscar win with Eunice Macaulay for Special Delivery. Additional information about the retrospective is available here.
NFB Jury Members:
This year’s jury includes award-winning NFB producer Marc Bertrand and filmmaker Terill Calder.
Source: National Film Board of Canada
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
