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NFB Award Winners @ Animafest Zagreb
Enjoy this rich selection of NFB films that have been honoured at Animafest Zagreb, one of the most prestigious international animation festival founded more than half a century ago.
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Impossible Figures and other stories IMarta Pajek 2021 16 minAn ominous ticking sound triggers an explosion. Wandering deserted city streets, an elegant elderly woman recalls what was and what could have been. The final film (and first part) of Marta Pajek’s acclaimed trilogy, Impossible Figures and other stories I is a mysterious and haunting portrait of personal and societal self-destruction. -
HIDEDaniel Gray 2020 10 minTwo brothers entertain themselves with a game of hide and seek. As one counts, the other hides in a small cabinet. Seconds pass... then minutes... years... and decades. HIDE is a heartrending and prescient story about family and disconnect, in a world that is increasingly fragmented and unrecognizable.
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The Physics of SorrowTheodore Ushev 2019 27 minThe Physics of Sorrow tracks an unknown man’s life as he sifts through memories of his youth in Bulgaria through to his increasingly rootless and melancholic adulthood in Canada.
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ManivaldChintis Lundgren 2017 12 minManivald, a fox, is turning 33. Overeducated, unemployed and generally uninspired, he lives with his overbearing, retired mother and spends his days learning piano while she makes his coffee and washes his socks. It is an easy life, but not a good one. Their unhealthy co-dependence is about to collapse when the washing machine breaks down and Toomas, a sexy and adventurous wolf repairman, arrives to fix it, and them.
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Hedgehog's HomeEva Cvijanovic 2017 10 minIn a lush and lively forest lives a hedgehog. He is respected and envied by the other animals. However, Hedgehog’s unwavering devotion to his home annoys a quartet of insatiable beasts. Together, they march off towards Hedgehog’s home and spark a tense and prickly standoff.
Exquisitely directed by Eva Cvijanović and based on the classic story by Branko Ćopić, a writer from the former Yugoslavia, Hedgehog’s Home is a warm and universal tale for young and old that reminds us there truly is no place like home. -
RomanceGeorges Schwizgebel 2011 7 minWhile on an airplane, a traveller's spirit plunges into a dream world. Here, under the influence of the unknown, the logic of his desires prevails, and a romantic saga takes shape. This animated film by Georges Schwizgebel masterfully transports us into a swirling world. Set to the twists and turns of a Rachmaninoff scherzo, Romance exuberantly marries music and movement, erasing the boundary between dreams and reality.
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The NecktieJean-François Lévesque 2008 12 minA mixture of puppet and hand-drawn animation, The Necktie is the story of Valentin and his quest to find meaning in his life. Stuck in a dead-end job, he has forgotten all about the things that used to bring him joy. Years pass, and boredom replaces all his aspirations and hope for the future. It is only on his 40th birthday, when he rediscovers an old accordion hidden in the depths of his closet, that he regains his lust for life.
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Madame Tutli-PutliChris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski 2007 17 minThis 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.
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I Want a DogSheldon Cohen 2003 10 minIn this animated short by Sheldon Cohen, young May wants a dog more than anything else in the world. She thinks about dogs all the time; she talks about them, reads about them and covers the walls of her bedroom with dog pictures. But every time she asks her parents for a puppy, they tell her to wait till she's older. But sticking to her motto of "If at first you don’t succeed, try again," May comes up with an ingenious idea to change her parents' minds. Based on the book by Dayal Kaur Khalsa.
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L'homme sans ombreGeorges Schwizgebel 2004 9 minWhy bother dragging around one's shadow? A man agrees to a pact with a magician and swaps his shadow for riches. He soon discovers that the absence of a shadow can be a humiliating handicap. After fleeing to the far corners of the earth, he ends up in Bali, in a theatre of shadow puppets, where he discovers the true worth of shadows.
Swiss filmmaker Georges Schwizgebel animates this adaptation of Adelbert von Chamisso's The Strange Story of Peter Schlemil (1814), a fantastic tale inspired by Goethe's Faust. His film L'homme sans ombre is a reflection upon human nature and an allegory celebrating the magic of performance. Virtuoso Georges Schwizgebel's images are wonderfully mobile and textured, his composition formally elegant. (Each cel is freshly repainted with the characters and settings.) He is a master conjurer whose images become a bewitching choreography. The animator's eye guides the painter's hand, and vice versa. A film without words. -
Strange InvadersCordell Barker 2001 8 minThis film is a must-see film for parents of young children and a cautionary tale for those planning a family. Part science-fiction, part autobiography, Strange Invaders is another irrepressible comedy from the director of the much-loved classic
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The Boy Who Saw the IcebergPaul Driessen 2000 8 minThis animated short by Paul Driessen tells the story of a boy with an overactive imagination. The young protagonist, bored with his lot, imagines a diabolic and dangerous life of adventure. But when he finally finds himself facing a real-life drama, the mundane life that he always wanted to escape is what he wishes to recapture.
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When the Day BreaksWendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis 1999 9 minIn 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.
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Village of IdiotsEugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove 1999 12 minBased on a Jewish folk tale adapted by playwright John Lazarus, this animated short tells the story of Shmendrik, a simpleton living in a small Polish village. Weary of daily life in his native Chelm, Shmendrik sets out on a quest for knowledge that brings him to a new Chelm, a place eerily reminiscent of his old Chelm. An amusing take on our tendency to romanticize what we don't have.
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My Grandmother Ironed the King's ShirtsTorill Kove 1999 10 minImagine that your grandmother used to iron the king’s shirts! This tall tale turned out to be true for Oscar®-winning filmmaker Torill Kove, who expanded a family myth to create an entertaining animated short with a historical twist. My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts is Kove’s surprising and whimsical recounting of an unlikely career in service of an unusual monarch. And when World War II comes to Kove’s native Norway and the king is forced to flee, her grandmother’s skills play a key role in the guerilla resistance against the invading Nazis.
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How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of AngelsCraig Welch 1996 11 minThe 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?
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Dinner for TwoJanet Perlman 1996 7 minWhen it comes to conflict, even chameleons won't change! Peace in the rain forest is disrupted when two chameleons literally get stuck in a conflict, with catastrophic results. Relationships are severed, opportunities are lost, innocent bystanders are harmed and violence seems imminent. Luckily for the lizards, a frog observing the fracas turns into exactly what they need - no, not a prince - a mediator.
Dinner for Two tackles conflict in a lively, humorous and provocative way. It shows that amidst the chaos that differences create, there are still paths to reconciliation.
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A Feather TaleMichèle Cournoyer 1992 5 minIn this animated short, a woman, taking on her lover's fantasies, adorns herself in her finest feathers and assumes a seductive but demeaning role. Caught up in his own game, the man plays on to the bitter end--a cruel game in which love is stripped of its golden glow, leaving only the naked reality of dependency and desperation.
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Juke-BarMartin Barry 1989 10 minThis animated short introduces a juke box into a greasy spoon diner overrun with cockroaches. The cockroaches get caught up in the music as their lives are transformed by the arrival of this new machine. But the restaurant's owner has a plan: will he be able to outsmart his uninvited guests?
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George and RosemaryAlison Snowden & David Fine 1987 8 minThis 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.
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The Cat Came BackCordell Barker 1988 7 minThis 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...
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The Big SnitRichard Condie 1985 9 minThis 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.
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"E"Bretislav Pojar & Francine Desbiens 1981 6 minUnder 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.
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Getting StartedRichard Condie 1979 12 minThis hilarious short animated film stars a man who procrastinates. Our hero attempts to practice a piece of music on the piano, but distractions get in the way. When he finally sits down to play, pandemonium breaks loose.
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CaninabisKaj Pindal 1979 9 minKaj Pindal's animated short from the late 1970s features a canine narcotics officer who burns out after sampling a little too much product. Driven by his love of cannabis, a street dog displays incredible promise for the drug squad when he chases down a local dealer. He makes headlines worldwide as he takes on smugglers and crime lords. But when his drug habit and his work inevitably collide, a clear message emerges: dogs and cannabis don't mix.
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Special DeliveryJohn Weldon & Eunice Macaulay 1978 7 minIn 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.
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Animation from Cape Dorset1973 18 minReleased in 1973, this collection assembles the first animated films to be made by Inuit artists at the NFB. Featured is work by Solomonie Pootoogook, Timmun Alariaq, Mathew Joanasie, and Itee Pootoogook Pilaloosie—all participants in the Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset) Film Animation Workshop on Baffin Island, established to teach animation skills to local artists. The soundtrack features performances by Aggeok and Peter Pitseolok. Commentary is provided in a blend of Inuktitut and English.
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Cat's CradlePaul Driessen 1974 10 minThis short animated fable stars witches, cloaked riders and other Gothic characters, in a tale about the hungry natural world. Here the artist plays cat's cradle with ideas, especially the notion that one thing leads to another and that lives lead from one to another. Without words but featuring a witch's brew of sounds.
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Hot StuffZlatko Grgić 1971 9 minThis humorous animation film traces man's carelessness with fire, from the moment that the gods take pity on humankind and give them fire to the present day. Early man is warned that he must keep fire under control, but he gradually ignores this warning. Overloaded sockets, smoldering cigarettes and other fire hazards result in the destruction of life and property.
