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Epic Legends & Tales
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Two ApplesBahram Javahery 2022 9 minWhen a young woman leaves her homeland in search of a better future, she brings with her a single memento from her past: a ripe apple studded with fragrant cloves. A true labour of love, Bahram Javahery’s animated film is infused with longing and the tender perfume of hope. -
Nalujuk NightJennie Williams 2021 13 minNalujuk Night is an up close look at an exhilarating, and sometimes terrifying, Labrador Inuit tradition. Every January 6th from the dark of the Nunatsiavut night, the Nalujuit appear on the sea ice. They walk on two legs, yet their faces are animalistic, skeletal, and otherworldly. Snow crunches underfoot as they approach their destination: the Inuit community of Nain.
Despite the frights, Nalujuk Night is a beloved annual event, showing that sometimes it can be fun to be scared. Rarely witnessed outside of Nunatsiavut, this annual event is an exciting chance for Inuit, young and old, to prove their courage and come together as a community to celebrate culture and tradition.
Inuk filmmaker Jennie Williams brings audiences directly into the action in this bone-chilling black and white short documentary about a winter night like no other. -
Arctic SongGermaine Arnattaujuq , Neil Christopher , … 2021 6 minIn this six-minute short, Inuit artist, storyteller and co-director Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok) depicts Inuit creation stories in all their glory. Arctic Song tells stories of how the land, sea and sky came to be in beautifully rendered animation. Telling traditional Inuit tales from the Iglulik region of Nunavut through song, the film revitalizes ancient knowledge and shares it with future generations.
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Bone MotherDale Hayward & Sylvie Trouvé 2018 8 minWho dares to disturb the devil’s grandmother and enter her slumbering house of bones? Who is foolish enough to betray this immortal nature-spirit? Baba Yaga holds the answers you need, but are they the answers you seek? Tread carefully, for your ambitious schemes could come back to haunt you…
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Skin for SkinKevin D.A. Kurytnik & Carol Beecher 2017 15 minSkin for Skin is a dark allegory of greed and spiritual reckoning set during the early days of the fur trade.
In 1823, the Governor of the largest fur-trading company in the world travels across his Dominion, extracting ever-greater riches from the winter bounty of animal furs. In his brutal world of profit and loss, animals are slaughtered to the brink of extinction until the balance of power shifts, and the forces of nature exact their own terrible price.
With nods to Melville and Coleridge, directors Kevin D.A. Kurytnik & Carol Beecher have created a visually stunning contemporary myth about the cost of arrogance and greed. -
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. -
The Mountain of SGaanaChristopher Auchter 2017 10 minIn The Mountain of SGaana, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter spins a magical tale of a young man who is stolen away to the spirit world, and the young woman who rescues him. The film brilliantly combines traditional animation with formal elements of Haida art, and is based on a story inspired by a old Haida fable.
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The Great MachineLuc Chamberland 2015 4 minIn the small Ontario town of Echo, deep underground a typical post-war apartment building, there is a machine – massive and seemingly endless. What is its purpose? What is it for?
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Blind VayshaTheodore Ushev 2016 8 minThis short film tells the story of Vaysha, a young girl born with one green eye and one brown eye. But colour isn’t the only thing that’s different about Vaysha’s gaze. While her left eye sees only the past; her right sees only the future. Like a terrible curse, Vaysha’s split vision prevents her from inhabiting the present. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities. “Blind Vaysha,” they called her.
In this metaphoric tale of timeless wisdom and beauty based on the eponymous short story by Georgi Gospodinov, filmmaker Theodore Ushev reminds us of the importance of keeping our sights on the present moment. -
Poppety in the FallAntoine Lanciaux & Pierre-Luc Granjon 2012 27 minIn this animated short, a terrible curse deprives Balthasar’s kingdom of its stories. Taking the unicorn’s horn back into The Belly of the Earth is the solution. Poppety will lead an expedition, by chance uncovering a hitherto closely guarded family secret. Poppety in the Fall concludes the thrilling animated series of 4 seasons in the life of Léon, the adopted bear cub.
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Bonifacio in SummertimePierre-Luc Granjon & Antoine Lanciaux 2011 26 minBonifacio in Summertime is an animated film for the whole family, a colourful tale that continues the adventures of Princess Molly and her three best friends. During her summer vacation, Molly discovers that her mother has fallen under the influence of a strange sweet talker who is intent on stealing the Kingdom of Skedaddle’s magic fruit.
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Molly in SpringtimePierre-Luc Granjon 2009 26 minIt’s carnival in Balthasarville and the scoundrel Bonifacio is scheming to overthrow Léon and become King Quack. But he’s outsmarted by Molly Gingerbread and her friend Hedgehog, who manage to save the townspeople Bonifacio has poisoned. This puppet animation by Pierre-Luc Granjon tells a medieval tale of treachery and love.
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Léon in WintertimePierre-Luc Granjon & Pascal Le Nôtre 2007 27 minIn this short puppet animation we meet Léon, an 8-year-old adopted bear suffering from an identity crisis. The distraught cub runs away from home in wintertime and embarks on many adventures. He stands up to an ogre and saves a princess from ending up in a pea stew. His courage eventually leads him back to his parents, who work as beekeepers. Pure, tender and as sweet as honey, this is a delightful tale.
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Nunavut Animation Lab: LumaajuuqAlethea Arnaquq-Baril 2010 7 minThis animated short by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril tells a tragic and twisted story about the dangers of revenge. A cruel mother mistreats her son, feeding him dog meat and forcing him to sleep in the cold. A loon, who tells the boy that his mother blinded him, helps the child regain his eyesight. Then the boy seeks revenge, releasing his mother's lifeline as she harpoons a whale and watching her drown. Based on a portion of the epic Inuit legend "The Blind Boy and the Loon."
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Nunavut Animation Lab: QalupalikAme Papatsie 2010 5 minThis animated short tells the story of Qalupalik, a part-human sea monster that lives deep in the Arctic Ocean and preys on children who do not listen to their parents or elders. That is the fate of Angutii, a young boy who refuses to help out in his family's camp, opting instead to play by the shoreline. But one day, Qalupalik seizes him and drags him away. Angutii's father, a great hunter, must then embark on a lengthy kayak journey to try and bring his son home.
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The Lost Town of SwitezKamil Polak 2010 19 minIn 19th-century Poland, a traveller loses his way in the forest one stormy night. He witnesses the last days of a medieval town under attack by ruthless warriors. The grandiose tale of The Lost Town of Switez is carried along by the music of Irina Bogdanovitch. Kamil Polak has used advanced computer-assisted animation techniques to create a rich visual universe inspired by religious iconography and Polish romantic painting. The film was screened at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.
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Land of the HeadsCédric Louis & Claude Barras 2009 6 minThis animated short tells the tale of a vampire forced go out every night to separate children from their heads. The reason? His vain wife wants to replace her wrinkled head with one that is young and pretty. What a horror! Especially since the lady of the house is never satisfied and the heads keep piling up on the floor. How will our reluctant vampire ever get out of this vicious cycle?
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HunguNicolas Brault 2008 9 minUnder the African sun, a child walks in the desert with his kin. Death is prowling, but a mother's soul resurrected by music will return strength and life to the child when he becomes a man. Inspired by the grace and raw beauty of African rock paintings, Nicolas Brault paints a story without borders, with the humanity and elegance of a universal narrator.
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Little ThunderNance Ackerman & Alan Syliboy 2009 2 minThis animated short, inspired by the Mi'kmaq legend "The Stone Canoe" explores Indigenous humour. We follow Little Thunder as he reluctantly leaves his family and sets out on a cross-country canoe trip to become a man.
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Sleeping BettyClaude Cloutier 2007 9 minIn this animated short, Sleeping Betty is stuck in bed, victim to a strange bout of narcolepsy. The King calls on his subjects to rescue her and they all respond to the call: Uncle Henry VIII, Aunt Victoria, an oddly emotional alien, a funky witch and a handsome prince. But will a kiss really be enough to wake the sleeping princess? The film, drawn in ink, is a classic example of the anachronistic and playful world of Claude Cloutier.
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How People Got FireDaniel Janke 2008 16 minThis introspective short animation takes place In the village of Carcross, in the Tagish First Nation. Neighbourhood pillar Grandma Kay tell the local children the tale of how Crow brought fire to people. As the story unfolds, we also meet 12-year-old Tish, an introspective, talented girl who feels drawn to the elder. Here, past and present blend, myth and reality meet, and the metaphor of fire infuses all in a location that lies at the heart of this Native community’s spiritual and cultural memory.
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Mind Me Good Now!Chris Cormier & Derek Cummings 2005 8 minIn this animated short 2 children, Tina and Dalby, disobey their mama with almost tragic consequences. Having strayed away from home, they run afoul of a local "cocoya," a wicked spirit that loves to eat little boys! But through Tina's resourcefulness and cunning, the cocoya is vanquished and the children run back to mama's forgiving arms.
Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen. -
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. -
The Magic of AnansiJamie Mason 2001 6 minThis animated short tells the story of Anansi, a little spider who is tired of being snubbed by other the jungle animals, especially Mr. Tiger. As Anansi plots and schemes to change things, he realizes he can't gain respect by putting others down.
Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen. -
A Hunting LessonJacques Drouin 2001 13 minThis short animated film follows Antoine, a young boy fascinated by his mysterious neighbour, a man rumoured to have once been a big game hunter. Antoine is eager to learn about hunting, but the lesson he learns from the wise older man is not at all what he had expected: Antoine is left with a profound reverence for life. The film is based on Jacques Godbout’s book Une leçon de chasse, which was nominated for a 1997 Governor General's Award for children's literature.
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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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Lord of the SkyLudmila Zeman & Eugen Spaleny 1991 12 minIn this animated environmental parable, we find a people living in harmony with nature, until carelessness leads to the ravens' revenge. We follow a boy's courageous journey to the spirit world to find the only one who can save his village from the resulting darkness--the Lord of the sky. An artistic unity of form and content, Lord of the Sky is a dazzling combination of 3-D models, puppets, special effects and cut-out paper animation. Its intricate, beautifully rendered drawings reflect the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The film speaks strongly of the need for ecological balance in the world.
