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Halloween Movies
We put together a collection of NFB films to spook you out for Halloween. Break out the candy and enjoy... though you may want to keep the lights on. Happy Halloween!
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Undertaker for Life!Georges Hannan 2022 52 minUndertakers are anything but gloomy; they’re funny, generous and dedicated. We would gladly go on vacation with them, but sadly, they never have any dead time. -
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. -
Zeb's SpiderAlicia Eisen & Sophie Jarvis 2022 9 minAn eight-legged force of fate spins a complex web in Alicia Eisen and Sophie Jarvis’s new stop-motion film, Zeb’s Spider. What begins as a way of coping with an uninvited arachnid soon takes on a monstrous life of its own.
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Halloween According to Old Weird HaroldEva Szasz 1985 7 minA children's story that presents Halloween as it used to be in rural Ontario - through the reminiscences of an intriguing character. Old Weird Harold has some pretty strange stories to tell, including the ritual of tipping over outhouses on Halloween night - now lost forever.
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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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DeyzangerooEhsan Gharib 2017 4 min“Deyzangeroo” is a ritual performed in the Iranian port city of Bushehr. Influenced by the city’s colonial rule by the British and Portuguese, and the African slaves that followed, it is imbued with the terror and magic of the lunar eclipse. The ritual is believed to ward off evil spirits and take back the moon. It works every time. Directed by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Ehsan Gharib, this animated short features hand-painted animation, time-lapse photography, trick photography using mirrors, and the haunting music of virtuoso percussionist Habib Meftah Boushehri.
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100 GhostsNoncedo Khumalo 2022 1 minA woman awakes to mysterious sounds—and confronts an astonishing surreal world summoned forth by her innermost fears.
Produced as part of the 13th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
Kali the Little VampireRegina Pessoa 2012 9 minThis animated short tells the story of Kali, a young vampire who suffers from not being able to live in the light. Living in the shadows and inspiring fear, he lives envious of other children who don’t even dream that he exists. One day, while once again watching young boys play beside the train tracks, he breaks from his isolation and discovers that because of who—and what—he is, he can make a difference in others’ lives. Narrated by Oscar winner Christopher Plummer.
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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. -
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. -
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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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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The BrainwashersPatrick Bouchard 2002 12 minIn this animated short, two chimney sweepers clear all the memories from their victim's brain in a quest to determine what goes on in a man's head. A chilling film filled with fearsome puppets inhabiting a world of strange objects.
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Spook SportNorman McLaren 1940 7 minAn expressionistic interpretation of 'Danse macabre' by Camille Saint-Saëns. Conventional cel animation and pen drawings were done by Norman McLaren directly on 35 mm film stock.
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BydloPatrick Bouchard 2012 8 minAn allegory of mankind heading for disaster, this animated short is a tragic vision inspired by the 4th movement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Drawing on the composer’s brilliant ability to evoke work and labour in his music, animator Patrick Bouchard brings earth to life through animated clay sculptures, creating a tactile nightmare in which man is his own slave driver.
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Ashes of DoomGrant Munro & Don Arioli 1970 1 minThis short film was produced for The Department of National Health and Welfare to warn against the dangers of cigarette smoking. Set against the backdrop of a typical '60s-era horror movie, a young woman is seen lighting up cigarette after cigarette. When a vampire appears at the stroke of midnight, she faints from sheer terror. But when the vampire closes in for the kill, he is hit with a nasty surprise...
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L'appel du monstreLouise Johnson 2001 5 minCe court métrage d'animation 2D raconte l'histoire d'un monstre qui rôde dans une maison, telle une ombre insaisissable venue troubler le sommeil d'un gamin et de ses deux sœurs. Avec une terrifiante habileté, il s'infiltre tour à tour dans leurs pensées pour réveiller leurs plus grandes peurs. Pour l'adolescente, la pire crainte serait de ne pas correspondre à l'idéal de beauté véhiculé par les médias.
D'où viennent ces monstres qui nourrissent leur sentiment d'insécurité? Pourquoi exercent-ils tant de pouvoir? Conçu pour de jeunes spectateurs, ce film d'animation plein d'humour favorisera les échanges sur l'origine des angoisses suscitées par l'image corporelle. Film sans paroles. -
ShynessLes Drew 1996 9 minThis animated short is a parody of the Frankenstein story. Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster only to find out that his creation is too shy to go out and frighten anyone. The good doctor and his malevolent assistant Trevor try to find ways of helping their creation overcome his condition. A film for anyone who's ever been shy.
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Wapos Bay: Tricks 'n' TreatsMelanie Jackson 2007 23 minIn this episode from the Wapos Bay series, Raven has more fun than she expected on Halloween, as the elders of the community tell the children the scary story of the woman of the woods.
Wapos Bay is a stop-motion animation series that follows the adventures of 3 kids from a Cree community in northern Saskatchewan. -
The VisitorDavid Barlow-Krelina 2012 1 minA small boy is left alone to play in a large and empty house. A dark cloud starts to seep in from behind the mail slot at the front door. As it fills the space, a monster forms. The boy runs away, but the creature is always near. The chase will not end until the boy discovers the source of his fears. The film uses a combination of 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D backgrounds and particle effects.
Produced as part of the 8th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
Man: The PolluterDon Arioli , Hugh Foulds , … 1973 53 minThis feature-length animation is a richly illustrated cartoon film with an environmental message: how much longer can humans foul their own nest and ignore the consequences? Made by a joint team of Canadian and Yugoslav animation artists, the film transmits its warning with unflagging humour, imagination, movement and design. In between animated sequences, Dr. Fred H. Knelman, Professor of Science and Human Affairs at Montreal’s Concordia University, comments on the importance of what is shown and on what lies in store if more responsibility is not taken on a global scale to conserve what is left of our vital resources.
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From Far AwayShira Avni & Serene El-haj Daoud 2000 6 minThis short animation tells the story of Saoussan, a young girl struggling to adjust to life in Canada after being uprooted from her wartorn homeland. She has come to seek a quieter and safer life, although memories of war and death linger, memories that are awakened when the children at her new school prepare for a scary Halloween. From Far Away speaks to the power within us all to adapt like Saoussan and to welcome a newcomer.
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. -
Git GobPhilip Eddolls 2009 1 minIn this animated short from the Hothouse 5 series, two creatures wonder, What is a hole? They have different points of view. Their debate leads to an idea, an idea that changes the world. This is a story of practical magic.
Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
How Death Came to EarthIshu Patel 1971 14 minA legend from India, interpreted by a filmmaker from that country. It is a story of gods and men, of suns and moons and Earth, interpreted with an animation style and a richness of colour and design as arresting to the eye as the story and the music are to the ear. Sometimes the illustrations are painted on cells, sometimes the figures are cut-outs moving across shining backgrounds, but always the pace is gentle, inevitable.
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To BeJohn Weldon 1990 10 minBlending fantasy and reality, this animated short is a bold inquiry into an as yet unresolved problem - the nature of human identity. When a scientist creates a machine that can make copies of physical objects, including humans, a number of ethical questions arise. Is the technique moral? What of its safety? A film by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Weldon (who also wrote the catchy banjo tune that punctuates the story's changing moods).
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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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The ApprenticeRichard Condie 1991 9 minIn this animated short from Richard Condie (The Big Snit), an old fool meets a young fool at a crossroads in the 14th century. The old fool stays behind while the young fool skips blindly down the wrong road. The old fool must then teach his young apprentice about the consequences of taking the wrong road. A quirky tale told without words.
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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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SyrinxRyan Larkin 1965 2 minBorrowing from classical mythology, this very short film illustrates the story of Syrinx, the nymph who attempts to escape the goat-god Pan’s amorous advances by fleeing to a nearby river for help, only to be transformed into hollow reeds. Syrinx is the first film by Ryan Larkin, an Oscar®-nominated director who began his animation career in Norman McLaren’s student group. The technique employed is charcoal sketches on paper; the accompanying music is Claude Debussy’s “Syrinx” for solo flute.
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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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The WandererGeorge Ungar 1988 11 minThis animation short is an adaptation of Michel Tremblay's short story "The Devil and the Mushroom." A tale of supernatural power, greed and violence, it involves a sinister stranger who single-handedly transforms a quiet village into the scene of a phantasmagoric nightmare.
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HungerPeter Foldès 1974 11 minIn this animated short, director Peter Foldès depicts one man’s descent into greed and gluttony. Rapidly dissolving and ever-evolving images create a contrast between abundance and want. One of the first films to use computer animation, this satire serves as a cautionary tale against self-indulgence in a world still plagued by hunger and poverty.
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SubserviencePatrick Bouchard 2007 8 minIn this animated short, the selfishness of the bourgeoisie and the oppression and exploitation of its servants take centre stage as a puppet show presents the tragicomedy of a society in its death throes.
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The ErlKingBen Zelkowicz 2002 5 minThis animated short is a visual representation of Goethe's poem, The ErlKing that uses sand-on-glass animation set to the music of Franz Schubert. The moving images, resembling woodcuts, capture the haunting, nightmarish quality of the tale of the ErlKing who steals and kills a little boy.
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The Tender Tale of Cinderella PenguinJanet Perlman 1981 9 minThis short animation is a zany version of the classic fairy tale, with the leading role played by a mistreated, romantic penguin, with hilarious results. Cinderella Penguin loses her magic flipper as she runs to meet her midnight deadline, but all ends well when Prince Charming finds the right webbed foot and the nasty step-family is brought to heel.
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A Little CravingFrances Adair Mckenzie 2014 1 minIn this surrealist stop-motion animation, two disembodied wigs give in to their desires and grow themselves into something a little more whole.
Produced as part of the 10th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
U.F.O.Rhayne Vermette 2016 1 minIn this very short animation, an apparition reveals itself through celluloid and transmits vestiges of a forgotten provenance. Have the onlookers interpreted its signs correctly or was the message misunderstood? Inspired by found sound of two people’s discovery of a mysterious event in the sky.
Produced as part of the 11th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
BatmilkBrandon Blommaert 2009 1 minIn this animated short, an oafish ghoul and his soft exposed brain are met with ruin when the brain is unexpectedly killed. Though paralyzed, the ghoul attains a fresh brain and is fed with new life.
Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
AfterlifeIshu Patel 1978 7 minThis animated short film attempts to answer the eternal questions, What is dying? and How does it feel? Based on recent studies, case histories and some of the ancient myths, the afterlife state is portrayed as an awesome but methodical working-out of all the individual's past experiences. Film without words.
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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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Scant SanityJohn Weldon 1996 11 minThis animated short might possibly be the trippiest of John Weldon’s (The Log Driver’s Waltz) films. It follows the psychedelic adventures of one young man who thinks he’s in a career counselling appointment but actually ends up an unwitting participant in a psychological experiment. What follows is 11 minutes of surreal encounters, morphing characters and musical journeys through different hallucinogenic scenarios.
