Short Docs

Home Cooked Music
Mike Maryniuk 2014 9 min
This short documentary profiles an imaginative inventor and craftsman who makes whimsical stringed instruments out of unlikely items. In his hands, shovels, rakes, baseball bats, and stop signs become beautiful and functional guitars, violins, banjos, and fiddles.
After a near-death experience, retired machinist Lorne Collie embarked on his creative journey, and this heartening film offers a folksy, one-of-a-kind portrait of Collie's spirit and talent. Through weathered doc footage and hand-crafted animation, the film shows that Collie is having more fun than he’s had in a long time and feeling more than alive.
Debris
John Bolton 2015 14 min
This short film is a portrait of Tofino, BC intertidal artist Pete Clarkson as he crafts his most ambitious and personal project to date: a memorial to the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. He, like so many of us around the world, was deeply affected by the disaster. Years later, as splintered and mangled timber and other objects started to wash ashore, the disaster hit home again for Clarkson, and the inspiration for his memorial was born. In Clarkson’s caring hands, the remnants from the Tohoku region take on a life of their own as he shapes them into a unique public sculpture. The result is an evocative memorial that is a site of remembrance and contemplation, and an emotional bridge connecting an artist, his community and a people an ocean away.
Mabel
Teresa MacInnes 2016 20 min
Feisty, fiercely independent and firmly rooted in place, 90 year-old Mabel Robinson broke barriers back in the 40s when she became the first woman in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, to launch her own business—a hairdressing salon where she still provides shampoo-n-sets over 70 years later. Weaving animation and archival imagery with intimate and laugh out loud moments in the salon, the film celebrates the power of friendship, doing what you love and staying active. With no desire to retire anytime soon, Mabel gives voice to a generation who are not front and center of cinema or the pop hairstyles of the day, and subtly shifts the lens on our perception of beauty and the elderly.
19 Days
Asha Siad & Roda Siad 2016 26 min
This short documentary follows several refugee families during their first 19 days in Canada, as they navigate an unfamiliar terrain that has suddenly become their home. Located in the quiet Calgary neighbourhood of Bridgeland, the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre is the starting point for government-assisted refugees who arrive in the city. During the 19-day timeline established by the federal government, an initial assessment is done and refugees are assisted with everything from airport reception and orientation to referrals, documents, and counselling.
19 Days reveals the human side of the refugee resettlement process. A unique look at the global migration crisis and one particular stage of asylum, it lays plain the realities faced on the difficult road towards integration.
Finale: Making It
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
We catch up with each player in the midst of their journey as they reflect on their road ahead.
Cordell II: For My Family
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
Without an offer, Cordell’s season is winding down. A slate of big games offers him one last chance to catch the eye of a Division 1 coach.
King Nation III: Bright Lights
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 23 min
The King Nation trilogy closes with Malachi Ndur, 15, who has gone from small-town kid to major prospect. Malachi along with Keone and Jalen head to the Fab 48 tournament in Vegas with a chance to end the summer crowned as kings.
Elijah II: Defend Your Crown
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
Along with the legendary coach, Ro Russell, Elijah heads to the Fab 48 Tournament in Vegas and a middle-school ranking camp in D.C. He is set to defend his title as the best in the class of 2023.
King Nation II: The North's American Dream
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
Inspired by his father and the NBA players from his suburb, Jalen Celestine, 15, knows the NBA is within reach. With big-time US prep schools calling, the family ventures south for official visits.
Cordell I: Trust the Process
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
Cordell Veira enters his senior year playing for an underdog program. Time is ticking for Cordell to land a Division 1 scholarship offer while also carrying the weight of family redemption.
King Nation I: Play Small, Win Big
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 23 min
King Nation AAU are on the rise, but need a floor general. The responsibility falls on the shoulders of 5’9 point guard Keone Davis, 15, who leads the team into the Pittsburgh Jam Fest with high hopes.
Elijah I: Just a Kid
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 15 min
Elijah Fisher is the top-ranked 12-year-old in the world. We go beyond the rankings and social media clout to see how a family manages the expectations that come with raising a child in the spotlight.
The Roots & The Rise
Ryan Sidhoo 2018 23 min
Toronto is at the epicentre of Canada’s NBA talent boom. We meet the pioneers who have grown the game and introduce a group of young hopefuls chasing their own hoop dream.
To Wake Up the Nakota Language
Louise BigEagle 2017 6 min
“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.
The Last Key
Julien Capraro 2017 23 min
A young immigrant arrives in Canada from France—and brings his Citroën 2CV with him. The iconic post-war car stands out on the streets of Vancouver, and before long he meets up with a group of like-minded car buffs. In Julien Capraro’s documentary short, Franck, Lionel, Harjeet and Johnny Mac, who are busy preparing for an upcoming antique-car show, explain how these vehicles not only evoke nostalgia for a past era but are also a powerful marker of identity and a link between two cultures. Produced as part of the Tremplin competition, in collaboration with ICI Radio-Canada Télé.
Rock the Box
Katherine Monk 2015 9 min
Critic-turned-filmmaker Katherine Monk trains her lens on DJ Rhiannon Rozier in this short film about breaking the glass ceiling in a music industry dominated by men. The Vancouver-raised, university-educated Rozier was so intent on making a career in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene that she did something she never thought she’d do: she posed for Playboy.
The Grasslands Project - Life Out Here
Scott Parker 2016 11 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project brings a female perspective to the male-dominated ranching and farming industries. Women often have a strong voice in the operations, and some women have been running their own ranches for decades. For this collaborative documentary, the participants themselves chose the themes to be discussed and then interviewed each other. These women are deeply dedicated to their farms, ranches and families. They can ranch as well as a man... maybe even better.
The Grasslands Project - Val Marie Hotel
Scott Parker 2016 10 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project introduces us to Aline Laturnus, the women who puts in long hours to keep the Val Marie hotel running. Breakfast is at seven a.m., and some nights the bar doesn’t close until two. This hotel is more than just a business: it’s the hub of the community, and Aline knows that closing the establishment would deal this small town a major blow. We follow Aline as she prepares for a big night, and we learn about the importance of the hotel from the people of Val Marie.
The Grasslands Project - A Rancher's View
Scott Parker 2016 8 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project introduces us to rancher Miles Anderson. Anderson is in a tough spot. The land he ranches has been in his family for over a hundred years, but it’s bordered on three sides by an expanding Grasslands National Park and its conservation imperative. Cattle were once considered a major threat to grasslands integrity and the endangered sage grouse in the region, but, due in large part to Miles’ persistence, his cattle are now seen as part of the conservation solution.
The Grasslands Project - No Other Place
Scott Parker 2016 9 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project zooms in on the southern Prairies' spectacular landscape, which has inspired artists for thousands of years. Five prairie artists from across the grasslands region take us to the places that move them. This film explores the landscape through the words and works of these artists and reminds us that the natural world exerts a powerful influence on both our creativity and spirit.
The Grasslands Project - After the Fire
Scott Parker 2016 9 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project shows how small rural communities rely on volunteer firefighters to handle most emergencies. While the Eastend Fire Department responds to its share of barn and grass fires, they are only a call away from tragedy. Rural first responders are usually first on the scene of grisly farm and motor vehicle accidents, and in a small community the victims are often friends and family. The toll it takes on these volunteers creates its own tragedy.
The Grasslands Project - The Last One
Scott Parker 2016 6 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project explores the struggles of small Prairie farms. “These small farms are a thing of the past,” laments Herb Pidt, whose family homesteaded on this land in the 1920s. The Pidt family scraped a living out of these harsh, dry prairies and, though poor, always managed to put food on the table. But that era has come to an end, and, as Herb touchingly explains, he’s the last one on the farm and there’s no one left to keep the home place together.
The Grasslands Project - Les Fransaskois
Scott Parker 2016 7 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project zooms in on the Prairies' francophone minority. The southern Prairies are overwhelmingly anglophone, yet a strong and vibrant francophone population persists in the small rural communities that dot this landscape. Gravelbourg is considered the centre of French language and culture in the region, and this short film hears from the Fransaskois (a term combining French and Saskatchewan) on the challenges and future of their unique prairie culture.
The Grasslands Project - Homecoming
Scott Parker 2016 7 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project depicts the annual celebrations that take place in countless small communities across the Prairies. These small-town gatherings are a major force in keeping rural communities vibrant. In Magrath, Alberta, this is the weekend when everybody comes home to participate in chicken chases, family reunions and massive community barbecues. We follow the celebrations through the actions of key volunteers, who are the cornerstone of these events.
The Grasslands Project - Generations
Scott Parker 2016 7 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project introduces us to nineteen-year-old Shawn Catherwood, who knew from a young age that he’d be a farmer. Many small communities are losing their young people, attracted to careers away from the farm. But it’s always been Shawn's dream to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ken. This film shows Shawn and his father as they navigate the coming generational change, while the audience is given insight into their deep love of the family farm.
The Grasslands Project - Population 21
Scott Parker 2016 9 min
This short documentary from The Grasslands Project is a portrait of Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan. The town has lost all four of its grain elevators, the railway was torn up, the old hotel is in ruins, and the school has been closed for a decade. One of the only attractions left is the community hall, which, on a scant few weekends out of the year, can still get crowded. Meanwhile, to the handful of kind souls who still live in the village, there are good reasons to call Wood Mountain home.
Hand.Line.Cod
Justin Simms 2016 13 min
Set in the coldest waters surrounding Newfoundland’s rugged Fogo Island, this short film follows a group of “people of the fish”—traditional fishers who catch cod live by hand, one at a time, by hook and line. Filmmaker Justin Simms takes viewers deep inside the world of these brave fishermen. Travel with them from the early morning hours, spend time on the ocean, and witness the intricacies of a 500-year-old tradition that’s making a comeback.
this river
Erika MacPherson & Katherena Vermette 2016 19 min
This short documentary offers an Indigenous perspective on the devastating experience of searching for a loved one who has disappeared. Volunteer activist Kyle Kematch and award-winning writer Katherena Vermette have both survived this heartbreak and share their histories with each other and the audience. While their stories are different, they both exemplify the beauty, grace, resilience, and activism born out of the need to do something.
Return to Vimy
Denis McCready 2017 9 min
In this short film, a young woman visits the Vimy Memorial to make a charcoal imprint of the engraved name of her great-grandfather who was lost in battle. She brings with her a notebook of sketches and diary entries that he made during his preparation for battle. The sketches transform into colourized archive footage and take us back in time to revisit the daily lives of the Canadian Corps soldiers.
This project marks the first time the NFB has colourized its own archives for a film project.
Etlinisigu'niet (Bleed Down)
Jeff Barnaby 2015 5 min
In five short minutes, this short film destroys any remaining shreds of the myth of a fair and just Canada. Children forced from their homes and sent to residential schools, families examined like livestock in crowded tuberculosis clinics, tainted water and land, poisoned for industry and profit at the cost of Indigenous lives, and the list goes on. But filmmaker Jeff Barnaby's message is clear: We are still here. Featuring the music of Tanya Tagaq.
This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives.
Mobilize
Caroline Monnet 2015 3 min
This short film, crafted entirely out of NFB archival footage by First Nations filmmaker Caroline Monnet, takes us on an exhilarating journey from the Far North to the urban south, capturing the perpetual negotiation between the traditional and the modern by a people moving ever forward.
Part of the Souvenir series, it's one of four films by First Nations filmmakers that address Indigenous identity and representation, reframing Canadian history through a contemporary lens.
Nimmikaage (She Dances for People)
Michelle Latimer 2015 3 min
Both a requiem for and an honouring of Canada's First Nations, Métis and Inuit women, this short film deconstructs the layers of Canadian nationalism.
Sisters & Brothers
Kent Monkman 2015 3 min
In a pounding critique of Canada's colonial history, this short film draws parallels between the annihilation of the bison in the 1890s and the devastation inflicted on the Indigenous population by the residential school system.
This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives.
Standing Tall
Marie Ka 2015 23 min
In this short documentary, three French-speaking women (from Senegal, Mexico and Belgium) examine their own experiences as immigrants in Vancouver, where they raise their children alone. With strength and resilience, these women take up the challenge of rebuilding their lives to provide a “new world of possibility” for their children, while seeking to find their place in Canadian society.
Social Me
Katia Café-Fébrissy 2015 23 min
This short documentary examines the role of social media in the lives of teenagers. To the younger generation, social media is more than just a communication tool: it’s a way of life, a sphere in which to explore and create their own universes -- often at the expense of face-to-face interaction. As young Nya enters adulthood, she takes a critical look at how social media has impacted and continues to influence the shaping of her identity, experiences and values.
Red Path
Thérèse Ottawa 2015 15 min
This short documentary tells the story of Tony Chachai, a young Indigenous man in search of his identity. Moved by the desire to reconnect with his Atikamekw roots, he delivers a touching testimony on the journey that brought him closer to his family and community. On the verge of becoming a father himself, he becomes increasingly aware of the richness of his heritage and celebrates it by dancing in a powwow.
This film was produced as part of Tremplin NIKANIK, a competition for francophone First Nations filmmakers in Quebec.
Quiet Forces
Sophie Dupuis 2015 15 min
In this non-narrative short, director Sophie Dupuis documents the daily lives of sailors aboard the frigate HMCS Ottawa on a mission in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between the coasts of British Columbia and California. Composed of a series of contrasting scenes, the film immerses us in a maelstrom of sound and images, revealing the unique facets of a widely unknown world.
Nowhere Land
Rosie Bonnie Ammaaq 2015 14 min
This short documentary serves as a quiet elegy for a way of life, which exists now only in the memories of those who experienced it. Bonnie Ammaaq and her family remember it vividly. When Bonnie was a little girl, her parents packed up their essentials, bundled her and her younger brother onto a long, fur-lined sled and left the government-manufactured community of Igloolik to live off the land, as had generations of Inuit before them.
Hell Runs on Gasoline!
Martin Bureau 2015 7 min
This short documentary transports us to the Saint-Félicien racetrack, where engines are running hot and excitement has reached a fever pitch. With its thunderous soundtrack, jarring backfires and choking clouds of smoke, Martin Bureau's Hell Runs on Gasoline! takes us deep inside a chaotic battle to the finish. Race cars hit the track, accidents pile up and the flames of burning engines wreak havoc - an infernal vision that soon dissipates into an eerily silent cemetery of abandoned carcasses.
Island Green
Millefiore Clarkes 2013 25 min
This short documentary takes a look at the changing face of PEI's agricultural industry. Once famous for its spuds and red mud, this tiny island province now has higher than average cancer and respiratory illness rates. Is there a link to industrialized farming? Rather than dwelling on PEI’s worrisome monocropping practices, Island Green dares to ask: What if PEI went entirely organic?

The stirring words of PEI-born poet Tanya Davis are coupled with beautiful imagery and poignant stories from the island’s small but growing community of organic farmers, reminding us that we can rob the land only so much before it robs us of the nourishment we need for life. Island Green is ultimately a story of hope and healthy promise.
Life on Victor Street
Kirby Hammond 2012 29 min
This short documentary depicts an Aboriginal Winnipeg teen’s struggle to stay in school and away from local gangs. Filmed over 2 years, the film is a moving portrait of one family trying to break the cycle of addiction, violence and poverty in an environment filled with anger and despair.
Bone Wind Fire
Jill Sharpe 2011 30 min
This Emmy-nominated feature film is an intimate and evocative journey into the hearts, minds and eyes of Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Carr and Frida Kahlo - 3 of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists. The film uses the women’s own words, taken from their letters and diaries, to reveal 3 individual creative processes in all their subtle and fascinating variety.
The Colour of Beauty
Elizabeth St. Philip 2010 16 min
Renee Thompson is trying to make it as a top fashion model in New York. She's got the looks, the walk and the drive. But she’s a black model in a world where white women represent the standard of beauty. Agencies rarely hire black models. And when they do, they want them to look “like white girls dipped in chocolate.”

The Colour of Beauty is a shocking short documentary that examines racism in the fashion industry. Is a black model less attractive to designers, casting directors and consumers? What is the colour of beauty?
Jaded
Cal Garingan 2010 14 min
This sharp and funny mockumentary uses role reversal to illustrate the realities of overt and systemic racism in the workplace.
Hannah's Story
Juanita Peters 2007 29 min
At the age of 5, Hannah Taylor spotted her first homeless person in the back alleys of Winnipeg. This experience not only troubled her, but it drove her to do nothing less than change the world. The Ladybug Foundation, the charity Hannah helped establish, has raised over a million dollars to date. With her huge heart and can-do attitude, she preaches a simple message of "Share a little of what you have and always care about others." As this short documentary proves, we all have a lot to learn from Hannah's story.
Shredded
Douglas C. Taplin & Richard Gaudio 2005 22 min
This short film follows a group of teenage boys eager to emulate the muscle-filled bodies of their media heroes. Revealing the lengths these boys are willing to go to achieve their goal, this film explores the use of supplements and the temptations of steroids. The boys relate their experiences, desires and motivations to the audience, who are left to draw their own conclusions.

The film is designed to provoke discussion among teenagers about body image and where lines should be drawn between healthy and dangerous behaviour.
Mr. Mergler's Gift
Beverly Shaffer 2004 30 min
In this short film from Oscar® winner Beverly Shaffer, 9-year-old prodigy Xin Ben takes lessons from Daniel Mergler, a piano teacher at the end of his career. In this remarkable story about a student and her mentor, Xin Ben and Mergler meet 26 times over the course of one year. During this time, Xin Ben illuminates Mergler's final months as an instructor with her youthful talent, and he, in return, lovingly guides her towards a life in music.

Short Docs

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