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Children's Stories/Fables (78)
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Available in English Options
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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. -
AdventuresMichael Rubbo 1968 10 minThis short live-action film tells the story of little raccoon who encounters many adventures when he strays from home to explore the world.
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Blackberry Subway JamRobert Doucet 1984 8 minThis short animation based on a popular children's story by Robert Munsch tells the story of a young boy with a major problem: his apartment has become a subway station but his mother doesn't believe him and blames him for the commuters' mess. Jonathan takes his problem to City Hall and gets his first look at what bureaucratic bungling is all about.
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Boogie-DoodleNorman McLaren 1941 3 minIn this short animation film, the "boogie" is played by Albert Ammons and the "doodle" is drawn by Norman McLaren. Made without the use of a camera, Boogie-Doodle is a rhythmic, brightly coloured film experiment.
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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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BalakrishnaColin MacKenzie & Aparna Kapur 2019 15 minWhen an extraordinary new resident – Balakrishna, an Indian elephant – arrived in the town of East River, Nova Scotia, in 1967, no one was more in awe of the creature than young Winton Cook, who became inseparable from his mammoth new friend. Using painterly animation, photographs and home-movie treasures, Balakrishna transmits the wistfulness of childhood memories, while evoking themes of friendship and loss, and issues of immigration and elephant conservation.
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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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The Bear and the MouseF.W. Remmler & Ingmar Remmler 1966 7 minA variation on a fable by Aesop ("The Lion and the Mouse") in which a mouse aids a mighty lion who had once spared his life. This children's film casts real animals – with a big brown bear in the role of the lion, and proves that little friends can prove to be great friends indeed.
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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. -
The Calèche DriverRaymond Garceau 1953 8 minA tongue-in-cheek archival film documenting a day in the life of a veteran horse-drawn carriage driver. Though the tourists that flock to the historic avenues of the Old City have changed considerably, the Old World charm of Québec City is timeless.
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Cot CotPierre Sylvestre 2007 6 minHow unbelievably boring is the life of a solitary cowboy living in the middle of a vast prairie, surrounded by stupid chickens clucking and a shapeless bovine! Not surprising then if his temper turns fowl. Based on a strip cartoon by the Swiss writer Ibn Al Rabin, Cot Cot is a hilarious parody of the western, featuring a cowboy at the end of his tether and a cow that's much smarter than she looks.
Technique: 2-D computer animation. -
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 Danish PoetTorill Kove 2006 14 minIf you’ve heard of the butterfly effect, how about the falling cow impact? Whimsical, philosophical and absurdly hilarious, this NFB animated short by Oscar®-winning director Torill Kove follows Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, as he attempts to answer some big questions. Can we trace the chain of events that lead to our own birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Do little things matter? It turns out that where Kasper is concerned, seemingly unrelated factors such as bad weather, an angry dog, a careless postman, hungry goats and the aforementioned deadly bovine might play important roles in the grand scheme of things after all.
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The DinglesLes Drew 1988 7 minCreated by award-winning animator/director Les Drew, this animated short features Doris Dingle and her family of three cats. Sure to appeal to children of all ages, The Dingles shows what happens when an unexpected violent wind disrupts the family's idyllic life. The film is based on the book The Dingles, written by Helen Levchuk and illustrated by John Bianchi.
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Dreams Come True: A Sheldon Cohen RetrospectiveSheldon Cohen 2005 15 minAuthor Roch Carrier hosts this documentary retrospective of the work of animation director Sheldon Cohen. Carrier offers anecdotes and insight about Cohen's movies, created over the past 30 years at the National Film Board of Canada. Lively animation sequences created by Greg Houston as well as Cohen's illustrations offer lively visual counterpoint. There is emphasis on the art of making animation from children's books as Cohen's films are based on the works of celebrated authors from across Canada including: Roch Carrier's The Sweater; Wilma Riley's Pies; Dayal Kaur Khalsa's Snow Cat (adapted by author Tim Wynne-Jones) and Khalsa's I Want a Dog. Excerpts of these films are included in the documentary.
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The Energy CarolLes Drew 1975 10 minThis animated short borrows A Christmas Carol’s storyline to sketch a satirical exposé on energy waste and conservation. In this version, Ebenezer "Stooge", a power company CEO, has a bold motto: to waste is to grow. After his midnight meeting with the spirits of Energy Past, Present and Future, however, that motto is up for thorough review.
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The Fox and the ChickadeeEvan DeRushie 2012 7 minThis charming stop-motion animated fable tells the story of a starving fox, who stumbles upon a lone chickadee caught in a farmer’s trap. Despite his hapless predicament, the chickadee turns the tables by proposing a plan that would provide the fox with food for the whole winter, rather than just a snack. He promises the fox a feast, but there’s a catch: he’ll need the chickadee’s help to get it.
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Get a JobBrad Caslor 1985 10 minThis short animation follows the tribulations of a cartoon character, Bob Dog, as he hunts for a job. Self-motivation, preparing a résumé, and getting ready for an interview are all dealt with in a highly entertaining fashion, while the Doo-wop mover Get a Job provides the upbeat musical soundtrack.
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The Girl Who Hated BooksJo Meuris 2006 7 minThis animated short about literacy introduces us to Meena, a young girl who hates books even though her parents love to read. Books are everywhere in Meena's house, in cupboards, drawers and even piled up on the stairs. Still, she refuses to even open one up. But when her cat Max accidentally knocks down a huge stack, pandemonium ensues and nothing is ever the same again.
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. -
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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How Dinosaurs Learned to FlyMunro Ferguson 1995 5 minThe dinosaurs were headed for trouble. They ate nothing but junk food. They never brushed their teeth. They stayed up all night. And though they loved jumping off cliffs, they didn't like the landings much. The early mammals tried to warn them. "Keep that up and you'll all be extinct!" they said. But the dinosaurs just laughed... and over time, they evolved into birds.
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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.
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Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to LifeChris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski 2010 23 minOnce Jennie had everything. The terrier had two food bowls, two pillows, and for cold weather, a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn't care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favourite window for the last time...
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Jennie's suspenseful and unexpectedly moving journey to gain new experiences and realize her dream of becoming the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre.
The National Film Board of Canada and Warner Home Video present this live-action/animated adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book from filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Oscar® nominee and Genie Award winner for Madame Tutli-Putli), featuring the voices of Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker.
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Inspector StreetEmmanuelle Loslier 2013 8 minThis short animation begins with a newspaper, discarded on a public bench, whose headlines warn of unusual phenomena. A gust of wind animates the paper's pages, conjuring strange and fantastical creatures: a bridge that becomes a caterpillar, a steeple turning into a bird, a dome transformed into an octopus. Elemental forces have been unleashed. Skilfully wielding paper cut-outs, origami, and a healthy dose of humour, filmmaker Emmanuelle Loslier plunges us into a fantastical world in which Montreal’s urban landscape has never been so alive.
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I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a FlyDerek Lamb 1963 5 minThis short animation film is cartoon illustration of the eponymous nonsense song by Canadian folksinger Alan Mills. Sung by Burl Ives, the song is given an unbridled interpretation by the cartoonist, and by the end of the song, our old lady has swallowed much more than a fly.
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Invasion of the Space LobstersJanet Perlman 2005 6 minWhen an advanced race of giant lobsters from outer space land on Earth, no one can figure out why they've come. A complete failure to communicate on both ends leads to panic and pandemonium. Why are they here? What do they want? In this clever throwback to the ‘50s B-movie, a small neighbourhood learns the value of clear communication.
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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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Little Red Riding HoodRhoda Leyer 1969 5 minThis animated short retells the classic tale of a pretty little girl, her grandmother and a conniving old wolf. Preserving all of its delight, innocence and anticipation, this children’s classic leaps from the storybook to the screen through the magic of animation.
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The Lion and the MouseEvelyn Lambart 1976 4 minThis animated short by Evelyn Lambart is a visual adaptation of the famous Aesop fable "The Lion and the Mouse," in which a mouse proves to a lion that the weak and small may be of help to those much mightier than themselves.
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Le merleNorman McLaren 1958 4 minIn this animation film, Norman McLaren imparts unusual activity to an old French-Canadian nonsense song. Simple white cut-outs on pastel backgrounds, many by Evelyn Lambart, provide lively illustrations. The folksong "Mon Merle" is sung in French by the Trio Lyrique of Montreal.
