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Ball Games (25)
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All About Kids1964 8 minThis vintage short doc from the sixties brings together three quaint vignettes about Canadian childhood. In Quebec Aquarium, school children see marine life at close range, while Children's Play Therapy focuses on the importance of games and handicrafts for young patients recovering at Winnipeg’s Children’s Hospital. Finally, Soccer School takes us to British Columbia, where British coach Trevor Churchill is helping to spark interest in the increasingly popular sport. -
Baseball GirlsLois Siegel 1995 1 h 20 minThis feature documentary uses animation, archival stills and live-action footage to detail the history of women's participation in the largely male-dominated world of baseball and softball. Zany and affectionate, it features 7-year-olds learning the rules and skills of the game and 50-year-olds hitting home runs, from the early days of the Bloomer Girls to the heyday of the Colorado Silver Bullets.
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The Basketball GameHart Snider 2011 5 minThis animated short tells the story of an epic basketball game between kids attending Jewish camp and students of a notorious local Holocaust denier. Nine-year-old Hart is attending Jewish summer camp for the first time. He is both curious and afraid. What awaits him on the basketball court?
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Eye Witness No. 54Daryl Duke , Felix Lazarus , … 1953 11 minThese vignettes from 1954 cover various aspects of life in Canada and were shown in theatres across the country. Subjects included here are: Ball Stars Start Young: In Vancouver's Little League, baseball players, diamond and equipment are junior size, but not the boys' coaches or the eagerness of teams and fans. An Auto a Minute: This is just about the rate of output seen in one of Ontario's automobile assembly plants. A Railroad Goes to Sea: Swapping steel rails for ocean waves is routine for British Columbia's Pacific Great Eastern Railway, travelling the forty-mile leg between Vancouver and Squamish by railway barge.
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Football Story1953 15 minThis short documentary from the On the Spot series - “National Film Board’s up-to-the-minute report of what’s happening somewhere in Canada” – invites us to visit the Edmonton Eskimos football team on their home ground. Host Fred Davis introduce us to some of the team’s key players and interviews its 28-year-old coach, Darrell Royal, a firm believer in the use of moving pictures in the coaching of modern football.
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HardwoodHubert Davis 2004 29 minHardwood is a personal journey by director Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, who explores how his father's decisions affected his life and those of his extended family. Elegantly structured into three chapters entitled "love," "recollection" and "redemption," Davis uses personal interviews, archival footage and home movies to delve into his father's past in the hope of finding a new direction for his own.
At its core, Hardwood is about the power of redemption and the healing of the bonds between fathers and sons. -
King of the HillWilliam Canning & Donald Brittain 1974 56 minThis feature documentary follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season. From the hope and innocence of spring training to the dog days of an August slump, the camera gets up close and personal at the home plate and records the intimate chatter on the mound, in the dugout and in the locker room. It provides a glimpse into the rewards and pressures of sports stardom and the easy camaraderie of the quintessential summer sport.
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LacrosseDouglas Jackson 1965 14 minThis short film highlights how the sport of lacrosse, which has changed little over time, is regaining popularity. Watch how the game is played, how lacrosse sticks are made by Mohawks at a factory in Cornwall, and how the Canadian Lacrosse Association helps instruct teams.
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Learning Lacrosse (Part 1): OffenceDouglas Jackson 1965 17 minThis short documentary focuses on the offence play required for the sport of lacrosse. It makes up the first part of a two-part series of training films for those interested in mastering the sport. The film uses close-ups, slow-motion, and stop-motion techniques to clearly illustrate tricks and moves that might otherwise be missed during a live demonstration.
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Learning Lacrosse (Part 2): DefenceDouglas Jackson 1965 10 minThis short documentary focuses on the defensive play required for the sport of lacrosse. Combined with Part One: Offence, these two films make up a complete training guide for those interested in the sport. The films use close-ups, slow-motion, and stop-motion techniques to clearly illustrate tricks and moves that might otherwise be missed during a live demonstration.
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Oskee Wee WeeWilliam Pettigrew 1968 10 minThis documentary is a zany portrait of the particular fever that hits the city of Ottawa, Ontario, during Grey Cup finals. The film is as much about the football game, where the Hamilton Tiger Cats face the Saskatchewan Roughriders, as it is about Ti-Cats fans and their infamous "Oskee Wee Wee", the magic chant with which they exhort their team to victory.
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Ping-pongMarcel Carrière 1974 13 minThe NFB filmed the table tennis competitions between teams of young Canadians and Chinese that took place in the People's Republic of China in the summer of 1973, the first time in twenty-five years that such filming was made possible. Shown are highlights of play at the China-Canada Friendship Meet, as well as some of the sightseeing taken in by the young Canadians--a visit, for example, to the Great Wall of China. Film without words.
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Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball StoryJari Osborne 2002 50 minThis feature-length documentary tells the story of the Asahi baseball team. In pre-World War II Vancouver, the team was unbeatable, winning the Pacific Northwest Championship for five straight years. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, all persons of Japanese descent in Canada were sent to internment camps. The former Asahi members survived by playing ball. Their passion was contagious and soon other players joined in, among them RCMP officials and local townspeople. As a result, the games helped break down racial and cultural barriers. This remarkable story is told with a combination of archival footage, interviews and dramatic re-enactments.
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SoccerShelah Reljic 1974 27 minThis documentary short shines a light on British Columbia’s soccer culture. With a special focus on the successful Vancouver Italia team, the film celebrates the province’s most popular sport.
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Shooting StarsAllan Stein 1987 49 minThis documentary uses frequent dramatic re-enactments to trace the tale of the Edmonton Grads women's basketball team, which was formed in 1915 and disbanded in 1940. During that time, the team was Canadian Champion (1922-1940), North American Champion (1923-1940), and World Champion (1924-1940). Their phenomenal record of 502 wins and 20 losses remains unrivalled by any team in any sport. Shooting Stars is a thorough historical look at female athletes in an era when sports were a man’s game.
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The Roots & The RiseRyan Sidhoo 2018 23 minToronto 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.
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Elijah II: Defend Your CrownRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minAlong 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.
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True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball (Feature)Ryan Sidhoo 2019 1 h 29 minOn the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA Championship and the record-setting number of Canadian draft picks, the Toronto hoop dream is more alive than ever. In this feature-length doc, director Ryan Sidhoo shines the spotlight on 12-year-old Elijah Fisher, 15-year-old Keone Davis and 18-year-old Cordell Veira as they navigate today’s youth basketball machine in pursuit of their own NBA dreams.
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King Nation III: Bright LightsRyan Sidhoo 2018 23 minThe 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.
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Cordell I: Trust the ProcessRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minCordell 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.
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Cordell II: For My FamilyRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minWithout 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.
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Finale: Making ItRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minWe catch up with each player in the midst of their journey as they reflect on their road ahead.
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Elijah I: Just a KidRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minElijah 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.
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King Nation I: Play Small, Win BigRyan Sidhoo 2018 23 minKing 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.
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King Nation II: The North's American DreamRyan Sidhoo 2018 15 minInspired 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.
