National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada (or simply National Film Board or NFB) (French: Office National du Film du Canada, or ONF) is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It has English language and French language production branches.

Platforms
In January 2009, the NFB launched its online Screening Room, offering Canadian and international web users the ability to stream hundreds of NFB films for free as well as embed links in blogs and social sites. In October 2009, the NFB launched an iPhone application that was downloaded more than 170,000 times and led to more than 500,000 film views in the first four months. In January 2010, the NFB added high-definition and 3D films to the over 1400 productions available for viewing online. The NFB introduced a free iPad application in July 2010, followed by its first app for the Android platform in March 2011. When the BlackBerry PlayBook launched on April 19, 2011, it included a pre-loaded app offering access to 1,500 NFB titles.

Interactive works
In recent years, the NFB has emerged as a leading producer of interactive media, including web documentaries such as Welcome to Pine Point, recipient of two Webby Awards and Out My Window, winner of the IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling and an International Digital Emmy Award. The NFB now devotes 20 per cent of its production budget to interactive works.

Loc Dao is the executive producer and "creative technologist" responsible for NFB English-language digital content and strategy, based in the Woodward's Building in Vancouver. Jeremy Mendes is an interactive artist producing English-language interactive works for the NFB. Mendes is currently working with Leanne Allison (Being Caribou, Finding Farley) on the interactive project Bear 71, about a grizzly bear, which will incorporate remote camera photos from Parks Canada. From January 2010 to June 2011, NFB interactive works reached over 2.2 million users, in both English and French.

Dao's counterpart for French-language interactive media production at the NFB is Hugues Sweeney, based in Montreal. Sweeney's recent credits include the online interactive animation work, Bla Bla.

Webby Awards
As of May 2011, NFB web documentaries have won four Webby Awards, presented International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the internet. Filmmaker-in-Residence, a project by Katerina Cizek about St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, was named best online documentary series at the 2008 Webbys. In 2010, the NFB website Waterlife, on the state of the Great Lakes, won in the Documentary: Individual Episode category. In 2011, Welcome to Pine Point received two Webbys, for Documentary: Individual Episode in the Online Film & Video category and Netart in the Websites category.

Other
In June 2011, NFB received the Award of Excellence in Interactive Programming from the Banff World Media Festival. In August 2011, the NFB received an outstanding technical achievement in digital media award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

Other awards include:


 * 2011: Sheffield Documentary Festival, Innovation Documentary Award  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2011: Bellaria (Italy) Documentary Festival, Best Cross Media Doc  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2011: The FWA, Site of the Day  Highrise- Out My Window  Jan 28, 2011
 * 2011: The FWA, Site of the Day Holy Mountain Jan 17, 2011
 * 2011: The FWA, Site of the Day  Welcome to Pine Point Feb 22, 2011
 * 2011: The FWA, Site of the Day  Crash Course Jan 9, 2011
 * 2011: FITC, Winner, Flash Narrative  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2011: FITC, Winner, Audio in Flash  Highrise-Out My Window 
 * 2011: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner-Entertainment, Arts & Tourism  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2011: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner-Entertainment, Arts & Tourism  Main Street 
 * 2011: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner-Entertainment, Arts & Tourism  This Land 
 * 2011: Banff World Television Festival, Interactive Rockie Awards, Winner- Best Francophone - Documentary  Holy Mountain
 * 2011: Banff World Television Festival, Interactive Rockie Awards, Winner- Best On Line Program - Documentary  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2011: Communication Arts Interactive Annual, Selected  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2011: Communication Arts, Web Pick of the Day  Welcome to Pine Point 
 * 2010: IDFA Doc Lab, Winner-Digital Storytelling Highrise-Out My Window 
 * 2010: BaKaFORUM, Winner- Youth Jury Prize  Waterlife 
 * 2010: SXSW Interactive, Winner-Activism Category  Waterlife 
 * 2010: Emmy Awards, International Digital Emmy, Non Ficton  Highrise-Out My Window 
 * 2010: SXSW Interactive, Winner, Activism Category  Waterlife 
 * 2010: The FWA, Site of the Day  Waterlife  June 24, 2010
 * 2010: The FWA, Site of the Day  The Test Tube with David Suzuki  Oct 5, 2010
 * 2010: The FWA, Site of the Day  NFB Interactive  Nov 11, 2010
 * 2010: CNMA (Canadian New Media Awards), Community Campaign of the Year  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2010: CNMA (Canadian New Media Awards), Best On Line Program  GDP 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Experimental and Artistic  Flub and Utter 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - On Line Video  Flub and Utter 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Experimental and Artistic  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Public Service Charity  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Net Art  Holy Mountain
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Entertainment, Arts and Tourism  Holy Mountain
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Awards, Winner - Entertainment, Arts and Tourism  NFB 
 * 2010: Applied Arts Interactive Annual, Selected  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2010: On Line Journalism Awards, Winner- Multi Media Feature Presentation, Small Site  This Land 
 * 2010: Communication Arts Interactive Annual, Selected  Waterlife 
 * 2010: Communication Arts, Web Pick of the Week  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2010: Adobe Site of the Day  The Test Tube with David Suzuki 
 * 2009: Hot Docs, Winner- Special Jury Prize  Waterlife 
 * 2009: CNMA (Canadian New Media Awards), Winner- Best Cross Platform Project Waterlife 
 * 2009: Digital Marketing Awards, Winner- Best of Show  Waterlife 
 * 2009: On Line Journalism Awards, Winner- Best Multi Media Feature Presentation  Waterlife 
 * 2009: Adobe Site of the Day  Waterlife 
 * 2009: Applied Arts Interactive Annual, Selected Capturing Reality 
 * 2009: Digital Marketing Awards, Winner-DMA Award Capturing Reality 

Purpose
The organization's purpose and mission have been re-defined numerous times throughout its history. Currently, the NFB's mandate is defined by the Minister of Canadian Heritage:

"The overarching objective of the National Film Board is to produce and distribute audio-visual works which provoke discussion and debate on subjects of interest to Canadian audiences and foreign markets; which explore the creative potential of the audio-visual media; and which achieve recognition by Canadians and others for excellence, relevance and innovation. — Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage (2000)"

The National Film Board has defined a list of primary and secondary goals to fulfill in order to meet its mandate, as well as a set of related activities that can be performed to meet those goals. Primary activities are:


 * create programming reflecting Canada's linguistic duality and cultural diversity
 * create programming of film and audiovisual works on subjects relevant to the general public or niche audiences
 * support innovative and experimental projects in new and interactive media
 * exploit the audiovisual heritage of the NFB

These are to be achieved through various programs, such as the Aboriginal Film Program, implementing a major bilingual website on the history of Canada, and incorporating Internet and interactive tools into film making.

Secondary activities include:


 * broadcasting NFB films on national television networks and specialty services
 * developing and maintaining an e-commerce system to sell products directly to Canadian and international customers
 * developing and diversifying markets for NFB products

The National Film Board's extensive library of short films, documentaries and animation has led to an enthusiastic fan base. Various festivals, film exhibits and university clubs host retrospectives and showings designed to promote the work of the NFB.

Operations
The National Film Board maintains its head office in Saint-Laurent, a borough of Montreal, in the Norman McLaren electoral district, named in honour of the NFB animation pioneer. The NFB HQ building is also named for McLaren, and is home to much of its production activity. Interactive public access centres operate in downtown Toronto (NFB Mediatheque) and Montreal (NFB CineRobotheque). As of April 2011, part of the Toronto Mediatheque has been converted into an interactive space for digital media content creation and consumption.

In addition to the English and French-language studios in its Montreal HQ, there are centres throughout Canada. English-language production occurs at centres in Toronto (Ontario Centre), Vancouver (Pacific & Yukon Centre), Edmonton (North West Centre), Winnipeg (Prairie Centre), and Halifax (Atlantic Centre). As of October 2009, the Atlantic Centre also operates an office in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. In June 2011, the NFB appointed a producer to work with film and digital media makers across Saskatchewan, to be based in Regina.

Outside Quebec, French language productions are also made in Moncton (Studio Acadie). The NFB also offers support programs for independent filmmakers: in English, via the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) and in French through its Aide du cinéma indépendant - Canada (ACIC) program.

The organization has a hierarchical structure headed by a Board of Trustees, which is chaired by the Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson. It is overseen by the Board of Trustees Secretariat and Legal Affairs.

The NFB employs 490 full-time equivalent staff, with an annual budget of $70 million (for 2000–2004). Funding is derived primarily from government of Canada transfer payments, and also from its own revenue streams. These revenues are from print sales, film production services, rentals, and royalties, and total up to $10 million yearly; the NFB lists this as Respendable Revenues in its financial statements.

History
In 1938, the Government of Canada invited John Grierson, a British documentary film-maker, to study the state of the government's film production. Up to that date, the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, established in 1918, had been the major Canadian film producer. The results of Grierson's report were included in the National Film Act of 1939, which led to the establishment of the NFB. In part, it was founded to create propaganda in support of the Second World War. In 1940, with Canada at war, the NFB launched its Canada Carries On series of morale boosting theatrical shorts. The success of Canada Carries On led to the creation of The World in Action, which was more geared to international audiences.

During the ’40s and early ’50s, the NFB employed 'travelling projectionists' who toured the country, bringing films and public discussions to rural communities. A revision of the National Film Act in 1950 removed any direct government intervention into the operation and administration of the NFB. With the creation of the Canadian Film Development Corporation (now known as Telefilm Canada) in 1967, the mandate for the National Film Board was refined. The Canadian Film Development Corporation would become responsible for promoting the development of the film industry. 1967 also saw the creation of Challenge for Change, a community media project that would develop the use of film and video as a tool for initiating social change.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, the National Film Board produced a series of vignettes, some of which aired on CBC and other Canadian broadcasters during commercial breaks. The vignettes became popular because of their cultural depiction of Canada, and because they represented its changing state. Indeed, the vignette Faces was made to represent the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of Canada. In 1996, the NFB absorbed a 32% cut to its operating budget, forcing it to lay off staff, close its film lab, sound stage (now privatized) as well as other departments.

In 2006, the NFB marked the 65th anniversary of NFB animation with an international retrospective of restored Norman McLaren classics and the launch of the DVD box set, Norman McLaren - The Master's Edition. The NFB has also absorbed smaller budget cuts in recent years. The six-storey John Grierson Building at its Montreal headquarters has sat empty for several years – with HQ staff now based solely in its adjacent Norman McLaren Building. In October 2009, the NFB released a free app for Apple's iPhone that would allow users to watch thousands of NFB films directly on their cell phones. In 2010, the NFB released an iPad version of their app that streams NFB films, many in high definition.

NFB studios and divisions
The current head of NFB English Program is Cindy Witten. The head of NFB French Program is Monique Simard. In 2009, Simard introduced a filmmaker in residence program, bringing in leading Quebec filmmakers for two year terms, beginning with Paule Baillargeon and Philippe Baylaucq.

As of 2009, the NFB is organized along nine branches and departments:


 * English Program
 * French Program
 * Strategic Planning and Government Relations
 * Marketing and Communications
 * Distribution
 * Administration
 * Business Affairs and Legal Services
 * Technical Innovation and Resources
 * Human Resources

Animation
When Norman McLaren joined the organization in 1941, the NFB began production of animation. The NFB proved to be an organization that would give Canada a presence in the film world. The animation department eventually gained distinction, particularly with the pioneering work of McLaren, an internationally recognized experimental filmmaker. The NFB was a pioneer in several novel techniques such as pinscreen animation, but most of the Oscars and many other awards it won were done in traditional cell animation.

McLaren's Oscar-winning Neighbours popularized the form of character movement referred to as pixillation, a variant of stop motion. The term pixilation itself was created by NFB animator Grant Munro in an experimental film of the same name.

Studio D
In 1974, in conjunction with International Women's Year, the National Film Board of Canada, on the recommendation of long-time employee Kathleen Shannon created Studio D, the first government-funded film studio dedicated to women filmmakers in the world. Shannon was designated as Executive Director of the new studio which became one of the NFB's most celebrated filmmaking units, winning awards and breaking distribution records.

High profile films produced by the studio include:
 * Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives
 * If You Love This Planet
 * Not a Love Story
 * Flamenco at 5:15

Studio D was shut down in 1996, amidst a sweeping set of federal government budget cuts, which impacted the NFB as a whole.

Still Photography Division
Upon its merger with the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau in 1941, the NFB's mandate expanded to include motion as well as still pictures, resulting in the creation of the Still Photography Division of the NFB.

From 1941 to 1984, the Division commissioned freelance photographers to document every aspect of life in Canada. These images were widely distributed through publication in various media.

In 1985, this Division officially became the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Key NFB people
A brief list of some key NFB filmmakers, artisans and staff.


 * Michel Brault
 * Donald Brittain
 * Richard Condie
 * John Grierson, NFB founder
 * Guy Glover, producer
 * Co Hoedeman
 * René Jodoin, French animation founder
 * Arthur Lipsett
 * Colin Low
 * Bill Mason
 * Norman McLaren, animation founder
 * Grant Munro
 * Alanis Obomsawin
 * Ishu Patel
 * Eldon Rathburn, composer
 * Terrence McCartney Filgate
 * Marcel Carrière
 * Tom Daly
 * Roman Kroitor
 * Wolf Koenig
 * Ryan Larkin
 * Tanya Ballantyne
 * Anne Claire Poirier
 * William Greaves
 * Stanley Jackson (documentary filmmaker)
 * Boyce Richardson

Government Film Commissioner
As stipulated in the National Film Act of 1950, the person who holds the position of Government Film Commissioner is the head of the NFB. On May 17, 2007, Tom Perlmutter was named the NFB's 15th Commissioner, having served as its head of English Program since 2001.

Former NFB Commissioners:


 * John Grierson, 1939–1945
 * Ross McLean, 1945-1947 (interim), 1947-1950
 * W. Arthur Irwin, 1950-1953
 * Albert W. Trueman, 1953-1957
 * Guy Roberge, 1957-1966
 * Grant McLean, 1966-1967 (interim)
 * Hugo McPherson, 1967-1970
 * Sydney Newman, 1970–1975
 * André Lamy, 1975-1979
 * James de Beaujeu Domville, 1979-1984
 * François N. Macerola, 1984-1988
 * Joan Pennefather, 1988-1994
 * Sandra M. Macdonald, 1995-2001
 * Jacques Bensimon, 2001-2006

Controversy
In addition to Neighbours, other NFB productions have been criticized for their content, for moral and social reasons or because the production presents an unpopular interpretation of widely held beliefs.

Two NFB productions broadcast on CBC Television criticizing the role of Canadians in wartime were the source of controversy, including questions in the Canadian Senate. The Kid Who Couldn't Miss (1982) cast doubt on the accomplishments of Canadian World War I flying ace Billy Bishop, sparking widespread outrage, including complaints in the Senate subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs.

A decade later, The Valour and the Horror outraged some when it suggested that there was incompetence on the part of Canadian military command, and that Canadian soldiers had committed unprosecuted war crimes against German soldiers. The series became the subject of an inquiry by the Senate.

The 1982 film If You Love This Planet, which won an Academy Award for best documentary short subject, was labelled foreign propaganda under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 in the United States.

Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography was a 1981 Studio D documentary critiquing pornography that was itself banned in the province of Ontario on the basis of pornographic content.

During the height of the pro-rights and pro-life abortion debate of the 1980s, the NFB released the documentary film Abortion: Stories from North and South (1984).

Film and television awards
Over the years, the NFB has been internationally recognized with more than 5000 film awards. In 2009, Norman McLaren's Neighbours was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, listing the most significant documentary heritage collections in the world.

Genie Awards
The NFB has received more than 90 Genie Awards, including a Special Achievement Genie in 1989 for its 50th anniversary. The following is an incomplete list:

Winners:
 * 1988: 10th Genie Awards, Best Animated Short: The Cat Came Back, (Cordell Barker). This film is based upon the 1893 song And the Cat Came Back by Harry S. Miller.
 * 1986 Best Feature Length Documentary: Final Offer
 * 1985: 7th Genie Awards, Best Animated Short: The Big Snit, (Richard Condie and Michael J.F. Scott)
 * 1970 Best Public Affairs Film: A Little Fellow From Gambo: The Joey Smallwood Story

Nominated:
 * 1985: 7th Genie Awards, Paradise/Paradis, (Ishu Patel)
 * 1982: 3rd Genie Awards, Top Priority, (Ishu Patel)

Academy Awards
The National Film Board of Canada has been recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their work and has garnered a total of 70 Academy Award nominations. The first-ever Oscar for documentary went to the NFB production, Churchill's Island. In 1989, it received an Honorary Award from the Academy "in recognition of its 50th anniversary and its dedicated commitment to originate artistic, creative and technological activity and excellence in every area of filmmaking." On January 23, 2007, the NFB received its 12th and most recent Academy Award, for the animated short The Danish Poet, directed by Torill Kove and co-produced with MikroFilm AS (Norway).

Winners:
 * 2007: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Danish Poet, (Torill Kove)
 * 2005: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Ryan, (Chris Landreth)
 * 1994: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,Bob's Birthday, (Alison Snowden and David Fine)
 * 1988:  Academy Honorary Award - National Film Board
 * 1983: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Flamenco at 5:15, (Cynthia Scott)
 * 1982: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, If You Love This Planet (Terri Nash)
 * 1979: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Every Child (Eugene Fedorenko)
 * 1978: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Special Delivery (Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon)
 * 1977: Academy Award for Live Action Short Film, I'll Find a Way (Beverly Shaffer)
 * 1977: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Sand Castle (Co Hoedeman)
 * 1952: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Neighbours (Norman McLaren)
 * 1941: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Churchill's Island (Stuart Legg)

Nominated: (incomplete list)
 * 2008: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Madame Tutli-Putli, (Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski).
 * 2001: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Strange Invaders, (Cordell Barker)
 * 1999: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts (Torill Kove)
 * 1999: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, When the Day Breaks (Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis)
 * 1998: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square (Shui-Bo Wang)
 * 1996: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, La Salla (Richard Condie)
 * 1992: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein (Joyce Borenstein)
 * 1991: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Blackfly, (Christopher Hinton)
 * 1991: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Strings, (Wendy Tilby)
 * 1988: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Cat Came Back, (Cordell Barker)
 * 1987: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, George and Rosemary, (Alison Snowden and David Fine)
 * 1985: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Big Snit, (Richard Condie and Michael J.F. Scott)
 * 1984: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Paradise/Paradis, (Ishu Patel)
 * 1984: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin,  (Janet Perlman)
 * 1983: Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, The Profession of Arms (Michael Bryans, Tina Viljoen)
 * 1979: Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Going the Distance (Paul Cowan)
 * 1979: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Nails (film) (Phillip Borsos)
 * 1977: Academy Award for Documentary Feature, High Grass Circus (Tony Ianzelo and Torben Schioler)
 * 1977: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  Bead Game, (Ishu Patel)
 * 1976: Academy Award for Documentary Feature, Volcano: An Inquiry Into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (Donald Brittain and John Kramer)
 * 1976: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  The Street, (Caroline Leaf and Guy Glover)
 * 1975: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  Monsieur Pointu, (René Jodoin, Bernard Longpré and André Leduc)
 * 1974: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  The Family That Dwelt Apart, (Yvon Mallette and Robert Verrall)
 * 1974: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  Hunger, (Peter Foldes and René Jodoin)
 * 1972: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Evolution, (Michael Mills)
 * 1971: Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film,  Blake, (Bill Mason)
 * 1969: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  Walking, (Ryan Larkin)
 * 1968: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  The House That Jack Built, (Ron Tunis)
 * 1967: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  What on Earth!, (Les Drew and Kaj Pindal)
 * 1966: Academy Award for Documentary Feature, Helicopter Canada (Eugene Boyko)
 * 1966: Academy Award for Animated Short Film,  The Drag, (Wolf Koenig and Robert Verrall)
 * 1964: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, Christmas Cracker, (Norman McLaren, Jeff Hale,  Gerald Potterton and Grant Munro)
 * 1964: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak (John Feeney)
 * 1963: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, My Financial Career, (Gerald Potterton)
 * 1962: Academy Award for Live Action Short Film, Very Nice, Very Nice, (Arthur Lipsett)
 * 1960: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Universe (Colin Low, Roman Kroitor)
 * 1958: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, The Living Stone (John Feeney)
 * 1958: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Overture (Gian Luigi Polidoro)
 * 1957: Academy Award for Live Action Short Film, City of Gold, (Colin Low, Wolf Koenig)
 * 1957: Academy Award for Live Action Short Film, A Chairy Tale, (Norman McLaren, Claude Jutra)
 * 1954: Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, The Stratford Adventure (Morten Parker)
 * 1952: Academy Award for Animated Short Film, The Romance of Transportation in Canada, (Colin Low)
 * 1950: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, The Fight: Science Against Cancer (Morten Parker)
 * 1949: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, The Rising Tide (Jean Palardy)
 * 1942: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Inside Fighting China (Stuart Legg)
 * 1941: Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, Warclouds in the Pacific (Stuart Legg)

Peabody Awards
As of April 2011, the NFB has received four Peabody Awards: for the Rezolution Pictures/NFB co-production Reel Injun (2011), Karen Shopsowitz's NFB documentary My Father's Camera (2002), the NFB/Télé-Action co-produced mini-series The Boys of St. Vincent (1995) and the NFB documentary Fat Chance (1994).

NFB on TV
The NFB is a minority owner of the digital television channel, Documentary in Canada. NFB-branded series Retrovision appeared on VisionTV, along with the French-language Carnets ONF series on APTN. Moreover, in 1997 the American cable channel Cartoon Network created a weekly 30-minute show called O Canada specifically showcasing a compilation of NFB-produced works; the segment was discontinued in favour of Adult Swim. As of 2010, many of the NFB children's shows are available on the children's IPTV service Ameba.

Logo
The Board's logo consists of a standing stylized figure (originally green) with its arms wide upward. The arms are met by an arch that mirrors them. The round head in between then resembles a pupil, making the entire symbol appear to be an eye with legs. Launched in 1969, the logo symbolized a vision of humanity and was called "Man Seeing / L'homme qui voit". It was designed by Georges Beaupré. It was updated in 2002 by the firm of Paprika Communications.

NFB in popular media

 * The Scottish music act Boards of Canada takes its name from the NFB.
 * The Simpsons episode "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", has the Simpson family watching a Zorro movie whose production is credited to the National Film Board of Canada. Similarly in the episode "The Italian Bob" has the students of Bart's class watching a diversity film created by PBS in association with the National Film Board of Canada.
 * In the 1960 film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the car Marion Crane buys from a used-car dealership has the license plate NFB 418. NFB, obviously standing for National Film Board, while 418 is the area code for Quebec City. Alfred Hitchcock filmed I Confess in Quebec City in 1953 and met with producers of the National Film Board in Montreal. In the opening scene of the film, Marion and Sam are making love in a hotel room numbered 514. 514 is the area code for Montreal.

NFB web sites

 * NFB History
 * NFB Web Site
 * GDP - Measuring the human side of the Canadian economic crisis - NFB web documentary Web site
 * CITIZENShift - online media for social change
 * NFB Animation Web Site
 * Across Cultures Web site
 * NFB Facebook page
 * NFB Facebook page

Articles concerning the NFB

 * Historica: The Canadian Encyclopedia - National Film Board of Canada
 * A Chronology of Canadian Film and Television
 * United Nations of animation - National Film Board of Canada
 * National Film Board is the 'Eyes of Canada', CBC Digital Archives
 * O Canada: - Canadian animators
 * National Film Board of Canada at the Big Cartoon DataBase