We Bet You Had No Idea These Films Were Canadian

What makes a film a classic? Is it just the passage of time (and is ‘instant classic’ an oxymoron), or does it require someone’s (everyone’s?) seal of approval, and, if so, who gets to decide? Or, maybe, sometimes, you just know? Whatever the case may be, these 5 films are tested and true NFB classics that are guaranteed to keep you glued to the screen.

Nahanni

Albert Faille, a rugged septuagenarian, lives a solitary life in the Northwest Territories and has only one thing on his mind: gold. But not just any gold, the gold of a fabled, lost mine in the Nahanni Valley. In this beautiful but perilous landscape, countless men have lost their lives, and heads, in search of riches.

“Seven times he has tried. Seven times he has failed… but maybe this time” Fallie will strike gold.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/nahanni/

How To Build An Igloo

There’s something mesmerizing about watching an expert do what they do best. In How to Build an Igloo, we get a chance to see two Inuit men deftly build a sturdy dwelling in under two hours, using only a metal blade and hard-packed snow. The ingenious design of the igloo makes it perfect for nomadic life in Arctic Canada, whether for overnight stays or an entire season.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/how_to_build_an_igloo/

Gone Curling

Being the new guy in town can be tough, especially when you don’t know how to play the local favourite: curling. But don’t fret! Just get yourself a snazzy curling sweater and put your best foot forward (but mind the ice!) and you’ll be one of the gang in no time.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/gone_curling/

Glenn Gould – Off the Record

This short film gives a rare look into the private life of a brilliant, Canadian pianist. Though Gould would have only been 27 at the time of recording, and already world famous, he favoured the quiet life, hoping to retire from performing altogether by the tender age of 35!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/glenn_gould_off_record/

The Stratford Adventure

Like the original Stratford in merry old England, Stratford, Ontario is famous for its connection to The Bard. This charming short film records the foundation and first season of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival and the many delightful characters, real and fictional, that brought it all together.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/stratford_adventure/

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When Only the Best Will Do

Every year, thousands of films are made the world over, produced in different genres, artistic styles, and addressing a variety of subjects. Few, however, are recognized by the film industry as award-winning.

In celebration of the exceptional work of Canadian filmmakers, here are 5 fantastic NFB films that also come with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ seal of approval.

(Viewer advisory: Some films contain strong language and content that is not necessarily suitable for children.)

The Danish Poet – Oscar for Best Animated Short Film

Have you ever wondered how life as you know it came to be? While everyone has a rough idea of their own story, the narrator of The Danish Poet recounts the chain of coincidences leading to her very existence. In this touching animated film we follow a young poet named Kasper on his journey of love, loss, and personal discovery, and witness the pull of those invisible strings that bring people together.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/danish_poet-edu/

The Sand Castle – Oscar for Best Animated Short Film

For the The Sand Castle, the message is in the medium as NFB filmmaker Co Hoedeman takes on the themes of creation and destruction through the materiality of sand. From an empty, remote landscape, an array of sand creatures comes to life and together they build a happy home. But change, as they say, is the only constant, and all good things must come to an end.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sand_castle/

Flamenco at 5:15 – Oscar for Documentary (Short Subject)

Flamenco at 5:15 records a group of National Ballet School of Canada dancers as they learn the flamenco from experts Susana and Antonio Robledo. Through the instructors’ and students’ passion for dance, we experience the flowing movements, powerful emotions, and thunderous, syncopated rhythms created by the body when performing the flamenco.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/flamenco_at_515/

Neighbours – Oscar for Documentary (Short Subject)

All is well in the neighborhood, until it isn’t. In this unscripted short, Norman McLaren unconventionally combines single frame animation with live actors to tell a sobering story of the tragedies of war, recast through two suburban neighbors fighting over a flower.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/neighbours_voisins/

Ryan – Oscar for Best Animated Short Film

In Ryan, Chris Landreth uses computer animation to capture the incredible life and heartbreaking decline of his friend, and fellow Canadian animator, Ryan Larkin. Larkin’s psychological deterioration and struggle with substance abuse, and Landreth’s own depression and anxiety, are outwardly manifested in their gnarled, moth-eaten, and hollow representations.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/ryan/

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The 10 Most-Viewed NFB Films of 2017

As we wrap up the year, we thought it would be fun to look at the Top 10 most-watched films 2017. Some of the films are obvious, but a few caught us by surprise. It’s a great mix, and is sure to make for some great viewing during the holidays.

Enjoy!

10 – Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows

The success of last year’s feature film Maudie, starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, was great for Canadian film in general, and one of our films in particular. The renewed interest in Nova Scotia’s most well-known folk artist sent people to our site to watch this short doc from 1976.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/maud_lewis_a_world_without_shadows/

09 – Paddle to the Sea

It was a big year for Paddle, as it celebrated its 50^th anniversary (a year late, but who’s counting?) and was invited aboard the Canada C3. This little film that follows the adventures of a small wooden carving on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea is one of the most treasured films in our collection.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_sea/

08 – Return to Vimy

This year marked the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Vimy Ridge. This film marks the first time the NFB has colourized its own archives for a film project, allowing us to go back in time and revisit the daily lives of the Canadian Corps as they prepared for battle.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/return-to-vimy/

07 – The Railrodder

No one can deny the comic genius of Buster Keaton, and coupled together with director Gerald Potterton, he created a hilarious gem of a film that was one of the last of his long career. This is a film that always performs well, and it’s no mystery why. Take 25 minutes and enjoy – you won’t regret it.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder/

06 – Griefwalker

Meet Stephen Jenkinson, a man who has attended the deaths of well over 1,000 people. He left his job as leader of the palliative care counselling team at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and has made it his life’s mission to change the way we die.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/griefwalker/

05 – The Sweater

The Sweater is another project that had a big year. A musical, based on the original story by Roch Carrier, was performed at Montreal’s Segal Centre. This film is a true NFB classic, and frankly I’d be shocked if there was a year it didn’t make this Top 10 list.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater/

04 – Blackfly

If there was an award for NFB Earworm, this film and its song would take the prize… challenged only by the film in the number two spot on this list. It features the musical stylings of Canadian folk singer Wade Hemsworth, backed by the fabulous McGarrigle sisters.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/blackfly/

03 – Crapshoot: The Gamble with Our Wastes

That this doc from 2003 places third on our Top 10 list of most-watched films of the year is a testament to how much of an issue waste and the environment is. Filmed in Italy, India, Sweden, the United States, and Canada, this film questions our fundamental attitudes towards waste and our need to dispose of it.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/crapshoot_the_gamble_with_our_wastes/

02 – The Cat Came Back

This beloved classic was feted this year with the release of The Cat Came Back picture book, illustrated by Cordell Barker himself and published by Firefly Books. Until you can get your hands on a copy, enjoy the original 1988 film.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/the-cat-came-back/

01 – Canada Vignettes: Log Driver’s Waltz

Tell the truth – is anyone really surprised that this film comes in at Number 1? Whenever I meet new people and tell them I work for the NFB, they break into their rendition of this song. It’s like they go hand in hand. Speaking of which…

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/log_drivers_waltz/

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Get Your Blood Pumping with 5 Classic Hockey Films

When it comes to hockey, ask any Canadian and they’ll tell you the same: still (frozen) waters run deep, on and off the rink. So kick off your skates, pull on your favourite jersey, and watch these 5 classic hockey films with pride!

The Sweater

In this love letter to hockey and his youth in Quebec, Roch Carrier recalls the 1946 winter when “We all wore the same costume as Maurice Richard… all combed our hair like Maurice Richard… laced our skates like Maurice Richard…taped our sticks like Maurice Richard… and knew everything there was to know about Maurice Richard.” But what happens when you get stuck with a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater? You pray to a higher power, of course (hint: moths).

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater/

The Rocket

Before we had hockey greats like Gretzky, Lemieux, or Crosby there was Maurice “Rocket” Richard. Single-minded in his love of the game and desire to win, Richard did the unimaginable and became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season and to reach 500-goals over the course of his professional career. This retrospective film, which came out two years before The Rocket’s passing, tells the tale of a hockey legend and a hero to French Canadians.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/rocket/

Here’s Hockey

Ever wonder what a 1950s promotional film for hockey in Canada would look like? Well, Here’s Hockey has you covered! This short film traces the hockey life from Peewee to pro, and local games to televised matches with the national league.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/heres_hockey/

Just Another Job

Just Another Job provides an insider’s view of the events leading up to the Quebec Nordiques’ very first season in the World Hockey Association. In the film we see Maurice Richard in the role of coach, get a first-person feel for what it’s really like to be a pro hockey player, and learn the importance of hockey to French-Canadian culture.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/just_another_job/

Blades and Brass

Ah, the 1967 NHL season. A time when helmets were optional, brawls were at their scrappiest, and the original six were the only six. This short captures the intensity, skill, and passion of that final, magical season–from the finesse players to the fighters–before the league expanded.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/blades_and_brass/

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Gather Round and Watch 5 Films for the Whole Family

Last year we created a special NFB.ca channel that offered 33 films for the entire family, just in time for the holidays. We’ve revamped the offer this year, adding several fun films that are great for kids of all ages (including those of us who are still young at heart). The selection of classic titles once again includes charming animation, short live-action fiction and several Christmas-themed films. And just as I did last year, I’m highlighting a few of the films you won’t want to miss.

The Juggler is a delightful live-action short whose titular character loses his yellow ball in the middle of a performance. The film follows him as he attempts to retrieve it. He meets several interesting people along the way, including some impatient tennis players, a helpful cyclist and a mysterious woman. All ends well when a few kids come to the rescue, in this lovely film without words that’s sure to bring a smile to your face. Make it a double header with The Ride, which features a crazy chase on toboggan, skis and snowmobile.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/juggler/

There are more zany adventures in The Hungry Squid, in which young Dorothy is constantly losing her homework because various animals keep eating it! Poor Dorothy has hair that never behaves, absentee parents and now trouble with those animals. This hilarious tale from John Weldon is a sort of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” on steroids — and guaranteed to make you laugh. In The Girl Who Hated Books, another film featuring a young female protagonist, Meena tries to figure out what to do when all sorts of characters from famous stories escape the pages of their books and wreak havoc in her house.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/hungry_squid/

What do you do when the wall of your house suddenly slides open to make way for a subway stop? Faced with this dilemma, a young boy named Jonathan decides to go to city hall to fix the problem, but there he’s confronted with the giant super computer that supposedly manages the entire city. Based on a book by Robert Munsch, Blackberry Subway Jam is a cute animated film that shows us how things are not always what they seem. If you’re interested in another story about machines running amuck, check out The Underground Movie, in which Doctor Phillip Square builds a contraption that can dig straight through to the centre of the earth!!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/blackberry_subway_jam/

All Cathy and her brother John want for Christmas is a pony; however, dad is of the opinion that there’s already way too much to do on the farm. Cathy and John have saved up just about enough money to buy The Pony from their neighbour, but what will they tell mom and dad? Better hide “Pancho” in the barn while making sure he stays warm and has enough food and water. Of course, everything ends well, and just in time for Christmas. I smiled throughout this lovely film, which will make you nostalgic for the good old days before the advent of video games and smartphones. If you’re a fan of this type of short Christmas film, take a look at Anne Wheeler’s Teach Me to Dance, a tale of friendship between two young girls who want to perform a Ukrainian dance at a Christmas show, much to the chagrin of one of their fathers. Fortunately, friendship wins out in the end.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/pony/

Sea Dream is an endearing animated short about the power of escaping into your imagination when you’re having a bad day. This one is great for the younger kids, as is The Animal Movie, which follows a little boy who goes on various adventures with a bunch of different animals.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sea_dream/

The entire offer is available here. So, gather the kids together, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy!

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Watch 5 Live Action Films For Kids

When you think of kids’ films, do cartoons come to mind? If so, you’re not alone! But beyond the often zany and silly world of animation, you’ll find plenty of kid-friendly content with real live people and animals, waiting to be discovered. Here are 5 live action films for kids to get you started.

Gaston’s Recital

Young Gaston’s a hockey star and a violin wizard, and both passions keep him busy. But what happens, one fateful Sunday, when he’s slated to play in a recital on the same day as the big game? Cue two mischievous friends, a filibustering grandfather,  and a dad who had the solution all along, and Gaston might just get to do it all.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/gastons_recital/

The Pony

All siblings John and Kathy want is a pony, but dear old dad just won’t hear of it. After saving up their hard-earned pennies, brother and sister buy the neighbor’s horse, Pancho, and are determined to show their dad that they can handle the responsibility… with a big reveal on Christmas.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/pony/

Adventures

Poor little Peter the racoon just wants to spend his day having 500 adventures. Though he wandered off from his family in search of fun, things don’t go according to plan. But at least we can learn a few lessons from Peter’s misfortunes, like the importance of being kind to animals, that we should be careful around heavy machinery, and that it’s always good to have friends who have your back.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/adventures/

Animal Friends

An important part of growing up is coming to understand the world we live in, and who we share it with. In this documentary short, we get to learn more about Canada’s animal friends in three different settings. From the mountains of Banff, to a school visit from the local zoo in Vancouver, to the streets and SPCAs of Montreal, we see animals of all shapes and sizes, and in all walks of life.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/animal_friends/

The Bear and the Mouse

In this reimagining of Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse, a hungry bear is ready to snack on a mouse when he suddenly has a change of heart. One good turn deserves another, and the mouse later comes to the bear’s rescue when a pair of hunters threaten to do him in. The film offers several important lessons on kindness, gratitude, and the importance of racially and culturally appropriate casting.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/bear_and_the_mouse/

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Classical Music Only: Discover, Listen To, And Discuss Classical Music

Classical Music Only is a place to discover, listen to, and discuss classical music.

Stream Classical Music On YouTube

Classical Music Only is a niche social media network created by the people behind the popular YouTube channel of the same name. As that name suggests, the site is dedicated to classical music (only). Users can “follow” composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Chopin, create and share playlists of their favorite works, or discuss any topics related to classical music. There are open-ended topics with questions like “what if Beethoven had lived longer until the 1820s,” as well as more esoteric sharing and discussions. The site integrates with the YouTube channel, so every time a user streams a song, it’s actually played through an embedded YouTube channel.

A Great Community Of Passionate Fans

Even though the YouTube integration on Classical Music Only makes it more difficult to stream and organize playlists, it’s actually quite nice to be able to stream videos of orchestras playing classical works rather than just listening to recordings of the songs. It’s also cool how the site has built up such a strong community of passionate classical music fans, and the features it has added on each page alongside each video are robust. Users can star their favorite works, or create lists of their favorite compositions in order to share them with the rest of the community. Classical Music Only isn’t the most well-designed site, and it can be somewhat difficult to navigate, but it’s worth it to discover all the great content it has to offer.

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Fanchest: Meaningful Sports Gifts All Fans Will Love

Fanchest is a box of sports gear delivered to your door.

A Box Of Sports Memorabilia

Fanchest is a new spin on the box delivery service, offering a container of sports goods every three months. The service sends apparel, memorabilia, headwear, and exclusive merchandise, all based on your favorite sports team. If you’re a fan of the Chicago Bears, for instance, you might receive a box with a t-shirt, a beer koozie, a keychain, a hat, and anything else Bears related. The Fanchest site claims to switch up the materials that they include in a box with each delivery, so you can be sure that you’re always receiving a new set of premium gear with each delivery. Fanchest is not technically a subscription service, though, as you have to purchase a new box every three months.

Perfect Gift For A Sports Fan

Fanchest has subscription services for teams in the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB. It also has boxes dedicated to college teams. There isn’t a subscription box for every single team, unfortunately, but the company does cover most of the popular teams in each league, as well as the NCAA’s bigger college teams. The service is severely limited in the MLB department, as it currently only offers boxes for fans of the New York Yankees and New York Mets. At around $60 per box, Fanchest can seem expensive, but it’s worth the price for how much you get in each delivery. For the big sports fans in your life, Fanchest could make a great holiday gift.

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We Know You’re Busy, So Here Are 5 Films to Keep Your Kids Entertained

Animation is a magical artform. It can create colourful, whimsical, and goofy worlds out of thin air, but also has the power to bring greater meaning to the quiet moments of everyday life. Is it any wonder, then, that children and animation are a match made in heaven?

So, whether you’re 7 or 77, here’s a list of 5 films sure to captivate any child, young or old.

The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin

Cinderella penguin’s got 99 problems but anthropomorphism ain’t one. In this wonderfully silly remake of a fairytale classic, the plot may remain the same, but the entire cast–from Cinderella to a piece of cheese–gets a very penguin-y makeover.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/the_tender_tale_of_cinderella_penguin/

Sleeping Betty

In this animated short, all the king’s family (King Henry VIII and Queen Victoria, is that you?) and all the king’s friends (hey there, court jester, Medieval muscle man, be-ruffed alien, and goat man in suit) try to get sleeping Betty out of bed again. When all efforts fail, Prince Charles (yes, that Prince Charles) and his trusty steed are called in, but can they save the day? Sometimes you gotta let sleeping Bettys lie…

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sleeping_betty/

Peep and the Big Wide World

In this film, a little chick comes out of her shell and quickly finds out she’s got a lot to learn. Thankfully, birds of a feather flock together and peep sets out to see the big wide world with her new friends, even if one of them is quacked up!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/peep_and_the_big_wide_world/

Sunday

Some days, being a kid can be a drag, especially if the only other people around are grown-ups. Patrick Doyon’s Oscar-Nominated film shows the world on one such day through the eyes of a young boy. From his perspective, the adults are huge, the train makes the whole earth shake, and the bear on the wall, well, you’ll see.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sunday/

The Sweater

Growing up in Sainte-Justine, Quebec, iconic Canadian author, Roch Carrier, and his friends worshiped at the altar of Le Tricolore. Their patron saint?: Maurice “Rocket” Richard. So imagine Carrier’s dismay when he outgrows his treasured CH hockey sweater, only to have it accidentally replaced with “an abominable maple leaf” from Toronto.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater/

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In Need of a Laugh? We Got You Covered

Did you know that NFB also stands for “Nifty, Funny, and Brilliant”? No? Well, it doesn’t… but it could! Here are 5 side-splitting, funny-bone-tickling films to prove it.

My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts

Torill Koves’ grandmother could spin a good yarn and press a mean shirt. Following the reestablishment of the Norwegian monarchy in 1905, Kove’s grandmother comes to iron the new king’s shirts. From this point on, the truth of the story becomes hazy, but that’s okay. Any story of a shirt-pressing MorMor who can sabotage the Nazi army with itchy clothes, true or not, is worth telling.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/my_grandmother_ironed_the_king_shirts/

Sleeping Betty

This one made it into our Kids’ Animation list, but, let’s be honest, it’s funny for adults, too. New world meets old world, with a healthy dose of absurdist humor, in this very fresh take on a classic fairy tale. No matter what her Medieval family tries, 20^th century Betty just won’t wake up. But maybe the kiss of a prince (Charles, that is) will finally get her out of bed. How many cultural references (and from how many time periods) can you spot?

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/sleeping_betty/

Meltdown

Sometimes things go sideways and you gotta get the heck out of Dodge. Especially when Dodge is the North Pole, and sideways is global warming. When a polar bear’s efforts to reinvent himself repeatedly fail, he finds a cool solution in an unlikely place.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/meltdown/

Bob’s Birthday

This Oscar-winning short film was the genesis for the internationally-acclaimed animated series Bob and Margaret, which ran for four seasons. Watching Bob’s mid-life crisis on his 40^th birthday and the hilarity that ensues when his wife, Margaret, throws him a surprise party, you can see why this wonderfully British couple has amassed such a loyal fandom.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/bobs_birthday/

Opening Speech: McLaren

On the occasion of the first-ever Montreal International Film Festival,  prolific NFB animator, director, and producer, Norman McLaren, tries to deliver his opening speech, but is faced with a cheeky microphone that takes the term ‘technical difficulty’ to the next level.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/opening_speech_mclaren/

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Shake Off the Cold with 5 Winter Activities

For those that enjoy frolicking in a snowy wonderland all day, every day, the months of December through March (and sometimes April, ugh) offer something summer just can’t: WINTER SPORTS. As for the rest of us, a dignified life as indoor armchair-winter-sports-enthusiasts is just fine, thank you very much.

So, whether you’re one to hit the slopes from dawn until dusk, or would rather marvel at the beauty and skill of winter athletes from the sidelines, here are 5 films that prove that NO ONE does winter sports better than Canadians.

The Rink

On a chilly, bright Sunday in Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, the skating rink is the place to be. In this nostalgic film, Gilles Carle captures the spirit of a Canadian winter, lived out on the rink. Whether young or old, wobbly or agile, out for a casual skate or a game of shinny, the skaters in this film know how to have a good time.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/rink/

King of Blades

Figure skating is a thing of beauty, but it’s not for the faint of heart! In King of Blades, Canadian figure skater Donald Jackson stars, having wowed the audience and judges of the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. This film documents the competition and Jackson’s subsequent career while also showing off some seriously breathtaking moves. Hail to the king, baby!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/king_of_blades/

Canada Vignettes: Skier

Eighteen year old Kathy Kreiner is a skiing prodigy, and this exciting vignette showcases the intensity and skill of an exceptional athlete in all her Olympian glory.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/canada_vignettes_skier/

No Way They Want to Slow Down

This short documentary follows a group of Canadian, World Cup skiing hopefuls in the mountains of Argentina and Chile as they vy for a spot on the national team. After an intense training period of high speeds, sharp turns and sun burns, the skiers find time for a friendly game of hockey with the local team from Bariloche, Argentina.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/no_way_they_want_to_slow_down/

Gone Curling

A stranger rolls into small-town Saskatchewan one snowy morning, only to find the place deserted. Turns out everyone’s “Gone Curling”! Amused and intrigued, the stranger succumbs to the charms and seeming simplicity of curling, only to find that he’ll need to “hurry hard” if he wants to keep up with the locals!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/gone_curling/

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Jock Dummy: A Mobile Ice Hockey Game

Jock Dummy is a unique, arcade-style twist on ice hockey.

Hurtle Toward The Net

Jock Dummy is an iOS and Android app created by Lefty Games. The premise of the game is that you play as a crash dummy, who slingshots himself toward the net in order to get the puck in the goal a game of ice hockey. It sounds stupid, and it is, but it’s more fun than you might expect. It’s a physics-based game for fans of mini golf games, Angry Birds, and any other game where you have to aim and shoot towards a goal. The ice adds a degree of difficulty, as well as some obstacles that the game throws in your way as you advance through the levels.

Master All 36 Levels

Jock Dummy consists of thirty six levels, each of them building upon the last and increasing in difficulty. Eventually, you have to face opposing crash dummy players, hockey sticks, spinning fans, and all other sorts of obstacles. Still, it can become addicting to try to beat the level and move on to the next one. Jock Dummy is a simple game that most likely won’t appeal to everyone. Even in its simplicity, however, it’s well designed and worth the free download on your mobile device. If you’re a fan of hockey, or just a fan of games in general, you should find Jock Dummy enjoyable.

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Access Mars: Explore The Surface Of Mars

Access Mars lets you explore the surface of Mars as it actually looks.

Curiosity Is In The Eye Of The Rover

It’s incredible to think that NASA’s Curiosity rover has been on the surface of Mars for several years now, collecting and returning data to earth. The Red Planet is literally inhabited entirely by robots (as far as we know), sent on an exploration mission by their human overlords. With Access Mars, anyone with a computer can explore the surface of Mars, as reconstructed via images and data captured by the Curiosity rovers. It’s an awesome idea, even if most of Mars is boring-looking red rock with ominous dust clouds in every direction. It doesn’t look like Mars will be inhabitable anytime in the near future, but it still is fun to explore in 360 degree view.

Learn More About Mars

Access Mars doesn’t leave you entirely alone to explore the planet, although you could do that if you wish. The site also provides a tour guide, Katie Stack Morgan. As you explore the planet, various points appear. When you click on them, Morgan, a planetary geologist for NASA’s JPL, provides some interesting additional information. The Access Mars site also contains some explanations as to how the Curiosity rover operates, and how NASA’s team reconstructed the surface into a 3D model. Whether you have a casual interest in space exploration or you hope to one day escape earth in order to inhabit the Red Planet, exploring Access Mars is a wonderful technological feat and worthwhile endeavor.

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Addiction is a Disease and it’s Damn Difficult to Treat

Addiction is terrifying. There are few things that can so rapidly destroy one’s family, career, and entire life as an addiction. Whether it’s an action or a substance makes no difference – addiction is a disease and it’s damn difficult to treat.

The NFB has a long history of covering this topic. This week, we launched a new project called Thank You For Playing about gambling addiction and prevention. In looking through our collection, we pulled five films that took different approaches to addiction and encourage new ways of thinking.

Poundmaker’s Lodge: A Healing Place

Alanis Obomsawin introduces us to Poundmaker’s Lodge, a treatment centre founded in 1997 in St. Albert, Alberta, that welcomes addicts from the Indigenous community. The only condition of admittance is that the patient be sober for 48 hours before arriving. It’s a place for people who were lost to find their way back to their roots, their culture, and their traditional methods of healing. It’s not just a film about addiction – it’s also about dignity, courage, and strength.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/poundmakers_lodge_healing_place/

Hoffmann’s Potion

This thoroughly captivating film traces the history of LSD from its accidental inception to its clinical use, and ultimately to its place in today’s drug landscape. Rather than being critical, the film is more accepting and straightforward, offering information through interviews, creative cinematography, and a great soundtrack. I guess you can say its an effective way to open your mind.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/hofmanns_potion/

Mouseology

A film on the nature of addiction shouldn’t be funny, but this one is. And anyone who’s ever been a smoker, or addicted to any other substance, will recognize the humour, and truth, contained in this film. It draws a parallel between lab mice trained to eat at specific times, and people trained to smoke at specific times. It then follows that thread and shows how easily addiction forms, and how difficult it is to break. The solution? Don’t start.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/mouseology/

Cottonland

On a more serious note, this feature doc looks at the popular prescription drug, OxyContin, and the danger it can do within a community. This film also examines the nature of addiction, but does so by introducing us to men and women who are addicted to the drug, and at varying stages of dependency. And rather than treating the individual, Cottonland is more interested in a community approach to the problem. It’s a really powerful film.

Profile of a Problem Drinker

One of the great things about writing these posts is that I get to discover films I might never otherwise have seen. Even better, I get to share them with you. This is one of those films. There’s a lot of gold in the NFB’s collection, but this short is one of those surprises – something you don’t have high expectations for that you end up really enjoying. It’s a fictional portrait of an alcoholic, and the effect his drinking has on his wife, family, and career. It also gives you a good sense of what attitudes and treatments were like at the time (i.e.: The 1950s).

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/profile_of_a_problem_drinker/

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Kick Off the Holiday Season with 5 Festive Films

As we all know, December is a magical time of year. The halls are decked, presents wrapped, families and friends come together, and the whole world shines a little brighter thanks to millions of twinkling lights decorating homes across the country (or maybe that’s the extra helping of mulled wine…).

Whether you’re a Yuletide true-believer or a seasonal-cynic, here are five films to get you into the Holiday spirit, whatever that may be.

The Great Toy Robbery

What’s Santa Claus to do when three dastardly bandits steal his bag of toys? Pray that a dreamy, yodeling, cowboy comes to the rescue, of course! While the Wild West may seem like a strange backdrop for a Christmas story, the old rules still hold true: the good guys get presents, the bad guys get lumps…on the head.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/the_great_toy_robbery/

The Pony

If, like me, you’ve asked for a pony every December but still find yourself pony-less, take a few pointers from clever and loveable siblings, Kathy and John. Despite parental objections, the two children combine their savings to buy a pony named Pancho. Now if only they can keep Pancho a secret until Christmas and win over their parent’s hearts.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/pony/

The Christmas Cracker

Like its namesake, The Christmas Cracker is filled with surprises. Three festive vignettes showcase a boy and girl dancing in the snow, the secret lives of toys, and a quirky fellow who can’t seem to get his Christmas tree topper quite right. Holiday tunes and some Rube Goldberg machine beeps and boops make this film a fun watch.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/christmas_cracker/

Noël Noël

What’s Christmas without an old codger in need of redemption? Such is the plight of Noël Noël’s titular character, who foolishly triggers a curse, loses his fairy true-love, and turns into a lumpy monster once a year. But fear not, tender hearts! All ends well. Bonus: Leslie Neilsen narrates this goofy take on a classic premise, entirely in rhyme.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/noel_noel_en/

The Bear’s Christmas

Got the holiday blahs? This bear feels you. Cynical about how it’s all so commercialized? Santa, too. But maybe, just maybe, we can all escape this rat race and find a bit of the true holiday spirit inside us.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/bears_christmas/

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Staff Picks 2017 | Watch Our Fav Films of the Year

Every year, our team partakes in a little activity that we’ve all become really fond of: our end of year staff picks. The rules are simple: a title has to have been added to NFB.ca in 2017 and be available for free viewing.

We have hundreds of films you can watch for free on our site, and this list is a fun little place for you to start watching the hidden gems you might have missed from throughout the year.

Here are our picks for 2017. What were yours?

Jet Pilot | Albert Ohayon, English Collection Curator

This vintage doc follows a Trans Canada Airlines DC-8 flight from Montreal to Montego Bay circa 1964. The aviation geek in me was smiling throughout. A great documentary highlighting all the little steps it takes to get a jet in the air and to its destination.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/jet-pilot/

Show Girls | Marc St-Pierre, French Collection Curator

Discover Montreal in the 1920s to the 1960s in all it’s cabaret, nightclubs, jazz, dancing, and musical glory! This doc is a fascinating portrait of a city that no longer exists!

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/show-girls/

Saint-Louis Square | Alyssia Duval, French Community Manager

Two gentlemanly pigeons sit next to the fountain at Saint-Louis Square in Montreal, playing checkers and enjoying the summer weather… Little do they know that dangers lurk nearby. Need I say more? Really, they had me at “gentlemanly pigeons”.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/naked_island_saint-louis_square/

I Am Here | Melissa Sauve, English Community Manager

After questing across all of space and time for the answer to life, the universe and everything, a nameless traveller finds himself at the edge of an expiring universe alone. Despite this, the world keeps spinning, and life goes on.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/i_am_here/

Hand.Line.Cod. | Felix-Antoine Viens, Project Manager

Going back to a 500-year-old tradition, fishermen from Newfoundland are catching cod one at a time by hook and line. These top quality fish are then sold to high-end restaurant in Toronto. An inspiring short film about a group called “people of the fish”.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/hand_line_cod/

19 Days | Jean Francois Rousseau, Head of Social Media 

This is a lovely short documentary about the difficult reality of new migrants resettlement process.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/19_days/

Detention | Kate Ruscito, Social Media Strategist

With all the tragedies committed and all the fear being spread, Detention might as well have been the official film summary of 2017. With how ridiculous and heartbreaking the year has been both politically and socially, it’s never been more important for everyone to recognize their prejudices and overcome them as a society. Thankfully, Detention emphasizes just that.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/naked_island_detention/

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Now on NFB.ca – Watch 23 Newly Added Films

Well, Santa came early this year, and it’s pretty clear we’ve all been very good because just look at the list of films we’re releasing online this month. It’s insane. INSANE. Some of my absolute favourites are on this list, starting with Sarah Polley’s brilliant doc, Stories We Tell.

This film, a genre-twisting portrait of one extremely complex family, is already 5 years old, but I still talk about it like I saw it yesterday for the first time. Nothing else in this vein has even come close to it for me. The sheer genius of the storytelling is a masterclass for anyone interested in memoir, and coupled with Iris Ng’s cinematography… well, like I said, Christmas came early.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/stories_we_tell/

If that was all we had to offer you, it would be pretty big news. BUT IT’S NOT! Check out this list of 22 newly released films that you can watch for free right now:

Ninth Floor

Mina Shum’s first foray into documentary film reopens the file on the infamous Sir George Williams Riot in Montreal, a watershed moment in Canadian race relations.

Home Cooked Music

This short doc profiles an inventor who makes instruments out of the most unlikely items.

Things Arab Men Say

This antidote to the mainstream portrayal of Arabs as terrorists and extremists offers a completely different perspective on a much-maligned community.

Payback

Director Jennifer Baichwal turns Margaret Atwood’s bestselling book about debt as a mental construct into a stellar film.

Buying Sex

Explore the state of prostitution laws in Canada with this timely doc turns its lens on sex workers, policymakers, lawyers, and male buyers.

Waseteg

This animated short tells the story of a young Mi’gmaq girl whose names means “the light from the dawn.”

Big Mouth

Meet Trudy, a bright and witty little girl who is equal parts truthful and rude.

How Does it Feel?

This short documentary featuring 58-year-old Kazumi is a meditation on performance, self-expression, (dis)ability, and the power of art.

Tying Your Own Shoes

Get an intimate glimpse into the exceptional mindsets and emotional lives of four adult artists with Down Syndrome.

Fight

Winnipeg high school teacher, and former boxer, Randy Baleski has a unique approach to helping students at risk of not graduating: get them in the ring.

A Sea Turtle Story

This beautiful animated film captures the life cycle of critically endangered sea turtles.

Kaspar

Meet Kaspar, a young man who discovers life – and light – after spending his entire life in the dark.

Carface

This biting satire of Big Oil offers an ironic take on the iconic American ballad, Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), starring a 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

Hope Builders

Discover a Grade 6 class in Quebec where a teacher implements an experimental teaching method aimed at preparing children to take up environmental challenges.

Paula

This animated short captures the intersection between young families and street workers in a blue-collar neighbourhood.

Secretariat’s Jockey Ron Turcotte

Witness the story of jockey Ron Turcotte and his legendary horse, Secretariat, who together won the American Triple Crown in 1973.

Paris 1919

Director Paul Cowan transforms Margaret MacMillan’s acclaimed book about the most ambitious peace talks in history into a highly engaging feature-length documentary.

The Socalled Movie

Josh Dolgin, aka Socalled, is a multidisciplinary musician and artist who blends klezmer, hip-hop, and funk to form his own unique sound. This is his story.

From Sherbrooke to Brooks – Inside a Migration Corridor

This documentary travels the migration corridor forged between Sherbrooke, Quebec, and the town of Brooks, Alberta, by French-speaking Africans searching for a better life.

My Heart Attack

Sheldon Cohen (The Sweater) returns with this unexpectedly comic take on the nature of heart failure.

Danny

Meet Danny Williams, the charismatic and unflinching Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, in this 2014 portrait.

The Last Key

This charming short film features the beloved Citroën 2CV as it travels from France to Vancouver and prepares for an upcoming antique car show.

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Binging With Babish: A Cooking Show Dedicated To Foods From Fiction

Binging With Babish is an online cooking show dedicated to fictional foods.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie and thought: that food looks really good? Whether you want to drink a pint of Butterbeer along with Harry Potter and his pals, or eat beef wellington along with Don Draper on Mad Men, there are plenty of examples of fictional foods that whet our very real appetites. Binging With Babish is an online show dedicated to recreating foods from various fictional universes. Each of the episodes, all of which are hosted on YouTube, include clips from famous movies, as well as the foods the host Babish creates based on each clip.

Most of the Binging With Babish episodes go by quickly, so the recipes can be difficult to follow. You may have to pause and press play again on them repeatedly if you’re trying to cook along with Babish, although most people will probably be entertained simply by watching the episodes. On the Binging With Babish site, each topic comes with a short explanation, as well as ingredient lists and recipes for each item Babish makes in the particular episode. Whether you decide to try your hand at the recipes or not, Binging With Babish is an interesting method of bringing our fictional foods to life.

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