Press Release from the National Film Board of Canada

Montreal, November 5, 2009 – From November 6 to November 8, 2009, China’s Sichuan TV Festival is honouring the National Film Board of Canada on its 70th anniversary with an array of activities for the public, industry and students alike. These events will provide Chinese audiences with an opportunity to discover more about Canada and the pioneering works of its National Film Board, in social-issue documentary, auteur animation and digital media.

The Sichuan TV Festival will feature programs of classic animation and documentary, a presentation of new digital media initiatives from the NFB as well as an outdoor exhibition of NFB photography, originally displayed in Ottawa for the NFB’s 70th anniversary. Two NFB animated shorts are also in competition for the Sichuan TV Festival’s Gold Panda Award. The NFB events at Sichuan are being presented in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in China. Tom Perlmutter, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada, will be delivering talks on the NFB and on the future direction of audio-visual creation in the multi-platform digital universe.

“The homage at the Sichuan TV Festival is a tribute to the importance with which this quintessentially Canadian institution is viewed around the world,” said Perlmutter.  “Canada needs to engage with China as it emerges as a global powerhouse.  The Sichuan Festival is a unique opportunity to build links with the Chinese audio-visual industry by presenting Canadian creativity and Canadian stories to Chinese broadcasters and audiences.”

Screenings

Screenings of NFB films at the Sichuan TV Festival begin on November 6 with a special “Canada Day” presentation for international industry attendees at the International Conference Centre in Sichuan, introduced by Tom Perlmutter. On November 7, Mr. Perlmutter will be presenting NFB digital-media initiatives at the festival’s mobile TV seminar, as one of the event’s key international speakers. On November 8, he will introduce an NFB screening at Sichuan Normal University, a key institution for future Chinese educators and academics.

Nominations

Two NFB animated shorts have been nominated for the Sichuan TV Festival’s International Gold Panda Awards for Animation: The Spine by Chris Landreth, winner of an Academy Award for Best Animated Short for Ryan; and Runaway, the latest from two-time Oscar nominee and creator of The Cat Came Back, Cordell Barker.

Picture exhibition

The Festival will feature a selection of images captured by the cameras of the National Film Board of Canada, which were part of the outdoor public exhibition organised with the National Capital Commission in Ottawa from last Spring to October, celebrating the NFB’s 70th anniversary.

Exhibition highlights showcase Canada’s contributions on the world stage, the NFB’s longstanding commitment to diverse communities, its leadership in Aboriginal filmmaking, its work in remote Canadian settlements through its legendary Challenge for Change program, classic NFB animation, as well as its focus on the environment. In all, the exhibit takes a sweeping look at Canada and Canadians, as seen through the lens of the NFB.

About the Sichuan TV Festival

With nine festivals staged over a nearly 20-year period, the Sichuan TV Festival, established in 1991, is celebrating its 10th edition this year, from November 6–8, 2009. The Sichuan TV Festival is dedicated to discovering new topics, creating new content, introducing new formats and offering new services. One of the most prestigious international media competitions in Asia, the festival presents its International Gold Panda Awards for excellence in documentary, animation and new media. The Sichuan TV Festival is presented by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and Sichuan Provincial People’s Government.

About the National Film Board of Canada