NFB Mediatheque Winter Wonderland! Dec. 27 to Jan. 2

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Press Release from NFB

Toronto, Ontario (November 22, 2010) – The National Film Board of Canada is offering fun, creative and wallet-friendly daily activities for families at its downtown Toronto Mediatheque this holiday season. The young and young at heart are welcome to come in from the cold and produce their own themed animation, enjoy a delightful line-up of short films in the NFB Cinema and take in titles from the NFB’s 71-year history for free on exclusive digital viewing stations.

Winter Wonderland! animation workshops – ages 6 to 13
Twice daily, Dec. 27–31 and Jan. 2
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
$5/child, supervising adults free

Each day features a different theme and animation technique, so a brand new experience is guaranteed every time! From 3D clay to painting on cel and paper cut-out, there’s always something to discover in these hands-on sessions.

Monday, December 27 – Wintry Windows (2D paper)
What’s that image forming in the frost? Your own original creation!

Tuesday, December 28 – Hockey Fever (3D clay)
Play Canada’s favourite sport in a whole new way!

Wednesday, December 29 – Mush! Mush! (3D clay)
Today, we’ve gone to the dogs. Join us for an animated sled race!

Thursday, December 30 – Snowy Treetops (Painting on cel)
Watch out for falling snow in our animated forest!

Friday, December 31 – Fluffy Snowflakes (2D paper)
They say no two snowflakes are exactly alike... animate your very own!

Sunday, January 2 – Holiday Baking (3D clay)
Make your own tantalizing treats in our creative kitchen... no cooking experience required!

Winter Wonderland! screening program – ages 3 and up
Once daily, Dec. 27–31 and Jan. 2
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
$2/child or free with workshop registration, supervising adults free

An hour-long program of family-friendly, animated holiday films at the NFB Cinema featuring a selection of the following titles: [1]

Christmas Cracker [1] – 1963 (8 min) Three segments of movie magic by Oscar-winning animation pioneer Norman McLaren.
[2]

HA’Aki [2] – 2008 (4 min) A lyrical and wonderfully unorthodox interpretation of hockey as played in the mind of lyrical and wonderfully unorthodox animation artist Iriz Pääbo.

Léon in Wintertime [3] – 2007 (27 min) This delightful puppet animation portrays the adventures of a distraught bear cub who runs away from home.

Lights for Gita [4] – 2001 (7 min) The traditional Hindu festival of lights, Divali, comes alive in a sparkling new way for eight-year-old Gita.

Molly in Springtime [5] – 2009 (26 min) In this sequel to Léon in Wintertime, it’s carnival in Balthasarville, and the scoundrel Bonifacio is scheming to overthrow Léon and become King Quack.

The Sweater [6] – 1980 (10 min) Bestselling author Roch Carrier narrates a mortifying boyhood experience in this animated adaptation of his beloved story “The Hockey Sweater.”

FREE on-demand digital viewing

Grab a seat in one of our exclusive digital viewing stations for access to over 5,500 NFB documentary and animation titles in English and French. Available films include new releases like Waterlife [7] and The Necktie [8], award winners The Danish Poet [9] and Ryan [10], the festival hit Manufactured Landscapes [11] and all-time favourites Canada Vignettes: Log Driver’s Waltz [12], The Sweater and The Cat Came Back [13].

About the NFB

Canada’s public film producer and distributor, the National Film Board of Canada creates social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, alternative drama and digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian perspective. The NFB is expanding the vocabulary of 21st-century cinema and breaking new ground in form and content through community filmmaking projects, cross-platform media, programs for emerging filmmakers, stereoscopic animation – and more. It works in collaboration with creative filmmakers, digital media creators and co-producers in every region of Canada, with Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities, as well as partners around the world. Since the NFB’s founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars [14] and more than 90 Genies. The NFB’s new website features over 1,800 productions online, and its iPhone [15] and iPad [16] apps are among the most popular and talked-about downloads. Visit NFB.ca [17] today and start watching.

About the NFB Mediatheque

The NFB Mediatheque is a one-of-a-kind multimedia facility in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District, a centre for media literacy and a public access point for films from the NFB and around the world. We offer over 5,000 NFB titles on digital viewing stations, screenings of great films in our theatre, educational workshops, special events and a boutique with NFB DVDs to buy or rent. For more information, visit NFB.ca/mediatheque [18]