Promote Yourself: NFB marks centenary of celebrated Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren

McLaren Wall-to-Wall:Â NFB and Quartier des Spectacles Partnership issue

call for projects to mark centenary of celebrated Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren

Montreal,Â December 5, 2013Â â€“Â Norman McLaren, one of the most famous animation filmmakers in the world, would have been 100 years old in 2014. McLaren brought an energy and vision to animation filmmaking that live on to this day. To celebrate his centenary, theÂ National Film Board of CanadaÂ (NFB)Â and theÂ Quartier des Spectacles PartnershipÂ areÂ inviting artists from around the world to respond to a call for projects entitledÂ McLaren Wall-to-Wall. The selected artists will create four out of a total of eight video works that will be projected onto building faÃ§ades in Montrealâ€™s cultural district, the Quartier des Spectacles, fromÂ April 11Â (McLarenâ€™s birthday) to June 1, 2014, as a tribute to this animation filmmaker who holds an incomparable place in the history of world cinema.

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CALL FOR PROJECTS

Creative artists from all disciplinesâ€”film, digital art, music, and architectureâ€”are invited to engage in a fruitful dialogue with McLarenâ€™s work by proposing ideas for linear films three to eight minutes in length, each of which must be inspired by one of the four McLaren films below and designed to be projected onto one of the four building faÃ§ades listed below. Each proposed film must also be aimed at a general audience, work aesthetically with the selected building faÃ§ade, and include a synchronized sound track.

All projects that meet the criteria for this competition will be evaluated by a jury, and the winners will receive cash prizes: a First Prize of $25,000 and three additional prizes of $5,000 each. The deadline to register for this competition isÂ 12:00 noon EST on February 20, 2014, and the deadline for submitting the final proposal isÂ 12:00 noon EST on March 6, 2014. For more information, please visitÂ www.mclarenwalltowall.com

THE CREATIVE CANVASSES

Each of the four original films selected in this competition must be inspired by one of the four famous McLaren films listed below and include a recognizable visual excerptâ€”of at least five seconds in lengthâ€”from that film. Next to each McLaren title appears the name of the building onto which the film inspired by that McLaren title will be projected:

NeighboursÂ (1952, 8 min 6 s)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Centre de Design, UQAM

Begone Dull CareÂ (1949, 7 min 48 s)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UQAM Bell Tower

SynchromyÂ (1971, 7 min 27 s)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Place de la Paix

SpheresÂ (1969, 7 min 21 s)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CÃ©gep du Vieux-MontrÃ©al

WORKS TO BE INCLUDED

A celebration of the work of this great artist,Â McLaren Wall-to-WallÂ will comprise a total of eight video works to be projected onto eight different building faÃ§ades in Montrealâ€™s city centre. Four of these works will be the films selected in this competition, three will be commissioned interactive works by renowned artists, and one will be a large-scale adaptation of the iPad appÂ McLarenâ€™sÂ Workshop.

THE LEGACY OF NORMAN MCLAREN

The path that Norman McLaren forged in the history of world cinema was illuminated by the many international awards that he received throughout his career: a Palme dâ€™Or in the short film category at Cannes forÂ Blinkity Blank, an Oscar forNeighbours, a Berlin Silver Bear forÂ Rythmetic, a Berlin Silver Medal forÂ Begone Dull Care, BAFTAs forÂ Blinkity Blank,Â A Chairy TaleÂ andÂ Pas de deux, as well as numerous Canadian awards and the honours that he received in recognition of his lifetime achievements.

McLaren was born in Stirling, Scotland, joined the NFB in 1941, and made his career there for over 40 years. A tremendous innovator, he never stopped experimenting and developing originalÂ animation techniques. He pioneered synthesized sound, began drawing and engraving on film in the early 1950s, and experimented with computer-based animation as early as 1967. Even today,Â McLarenâ€™s work influences hundreds of filmmakers and artists who draw inspiration from his thinking and continue to carry the torch he lit for research and exploration.

ABOUT THEÂ QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

Quartier des Spectacles has been Montrealâ€™s cultural heart for more than a century. Today, it boasts North Americaâ€™s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues, making Montreal one of the worldâ€™s great cultural metropolises. As an exceptional creative space, open to diversity and cultural cross-pollination, it is the year-round host to countless festivals and events, many of which are presented outdoors for free. It is also an international showcase for new multimedia technology. Several of its sites are regularly enhanced by innovative urban installations using cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. The Quartier is a canvas of choice for architectural lighting designers, and several of its building faÃ§ades are dedicated year round to artistic video projections, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

ABOUT THE NFB

The National Film Board of Canada is one of the worldâ€™s leading digital content hubs, creating groundbreakingÂ interactivedocumentaries and animation, mobile content, installations and participatory experiences. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 7Â Webbys and 12 Oscars. To access acclaimed NFB content, visitNFB.caÂ or download itsÂ appsÂ for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

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INFORMATION

NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA

Melissa Than

Publicist, NFB

Tel.:Â 416-952-8960Â ÄÂ Cell:Â 647-248-9854

m.than@nfb.ca

Twitter:Â @NFB_Melissa

Lily Robert

Director, Corporate Communications, NFB

Tel.:Â 514-283-3838Â ÄÂ Cell:Â 514-296-8261

l.robert@nfb.ca