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rfmcdonaldI'm sure that people my age remember National Film Board of Canada short animations like the "Log-Driver's Waltz."
The Globe and Mail reports that the National Film Board is apparently becoming a bit of an international success.
I ask my international readers, is Canada's model of government production and distribution of Canadian filmic works a model for other countries?
The Globe and Mail reports that the National Film Board is apparently becoming a bit of an international success.
The National Film Board of Canada's new iPhone application has proven to be a hit beyond this country's borders, with 40 per cent more people downloading NFB content from abroad than in Canada.
Since its launch on Oct. 21, there have been nearly 80,000 downloads internationally and just over 56,000 in Canada from people seeking out the NFB's documentaries and animation. Among the top five plays on the iPhone are The Cat Came Back, Canada Vignettes: Log Driver's Waltz and HA-Aki.
The iPhone app is just one of the international successes recorded in the 70th anniversary year of the NFB, the national producer and distributor of films, documentaries, animation and shorts.
Besides looking back at its fabled past, chair Tom Perlmutter said the NFB continued its efforts to position itself solidly in the future by exploring new markets.
[. . .]
“The National Film Board, especially with their online offerings, is a really easy and accessible way to tell our stories not only to Canadians but internationally as well,” said Stephanie Rea, a spokeswoman for Heritage Minister James Moore.
NFB.ca, the board's retooled Web site, has had almost three million views since it launched a year ago. About 1,700 of the NFB's 13,000 productions are online and more are constantly being added.
Ms. Rea said Mr. Moore often praised the board and considered it “a great way to show off Canadian talent and Canadian content around the world.”
Norm Bolen, the president of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, said Canadians don't really appreciate how highly regarded the NFB is abroad and how much it is regarded as “a real player in the international marketplace and (as) a model for other countries.”
I ask my international readers, is Canada's model of government production and distribution of Canadian filmic works a model for other countries?
