NFB

Arkelope is an animated short that takes a pointed look at endangered species and human indifference. When a middle-aged couple come across a nature documentary on the decline of the arkelope while channel-surfing, they learn that although the species has managed to survive a variety of natural disasters, it is now in imminent danger of extinction due to man's short-sightedness. With a serious yet funny approach, this little film illustrates human passivity in the face of the ubiquitous TV set.

This stop-motion animation film was made using the new NFB PixStop app for iPad2. Download the app here: http://bit.ly/uj23KT It features the animation of objects, a person (a technique often referred to as pixillation) and text. All special effects were created entirelyin-camera using everyday objects.Materials used:Small toy flyBig toy flyRed yarnCotton ballsBeadsMakeupSmall strainersBlack textured sheet (art store)Fishing lineTapeScissorsBlue gradient backgroundBlack garbage bagGreen scarfAcetateBlack marker

This feature documentary focuses on Wiebo Ludwig, a suspect in a recent string of pipeline bombings. The bombings echo a campaign of sabotage he waged against the oil and gas industry in the 90s - barricading roads and blowing up wells. And when a 16-year-old girl was fatally shot on the family farm in 1999, Wiebo's fight with the industry was thrust further into the media spotlight. The Ludwig family are part of a Christian community that lives in close adherence to their religious values. The community is comprised of 5 married couples, 7 unmarried adult children and 38 grandchildren. They are self-sufficient in food and energy, but live in isolation and believe that those that don't share their religious beliefs, like filmmaker David York, are living in terrible darkness.Wiebo's War opens in select Canadian theatres in October 2011. Click here for screening dates and details.

Historical events are related through the medium of simulated news broadcasting in 1878.

An animated parable that deals with a familiar subject in an amusing way. We join in the business ventures of J.B. Edwards, an easterner who went west to create a fuel company called Consolidated Dragons. The company's profits were sorely affected when the supply of dragons started to dry up. A solution had to be found--and was.

A lesson in geography, which concludes that although the Great Lakes have had their ups and downs, nothing has been harder to take than what humans have done to them lately. In the film, a lone canoeist lives through the changes of geological history, through Ice Age and flood, only to find himself in the end trapped in a sea of scum.

This experimental short film by Norman McLaren is a playful exercise in intermittent animation and spasmodic imagery. Playing with the laws relating to persistence of vision and after-image on the retina of the eye, McLaren engraves pictures on blank film creating vivid, percussive effects.

How Do They Knit a Chain-Link Fence? is a fascinating visual voyage, revealing what lies behind the fences many children see around their schoolyards every day.

How Do They Braid Rope? is a fascinating visual voyage through the twists and turns of rope-making.

In How Do They Make Oatmeal Cookies?, discover the story behind delicious cookies, from the farmer's field to fresh from the oven.

A tense, tight close-up of stunt man Ken Carter's role on the stock-car racing track. Risking life and limb to rocket a car from a ramp over a parked line of cars takes more than the will to make a living. What else is involved is shown by the film as the camera looks and listens while the stunt man readies for his act and then makes his wild ride.

This animation film celebrates the creative process--its beauty, fury, and consequences. It is a highly stylized and impressionistic rendering; each scene corresponds to a step in the process. Black and white photographs, representing reality, are overlaid with animated color drawings, representing fantasy. It illustrates the artist braving creative storms, indulging runaway imagination and learning, by trial and error, to take possession of his creative energy.

A film on Wop May, one of Canada's leading bush pilots in the 1920s.

One of the liveliest traditions in the Canadian mosaic is that of Cape Breton music. It's origins go back to the Celtic peoples of Europe more than 3000 years ago. In Celtic Spirits, two Cape Breton musicians visit Ireland and Scotland and try to find their Celtic musical roots. We also have an intimate look at contemporary life in Cape Breton.

William Shatner's got something to tweet about. Canada's Governor General is giving him a Lifetime Achievement Award.The most famous space cadet in showbiz takes helm of our heritage and treats us to a memorable rendition of Canada's national anthem.