What's Happening in St. Albert, AB…

One of Canada’s most historic cultural institutions, the National Film Board will be highlighted in a special screening in St. Albert this January.

The show will be a compilation of short films made by Canadians and selected by the NFB. The line-up includes recent releases like “Amma”, which presents the filmmaker’s mother in a superheroic role; “Sounds and Pressure: Roy & Yvonne”, a documentary about a pioneering Jamaican ska duo; and “Boat People”, a deeply personal story by Kjell Boersma and Theo Lam.

The showcase, dubbed A Fresh Lens, will also feature historic deep cuts from the NFB archive. This includes animated shorts “Lights for Gita”, “Tzarita”, and the frequently-requested “Log Drivers”, set to “The Log Driver’s Waltz”. The screening overall will feature a mixture of animation, documentary, and live-action drama to reflect the diversity of Canadian filmmaking.

The screening is part of a touring program organized by the NFB to show off its catalogue of films. Anthologies of short films like this often use methods like poster printing and social media featuring eye-catching images. Promotional material claims that:

“These unique films, handpicked by new Canadians, highlight a vibrant spectrum of stories that reflect the lived realities, hopes and challenges of life in a new land.”

“A Fresh Lens: National Film Board Festival of Shorts” will be screened at the Arden Theatre in St. Albert Place on January 24.