The National Film Board of Canada, known for its classy and artistic animated films, revealed a different side of itself today with the launch of Naked Island, a series of 14 micro-shorts that it describes as “public service alerts for a new era.”
The shorts, all of which can be seen on Vimeo, use animation and an ironic commercial format to make pithy comments on various aspects of contemporary society, from protesting to global warming to virtual reality.
Produced by NFB English Animation Studio producers Jelena Popović and Maral Mohammadian, the series includes work from leading NFB filmmakers like Chris Landreth and Theodore Ushev as well as emerging Canadian talents. Each filmmaker was given the freedom to address topics using their own style and voice, and the eclectic results brim with energy and vitality. The films are designed to provoke discussion, and some of them, like Protest, may offend more delicate viewers.
