Seneca Polytechnic and the National Film Board of Canada expand partnership in film animation | MyNews | Seneca Students

Seneca Polytechnic and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) are strengthening their existing relationship with the signing of a collaboration agreement to enhance ties between the institutions.

The agreement creates a formal framework, committing both organizations to ongoing collaboration and engagement.

Through the pact, Seneca students will have opportunities to work on new NFB projects and learn from NFB-sponsored speaker sessions, workshops and presentations. Seneca will provide technical and creative consultation services, develop technical prototypes and tests and promote NFB films within its animation programs and spaces.

While the agreement itself is new, the NFB and Seneca have a long history of successful collaboration on film animation projects.

Seneca students and graduates have worked on NFB productions including 2004’s Ryan, the winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, 2009’s The Spine, a Best Animated Short nominee at the Genie Awards, and 2013’s Subconscious Password, which won Best Short Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

This partnership is the latest for the new Seneca Film Institute, which builds on Seneca’s expertise in storytelling forms and technologies to create one of the most comprehensive film training institutions in Canada. The NFB is one of the foremost creative centres in the world. As a public producer and distributor of Canadian content, a talent incubator and a lever for Canada’s creative sector, the NFB produces nearly one hundred titles each year.

Quotes

“Seneca and the National Film Board have been working together for decades, and we couldn’t be happier to formalize and deepen our relationship through this agreement. This partnership is exactly what the Seneca Film Institute is all about – collaborating with industry leaders to provide students with unparalleled opportunities.”

– Mark Jones, Director, Seneca Film Institute and Chair, School of Creative Arts & Animation

“Our students will benefit immensely from the new opportunities to learn from some of the most talented filmmakers in the world, work on innovative and exciting NFB projects, and discover the NFB’s rich history of captivating audiences. We believe this expanded partnership will greatly enhance the Canadian film sector for decades to come.”

– Kurt Muller, Dean, Faculty of Communication, Art & Design

“The NFB is eager to connect with a diverse range of storytellers from across the country and this new partnership, with our long-standing collaborators at Seneca should demonstrate our firm commitment to animation filmmaking in all its forms. We’re excited to work with Seneca to bring the vibrant creativity of young Canadian artists and storytellers to Canadian audiences.”

– Robert McLaughlin, Executive Producer, Animation & Interactive Studio, National Film Board of Canada