2023-2024 Achievements for the implementation of Section 41

Cat. number: CH11-7E-PDF
ISSN 2819-2877

Tombstone Data

Prepared by:
Amélie Saint-Germain

Institution's name:
National Film Board of Canada / Office national du film du Canada

Institution's Code:
NFB

Minister responsible:
The Honourable Randy Boissonnault

Deputy Head:
Suzanne Guèvremont

Person responsible for official languages (Parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act (OLA)):
Arlette Boghoskhan
Advisor, Labour Relations, Diversity and Inclusion

National coordinator or contact person responsible for the implementation of section 41 (Part VII) of the OLA:
Amélie Saint-Germain
Head, Strategic Planning and Governmental Relations

Regional contact person(s) for section 41 of the OLA (if applicable):
Nathalie Cloutier
Executive Producer, Eastern & French Documentary

Part VII of the OLA

Advancement of Equality of Status and Use of English and French

The institution ensured that positive measures were taken for the advancement of equality of status and use of English and French.
Nearly always (Between 90% and 99% of cases)

Promote and support the learning of both official languages

Yes

Through the Education portal of its online viewing platform, nfb.ca/onf.ca, the NFB offers a wide array of resources that give students access to high-quality learning in English and French. Among these many resources, some mini-lessons and film playlists emphasize language learning. In fiscal year 2023–2024, to accompany the online launch of the film La fille au beret rouge (The Girl with the Red Beret), the NFB developed a mini-lesson that included an activity on colloquial expressions and regionalisms in Quebec French. This activity underscores the cultural and historical context of the language while broadening students’ understanding of French and of Montreal’s culture and unique character. A number of NFB Education film playlists were developed specifically to promote learning of English or French as a second language. These playlists consist of short films targeting three different age groups: 5 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 14.

To support teachers in their work, the NFB’s content-publishing teams have also categorized numerous NFB productions according to the main subjects taught in Canadian schools, such as English Language Arts, Languages, Français, langue maternelle and Langues. Under these broad subject headings, teachers can find NFB films on topics such as poetry, journalism and Quebec and Canadian literature.

Foster an acceptance and appreciation of both English and French

Yes

The NFB’s mandate is to create and share distinctive, original audiovisual works that reflect the diverse experiences and realities of the Canadian population. We are committed not simply to fostering an appreciation of the country’s two official languages, but also to expressing the immense richness within its linguistic communities. In 2023–24, the NFB continued to foster acceptance of English and French by providing new content to Canadian audiences in both official languages, through its over-the-top (OTT) media services, its nation-wide distribution network, which includes theatrical and community screenings, and its educational offerings. Though not identical, the NFB’s offering of audiovisual productions in English and its offering in French are equivalent, and each takes into account the needs and differences of the country’s two linguistic communities.

In 2023–24, the NFB released 68 new works in both official languages on its OTT service, available for free in every region of the country via the NFB streaming app and online at nfb.ca/onf.ca. As of March 31, 2024, more than 6,500 NFB productions were available to the Canadian public free of charge.

Overall, Canadians watched more films on our app this year: Canadian OTT views went up 23% in Q2 and another 33% in Q3, in large part because of the huge success of the documentary series Étoile du Nord (North Star) in both English and French. Both language versions of the educational guides for this film are also currently in the top-five viewed guides.

With every new film release, the NFB engages the public with a robust social media strategy, including posts in both English and French to address Canadians in the official language of their choice. And we’re attracting more viewers every year, in Canada and internationally, with our social media outreach, for example, through the increase in the number of followers on Vimeo and Instagram over several quarters in 2023–24.

The NFB brings these works to Canadians wherever they may be: in theatres, at festivals or in their communities. The 2023–24 year marked the highest numbers of views for in-person screenings since prior to the pandemic—all of which were in the official language that best served the communities in which they shown. Among the films released this year was the documentary Au dela du Papier (Beyond Paper), which was successfully launched in theatres in English and French, fostering an appreciation of not only the official languages but Canadian documentary excellence as well. Offering content in both languages that successfully appeals to the public across the country is a positive measure that effectively helps promote full recognition and use of French and English in Canadian society.

Promote the bilingual character of Canada in Canada or elsewhere

Yes

The NFB has a mandate to reflect and share the country’s diverse experiences—including those of its linguistic communities—with the rest of the world. And this is the spirit in which NFB works were shown at a number of international film festivals, summits, expos and exhibitions throughout 2023–24. International gatherings where the NFB was represented in both official languages include: the NewImages festival in Paris, the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and a special “Eyes on the NFB” program at South Korea’s Busan Cinema Center. The past year saw more than 150 screenings of NFB works at international film festivals, with more than 40 international awards won, including a nomination for the Documentary Feature Film Academy Award. At the 2023 G20 Summit in India, select images from NFB productions Canada 150 Anthem and O Canada #1: National Anthem: “With Glowing Hearts” were presented to showcase Canada’s cultural diversity to G20 members and guest countries. Through these cultural and diplomatic relationships and events, the NFB promotes Canada’s linguistic and cultural diversity. The country’s bilingualism is one of the things that make it unique on the world stage, as the NFB shines the spotlight on Canadian audiovisual arts excellence in both official languages.

Support the creation and dissemination of information in French that contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge 

Yes

Through the Education portal of its online viewing platform, nfb.ca/onf.ca, the NFB makes an extensive array of resources available to students and teachers in both official languages. These resources deal with a wide variety of subjects, including scientific ones.

More specifically, the NFB’s Ocean School is a free environmental-education resource whose collections of multimedia and interactive content cover the themes of climate change, biodiversity, ocean ecosystems, marine biology, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers and Indigenous perspectives on the environment. To mark World Ocean Day on June 8, 2023, the NFB applied all this expertise to host and participate in a panel entitled “Canada’s Leadership Role in Ocean Literacy.” At this event, which was open to the public, experts discussed critical issues such as the importance of popularizing science. The panel was bilingual, with simultaneous interpretation in English and French, and was livestreamed across Canada.

In 2023–2024, the NFB also launched the documentary series Étoile du Nord (North Star), an inspiring, positive portrait of Quebec-born Innu astrophysicist Laurie Rousseau-Nepton. Directed by Patrick Bossé and available in both English and French, this series combines human interest with scientific explanation. Laurie, a resident astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, leads the SIGNALS research project and heads a team of some 60 researchers who are attempting to penetrate the mystery of how stars form, and thus better understand how they influence the universe. This series was launched online in August 2023, is accessible to students and teachers for free through the nfb.ca/onf.ca Education portal and is accompanied by a study guide dealing with various scientific subjects, including astronomy and the sciences in general.

Support sectors that are essential to enhancing the vitality of official languages minority communities:

• Culture

  Yes

  By virtue of its mandate, the NFB is fully involved in developing and enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities for the arts-and-culture sector. Since the year 2000, the NFB has been a signatory to the Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada. The NFB participates fully in the various meetings and is involved in the evaluations associated with the renewals of the agreements with the other federal institutions and the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française. The objectives of the Agreement have been guiding the NFB’s actions in its relations with the Canadian Francophonie for nearly 25 years.

  The NFB was also the first federal cultural agency to sign an agreement with anglophones in Quebec to strengthen the anglophone audiovisual sector and anglophone culture in Quebec. First signed in 2015 and renewed for the first time in 2019, this agreement will be renewed again in the coming year.

  These two agreements are part of the NFB’s broader commitment to developing and enhancing the vitality of the arts-and-culture sector with Canada’s linguistic minorities.

  In addition to carrying out its mandate as a public producer and distributor, the NFB supports the cultural sector in various ways. For example, the NFB produces works that are presented in special facilities, such as the documentary Worlds of Ice, by Philippe Baylaucq, an immersive experience that is presented in the dome of Montreal’s Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium and that raises the public’s awareness of the importance of ice for the Earth’s future climate. Another example is the Alanis Obomsawin exhibition, presented this year at the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Art Museum at the University of Toronto. In partnership with the Montreal Science Centre, the NFB also supplied film archives and film clips and authorized the use of the film Ice Breakers for the interactive exhibit Hockey: Faster Than Ever.

• Education (from early childhood to post-secondary education)

  Yes

  The NFB has been providing audiovisual content in both official languages to Canadian schools and Canadian education professionals for over 80 years. To support the teachers of the 4 million anglophone and francophone students across the country, the NFB offers various resources, such as study guides and lesson plans, related to its original audiovisual works.

• Health

  No

  The NFB does not have a mandate to support the health sector, but the NFB’s original works on universal themes and subjects of interest to Canadians can be used to start discussions, to reflect and to be informed. These stories can be used to examine together the changes that are transforming the country.

• Justice

  No

  The NFB does not have a mandate to support the justice sector, but the NFB’s original works on universal themes and subjects of interest to Canadians can be used to start discussions, to reflect and to be informed. These stories can be used to examine together the changes that are transforming the country.

• Employment

  No

  The NFB does not have a mandate to support the employment sector, but the NFB’s original works on universal themes and subjects of interest to Canadians can be used to start discussions, to reflect and to be informed. These stories can be used to examine together the changes that are transforming the country.

• Immigration

  Yes

  By offering groups the opportunity to hold community screenings, the NFB collaborates with many organizations that provide immigrant reception and integration services. In making films available to them, the NFB contributes to their various activities, in particular francization mediation. The films shown during these activities deal with a variety of subjects, such as immigration and diversity, and are selected to help audiences discover both the French language and local cultures. In 2023–2024, the NFB collaborated with nearly 40 francophone organizations and seven anglophone organizations whose primary mission is to support immigrants.

  The NFB also participated in the 11th edition of National Francophone Immigration Week, which took place from November 5 to 11, 2023. This year’s theme was “Terre accueillante” (a welcoming land). On this occasion, the NFB offered organizations the chance to present any of the following four programs of films:

  • “Accueillir et protéger la parole” (welcoming and protecting free speech);
  • “Intégrer et protéger de nouveaux environnements” (embracing and protecting new environments);
  • “Spiritualités d’aujourd’hui” (different forms of spirituality today);
  • “La diversité au Canada” (diversity in Canada).

   

  Throughout the course of this 11th edition, 15 organizations took advantage of the NFB’s offering to celebrate cultural diversity and the contributions that immigrants have made to Canada.

Protect and promote the presence of strong institutions serving official languages minority communities

No

When negotiating agreements with the provincial and territorial governments, including funding agreements, in areas of activity that may contribute to enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities, fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society, the protection and promotion of French or learning in the minority language, the federal institution had a mechanism in place to promote the inclusion in those agreements of provisions on official languages.

Never (In 0% of cases)

The NFB does not currently have any mechanism in place to promote the inclusion of provisions on official languages in its agreements with provincial and territorial governments. The institution will work on developing such a mechanism in 2024-2025.

The institution identified stakeholders from official language minority communities that are affected by the carrying out of its mandate or the implementation of its programs.

Yes

1. Fédération culturelle canadienne-française
   1. Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada
   2. Front des réalisateurs indépendants du Canada
2. English Language Arts Network
3. Quebec English-language Production Council

The institution's programs and services enabled it to:

• Support and assist the development of official language minority communities

  Yes

  In 2023-2024, the NFB contributed considerably to the cultural development of official language minority communities (OLMCs) by producing and distributing their works. The following are some examples of these works.

  Directed by Helene Klodawsky and co-produced in English in Quebec in collaboration with Intuitive Pictures (a Montreal production company), Stolen Time is a documentary feature about the battle that elder-rights lawyer Melissa Miller has waged together with hundreds of families who have been hurt by the for-profit nursing-home industry, which is sadly notorious for its lack of transparency and social responsibility. Stolen Time toured movie theatres across Canada, screening first in Vancouver and then in Montreal, Edmonton and Toronto. It was also shown at the 2023 and 2024 editions of several film festivals: the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, the Atlantic International Film Festival in Halifax, the Montreal International Documentary Festival, the Victoria Film Festival, the Belleville Downtown DocFest and the FIPADOC international documentary festival in France.

  The NFB documentary short John Kim Bell: Born to “Indspire” pays tribute to eminent classical-orchestra conductor and Indigenous activist John Kim Bell, who comes from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and who received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2023. Directed by multimedia artist Roxann Karonhiarokwas Whitebean, from the Kahnawake and Akwesasne Mohawk territories, this film has been shown on nfb.ca/onf.ca, ICI TOU.TV and CBC Gem.

  This year the NFB also worked again with Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Torill Kove, co-producing the animated short Maybe Elephants. This autobiographical story is a tribute to family, adolescence and the therapeutic power of memory, however unreliable it may be. Co-produced in English in Quebec, this work was in official competition at the 2024 edition of the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Other animated films produced by the NFB in collaboration with Quebec-based anglophone directors include In the Shallows/En surface, by Arash Akhgari; The Last Tango, by Mochi Lin; and My World, Your Melody, by Bianca Shonee Arroyo-Kreimes, all of which had their world premieres at the 2024 edition of the Sommets du cinéma d’animation in Montreal. These last two animated shorts were created under the auspices of the 14th edition of Hothouse, an NFB apprenticeship program for emerging animation filmmakers.

  This year’s NFB works from francophone minority communities included Travailler autrement (Work Different) by British Columbia-based director Julien Capraro. This French-language medium-length documentary takes a look at the origins, impacts, upsides and uncertainties of remote work. The varied viewpoints expressed in this film refocus the discussion on the concepts of freedom of choice, family values, governance and corporate culture. After its world premiere at the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma in Montreal, this film had its Vancouver premiere at the 30th Rendez-vous French Film Festival, as well as throughout Canada as part of the 26th Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. Since March 1, 2024, Travailler autrement (Work Different) has been available online at nfb.ca/onf.ca.

  The francophone minority community is also celebrated in the documentary short Rosemarie Landry : l’art lyrique en partage (Rosemarie Landry: Sharing Lyric Art). Directed by Acadian filmmaker Renée Blanchar, this film pays tribute to soprano and singing teacher Rosemarie Landry, recipient of a 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award—the highest honour in this field in Canada.

  Highlights of the past year included the efforts that the NFB made to promote the talents of Canada’s OLMCs. In this regard, four NFB-produced films by directors from the Canadian Francophonie—L’Ordre secret (The Secret Order), by Phil Comeau; Koromousso, grande sœur (Koromousso, Big Sister), by Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan; and Mon année 20 (My 2020), by Sarah McNair-Landry—were launched online on nfb.ca/onf.ca and are currently accessible for free throughout Canada. Each of these online launches was supported by a customized marketing campaign, NFB publicists and communications officers, and ongoing promotion on all of the NFB’s social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter [now X], newsletter, etc.). In short, the NFB continues to support the cultural development of OLMCs both by offering artists from these communities a safe, inclusive space for creating films in the language of their choice and by promoting these films in Canada and abroad.

• Foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society

  Yes

  In addition to cultivating an appreciation of the official languages, film can also serve as a tool for learning and social engagement, and a means of opening ourselves up to new worlds. The NFB recognizes that such everyday uses of film in both French and English nurture a nation-wide understanding and recognition of the country’s linguistic richness. For example, the NFB leverages film as a tool to showcase Canadian performing arts excellence in both languages. For the 16th consecutive year, the NFB brought together acclaimed Canadian filmmakers to create short cinematic tributes to Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) laureates and performing legends. It’s these kinds of initiatives that unite Canadians, from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

  The NFB also fosters the use of both French and English content in Canadian classrooms. Downloads of educational guides increased by 60% in Q2, and the number of viewings of NFB works on the educational aggregator CAMPUS went up 10%. The Marketing team successfully promoted La fille au béret rouge (The Girl in the Red Beret) mini-lesson, targeting Canadians who are learning French as a second language, via newsletters, social media posts and a LinkedIn campaign, resulting in 697 views in English and 1,677 in French in the first few weeks of the film’s release.

  Like its educational tools, the NFB’s social media posts are available in both English and French. Along with all other federal agencies, the NFB stopped purchasing ads on META, which posed a challenge in 2023–24 with respect to marketing and engaging Canadians through select social media. Nevertheless, the NFB saw more than a million impressions and engagements in response to its bilingual social media posts, tweets and stories.

  Overall, there was an increase in views of NFB content, whether the content was provided in French, English, or both. In Q3, for example, the NFB even saw an increase in Canadian viewership through its online partners, including YouTube, Amazon and Tubi. The NFB will continue to foster the use of its content in both official languages within Canadian society.

• Protect and promote the French language

  Yes

  For the 19th year running, the NFB participated in the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF). It was the 26th annual edition of this cultural event, and this year’s theme was “Launch into discovery!” Every year, RVF (an initiative of the Dialogue Foundation) presents activities to promote the French language throughout Canada. Throughout Francophonie Month (March 1 to 31, 2023), the NFB made five programs of documentary and animated films celebrating francophone culture available for free to any groups, organizations or institutions that wanted to screen them either online or in person. During the 2024 edition of RVF, 202 public and private screenings of NFB films were held in 66 Canadian cities across 11 provinces and one territory; 86% of these screenings took place outside of Quebec. In total, 21,173 views were recorded.

  Under its mandate as a Canadian producer and distributor, the NFB is charged with creating works by filmmakers from all parts of Canada and making them available in both official languages, thus contributing to the protection and promotion of French. In addition to the 18 new projects from the NFB’s French Program in 2023–2024, every new production from the English Program also had to be offered in a French version.

  It should also be noted that in 2023–2024, three NFB projects were directed by francophone filmmakers from official-language minority communities. One of the films documenting work done to promote French was Rosemarie Landry: l’art lyrique en partage (Rosemarie Landry: Sharing Lyric Art), by Renée Blanchar. This short film celebrates the work of Canadian soprano Rosemarie Landry, well known for her interpretations of French song, of which she is especially fond.

  The NFB’s online viewing space, nfb.ca/onf.ca, including its Education portal, also remains an effective tool for promoting French. The NFB’s content-publishing activities and its themed channels, which are accessible for free, help showcase Canada’s francophone artists and francophone stories. In 2023–2024, the NFB added the Acadian Cinema channel, a selection of 28 films produced by its Moncton studio and directed by Acadian filmmakers. This new channel enhanced the offerings already available on other NFB themed channels, such as Cinéma acadien, L’espace francophonie and Showcase Francophonie, playlists of films updated every year by our content-publishing team.

• Advance opportunities for members of English and French linguistic minority communities to pursue quality learning in their own language

  Yes

  The NFB has been a partner of choice for Canadian teachers for many decades and continues to make educational content available online throughout the country. Although most of this content is designed for elementary and secondary students and is accessible through their schools, including those serving OLMCs, members of anglophone and francophone minority communities regardless of age can access much of this content for independent learning.

  This year, the NFB Education team continued to create and distribute quality teaching materials and to work on three themed educational projects: Media School, Ocean School and Indigenous Voices. In this regard, in 2023-2024, the NFB produced 11 mini-lessons and five study guides to support screenings of NFB films in classrooms. All of these teaching tools are available in both official languages. The three mini-lessons published in 2023-2024 are designed to support screenings of films by Alanis Obomsawin, the famed Abenaki filmmaker from Quebec whose legacy the NFB celebrated by issuing an exclusive boxed set of DVDs containing 21 of her films. Also, three professional-development sessions, open to all Canadian teachers, appeared on the NFB.Education site. Lastly, the Education section of NFB.ca presents Educational Playlists—selections of films on themes that tie in with Canadian school curricula. These Educational Playlists, available free of charge and updated weekly, offer members of francophone and anglophone minority communities opportunities to learn in their own languages.

  In 2023-2024, the NFB continued to offer its Media School: an online workshop on digital storytelling. Accessible on CAMPUS, the NFB’s education portal, Media School offers young Canadians a rich, innovative instructional program on digital media production in both official languages. Over the past year, this program reached more than 1,500 anglophone and francophone students, who participated in nearly 12,000 learning sessions. Among Media School users, 874 Quebec residents visited pages in English, while 544 residents of the rest of Canada visited pages in French.

  Another major NFB education project, Ocean School is a free environmental-education resource designed both for students in grades 5 through 12 and for independent learners of all ages. In 2023-2024, Ocean School published 32 pieces of new content, combining media clips and teaching activities available in both official languages. Since its inception, Ocean School has given priority to dubbing content, rather than subtitling it, so as to make it easier to use in the classroom, especially in settings where French or English is a second language. Over the past year, Ocean School welcomed 154,000 students.

  Lastly, in 2023-2024 the NFB launched several initiatives to advance the development of its new learning program Indigenous Voices—for example, by continuing to adapt video content into French and by issuing a call for young Indigenous artists to illustrate program activities. A few presentations of the first module of the project, Indigenous Perspectives, were held in 2023-2024 and received an enthusiastic response, in particular at the National Indigenous Education and Reconciliation Network Gathering (NIERNG). It is important to stress that all of the modules of this extensive education program will be available in both official languages.

  In short, thanks to the NFB Education team’s ongoing efforts in 2023-2024, the members of Canada’s francophone and anglophone minority communities now benefit from even more resources that enable them to teach and learn in their own languages.

   

In developing a disposal strategy for a surplus federal real property or a federal immovable, the institution consulted the official language minority communities and other stakeholders to take into account the needs and priorities of the English or French linguistic minority communities of the province or territory where the federal real property or federal building in question is located.

N/A (Does not apply to your institution)

Give us one or two examples of best practices that your institution has implemented as part of fulfilling its commitment under Part VII of the OLA.

The NFB has taken a variety of steps to raise awareness of official-languages issues within the organization and to maintain open lines of communication with Canada’ official-language minority communities (OLMCs).

• The NFB has written the NFB Official Languages Guide and posted it on the NFB Intranet. This document presents the NFB’s approach to official-languages objectives and principles. It includes a three-year action plan and provides an overview of every Part of the Act, as well as of the rights and obligations of all NFB employees. This document is being updated now and will be distributed throughout the organization in fiscal year 2024–2025.
• The NFB has established an Internal Committee on OLMCs and International Francophonie to ensure that information flows freely among the various parts of the organization that work with OLMCs.
• A relationship has been firmly established and discussions are ongoing between the communities and the two executive producers assigned to work with creators from OLMCs, including the NFB regional contact person. Official discussions also take place regularly between the NFB and the OLMCs through collaboration agreements with each of them, as well as at the annual bilateral meetings and the consultations for the implementation of the NFB’s programs.