October 7, 2015 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the Reel Asian Film Festival (November 5‒15) with two short films by acclaimed Toronto filmmakers―Randall Okita’s The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer and Howie Shia’s BAM.
Randall Okita’s The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer is a visually haunting look at two brothers who share the scars, though not the memories, of an untold history that has driven them to extremes. Presented as part of the festival’s Canadian Artist Spotlight on Okita’s art and cinema, this nine-minute hybrid film combines high-speed camerawork, striking art direction and intricate animation sequences. The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer has garnered four awards to date: the Best Canadian Short Film Award at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, the award for Best Experimental film at both LA Shorts Fest and NY Shorts Fest, and the Prix Format Court at Montreal’s Festival du nouveau cinéma.
Fresh from its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, Tokyo Anime Award winner Howie Shia’s six-minute animated short BAM draws on the life of his Taiwanese grandfather for a modern-day adaptation of the myth of Hercules, in which a young boxer struggles to understand the disturbing consequences of his explosive temper—both inside and outside the ring. The Shia family connection on BAM also includes the film’s score, with his brothers—hip-hop artist Leo Shia (a.k.a. LEO37) and composer Tim Shia—co-creating the film’s soundtrack.
The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer
• The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer was produced by Maral Mohammadian and Michael Fukushima for the NFB, with Fukushima also acting as executive producer for the NFB’s Animation Studio.
• Randall Lloyd Okita is a Toronto visual artist whose work incorporates elements of sculpture, technology, drama and rich cinematography. As a director and producer, Okita pushes the boundaries of cinematic performance in a variety of ways—ultra-slow-motion, wire-work stunts, original large-scale installations and kinetic set pieces. His internationally acclaimed films (Fish in Barrel, Machine with Wishbone) have screened at festivals from Toronto to Tehran. Okita is currently the Program Director and Filmmaker in Residence at Presenting Our Vision, a Toronto-based registered charity and training network dedicated to exposing youth to filmmaking.
BAM
• BAM is produced by Maral Mohammadian and executive produced by Michael Fukushima for the NFB’s Animation Studio.
• Born to Taiwanese parents in Saskatoon, Howie Shia is a Toronto-based illustrator, animator, writer, and director. BAM is the fifth animated short with the NFB for Shia, whose credits include the multi-award-winning Flutter (2006), the first work from outside Asia to win the coveted Open Entries Grand Prize at the Tokyo Anime Awards. Much of his work combines a love of ancient mythologies with a fascination for modern urban environments. Creating contemporary visuals using mostly traditional drawing techniques, Shia also draws heavily on music, especially contemporary jazz and hip hop. Along with his brothers, Shia is the co-founder of PPF House, a Toronto-Taipei music, animation and design studio.
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Melissa Than
Publicist
Tel.: 416-952-8960
Cell: 647-248-9854
E-mail: m.than@nfb.ca
Twitter: @NFB_Melissa
Lily Robert
Director, Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs
Tel.: 514-283-3838
Cell: 514-296-8261
E-mail: l.robert@nfb.ca
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produces groundbreaking animation at its studios in Montreal and at NFB centres across Canada, as well as via international co-productions with many of the world’s leading auteur animators. The NFB is a leader in developing new approaches to stereoscopic 3D animation and animated content for new platforms. The NFB has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 14 Canadian Screen Awards, 11 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
