Longtime National Film Board of Canada development and marketing officer brings vast industry and creative experience to role of helping guide current and future slate of projects.
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has announced the appointment of Christine Noël to the position of executive producer of the French Program Animation Studio. The announcement was made by NFB director general, Creation and Innovation, Julie Roy. Noël will assume her responsibilities on January 4, 2021.
For the first time, the recruitment process included a filmmaker on the selection committee. This is in keeping with the NFB’s desire to ensure creators have a greater role within the organization
“With her deep knowledge of the institution and her recognized leadership, Christine Noël truly embodies the values of the NFB and the French Program Animation Studio,” commented Roy. “Her artistic sense, grasp of auteur animation, and unique expertise in marketing it, as well as the extensive network she’s built both in Canada and abroad, are valuable assets that will enable her to develop a stimulating vision for the filmmakers and team in place.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be returning to the NFB French Program Animation Studio,” shared Noël. “As Executive Producer, I will be privileged to support an approach to creation that emphasizes creators from all walks of life, as well as their artistic methods. It is in a spirit of continuity with regard to both production philosophy and programming guidelines, combined with my knowledge and understanding of audiences, that I will pursue the tradition that has made the NFB an internationally renowned, unique creative space.”
Noël has 19 years of experience in animated film production and marketing having begun her career at the NFB in 2001. As a development officer, she made a key contribution to the production of important DVD box sets, including Norman McLaren – The Master’s Edition and The Science of Moving Images, which focused on the work of Pierre Hébert. In addition, she organized workshops given by Jacques Drouin on the pinscreen technique, which led filmmaker Michèle Lemieux to use this unique tool to create a number of NFB films.
From 2007 to 2015, Noël oversaw the launch and promotional campaigns of more than 150 films in her capacity as marketing manager. During this time, she developed a close relationship with the creative community and honed her expertise in animated film. Beginning in 2015 as head, marketing, she led a cross-Canada team that annually promoted approximately 80 productions, including documentaries, animated films, and interactive works in both French and English. She was also in charge of a number of promotional strategies for Oscar-nominated NFB animated films, including Patrick Doyon’s Sunday; Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis’s Wild Life (both nominated in 2012); Torill Kove’s Me and My Moulton (2015); Theodore Ushev’s Blind Vaysha (2017); and Alison Snowden and David Fine’s Animal Behaviour (2019).
Her appointment as executive producer marks Noël’s return to the animation studio where she will bring a new energy and vision. While continuing an internationally recognized tradition of creation, she will implement the 2020–2023 strategic plan, launching in December, that includes a focus on giving creators a more prominent role within the organization.
Source: National Film Board of Canada
