The short film "4 North A" gets the world premiere of the TIFF at the Toronto Filmmakers

August 27 2020

The Toronto International Film Festival will present the world premiere of 4 North A, a new animated short from the National Film Board of Canada directed by Jordan Canning (Not Over Easy; We Were Wolves, Suck It Up) and Howie Shia (Tokyo Anime Award winner Flutter;, Canadian Screen Award nominee BAM).

“The idea for 4 North A it was born from the memories my mother told me about, from the summers she spent as a child on the island of Amherst. I was struck by the recurrence of animals and death in her descriptions and started linking them to a story of her caring for her father's last days in the hospital, ”said Canning, who also wrote the short. "Later, when I too found myself caring for a beloved partner, I began to imagine what it would be like if my mother and I were strangers in the same ward, going through these painful experiences - alone, but together."

4 North A

4 North A is projected on the section's TIFF Short Cuts, which this year focuses on “the importance of new beginnings and the many connections that give meaning to our life”. The public can watch the film on September 11th at 18pm. EST through the Bell Digital Cinema (online, geographically limited to Canada).

Synopsis: A woman sits in a hospital room, alone with her dying father. As the constant din of the hospital's antiseptic noises prompts her to deal with her inevitable loss, she escapes into a series of lush childhood memories. With its quiet yet expressive soundtrack and beautiful, subdued design that shifts between the pale hospital palette and the vivid pictorial landscapes of the woman's memories, 4 North A is a deeply personal film about mortality, memory and the discovery of connection in unlikely spaces.

The short film is produced by Annette Clarke, who is also executive producer Annette Clarke (NFB Quebec and Atlantic Studio) along with Michael Fukushima (NFB English Animation Studio), and was developed in association with The Newfoundland & Labrador Film Development Corporation.

Furthermore 4 North A and the world premiere of Cartoon Saloon / Apple just announced wolfwalkers, the highly selected cohort of animated projects at TIFF 2020 includes:

Pillar by Yngwie Boley, Diana van Houten & JJ Epping (Netherlands / Belgium) | Shortcuts Program 2 | The daily struggle of two young men for survival in a devastated post-apocalyptic city takes an unexpected direction in this chilling and gripping animation. Trailer.
Nozande, the musician by Reza Riahi (France) | Shortcuts Program 3 | Beautifully crafted by Reza Riahi, a painter and director who was the artistic co-director of Nora Twomey's feature film The head of the family (TIFF 2017), this stunning paper cut animation tells a heartbreaking story of love, war and hardship in XNUMXth century Persia. Trailer.
RKLSS by Tank Standing Buffalo (Canada) | Shortcuts Program 3 | In an intense, wild and raw horror fantasy, self-taught animator Tank Standing Buffalo boldly dives into his personal experiences in prolonged segregation as a juvenile delinquent, using the art form that helped him heal.
Tie by Alexandra Ramires (Portugal, France) | Shortcuts Program 5 | Two unusual figures in a gloomy and menacing landscape gradually realize what they may have to offer each other in this surreal and fascinating animation. Trailer.
Scars by Alex Anna (Canada, France) | Shortcuts Program 5 | His body is a canvas and his scars testify to a part of his life. Blending documentary and animation, Alex Anna's bold, distinctive and poetic reflection on her struggle for mental health brings to light a new story of self-harm that is both impactful and intensely intimate. Trailer.