MONTREAL — The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) today announced the appointment of Christine Noël (above) as executive producer of the NFB’s French Program Animation Studio, effective January 4, 2021.
“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. 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,” said Julie Roy, director general of creation and innovation at the NFB, in a press release announcing Noël’s appointment.
With 19 years of experience in animated film production and marketing, Noel began her career at the NFB in 2001 at the French Program Animation Studio. As a development officer, she was a key contributor 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. She also organized workshops given by Jacques Drouin on the pinscreen technique, which led filmmaker Michèle Lemieux to use this unique tool to create films, says the press release.
As NFB’s marketing manager from 2007 to 2015, Noël oversaw the launch and promotional campaigns of more than 150 films. She was also in charge of promotional strategies for a number of Oscar-nominated NFB animated films, including Patrick Doyon’s Sunday (nominated in 2012), Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis’s Wild Life (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).
“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,” said Noël in the press release.
“While continuing an internationally recognized tradition of creation, she will bring a new energy and vision to the Studio, particularly in terms of implementing the 2020–2023 Strategic Plan, which will be launched in December, and whose objectives include giving creators a more prominent role within the organization,” reads the press release.
In keeping with the NFB’s objectives, Noël’s appointment was the result of a recruitment process that for the first time included a filmmaker on the four-member selection committee, says the release.
Photo of Christine Noël provided by the NFB.
