The NFB at the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie: a tradition of accessibility, enjoyed by francophone communities and Francophiles across Canada.

For the 17th year in a row, the National Film Board of Canada is participating in the annual Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF), which will be taking place in a hybrid format from March 1 to 31, 2022. This year’s event pays tribute to traditions. For this grand celebration of Canada’s Francophonie, the NFB has compiled six programs of documentaries, animated films and interactive works for all ages, and is providing free access to them, in venues or online, to francophone communities and Francophiles across the country. Over 450 public and private screenings and activities are planned in all territories and all provinces, from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia. This cultural offering also includes special bonus programming for the RVF at NFB.ca/rvf.

The NFB at RVF 2022: six programs accessible from home

The NFB knows a thing or two about celebrating traditions. You can find details about all six programs here, but read on for a preview.

• The NFB has always been a talent incubator, as demonstrated by program 1, dedicated to La courbe (The Curve), a collection of films about the pandemic.
• Program 2 reflects the vibrant tradition of innovation at the NFB, with two unique interactive works: Plus loin que loin (Far Away From Far Away) by Bruce Alcock and Jeremy Mendes, and J’aime les patates (I Love Potatoes) by Vali Fugulin.
• Program 3 is inspired by the NFB’s tradition of direct cinema, with the recent documentary series Ramaillages (Gatherings) by Moïse Marcoux-Chabot.
• In program 4, we can see how traditions continue to forge identities, through several touching documentaries: Samedi, la nuit (Saturday Night) by Rosana Matecki, Histoire de sable (Tales of Sand and Snow) by Hyacinthe Combary, and Si le temps le permet (If the Weather Permits) by Elisapie Isaac.
• For young people, there are two programs of dynamic, colourful short films: Sports, Sports and More Sports! and Grandparents, Families and Fairy Tales.

Screening schedules—in venues or online—can be found at RVF.ca, in the Calendar section.

Bonus programming at NFB.ca during RVF

You can also view almost all of the works presented at the RVF online, at NFB.ca/rvf, along with bonus programming of 13 extra films, which will enhance your experience of this grand celebration. From short documentaries such as Marie-France Guerrette’s Le chœur d’une culture (Together in Harmony) and Gilles Carle’s Patinoire (The Rink) to Theodore Ushev’s award-winning animated film Physique de la tristesse (The Physics of Sorrow), not to mention Denys Desjardins’s feature-length documentary Au pays des colons (The Great Resistance), immerse yourself in the richness and diversity of Canada’s Francophonie.

The NFB is Canada’s public producer and distributor of award-winning documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences, working with talented creators across the country. The NFB is taking action to combat systemic racism and become a more open and diverse organization, while working to strengthen Indigenous-led production and gender equity in film and digital media. NFB productions have won more than 7,000 awards, including 12 Oscars. To access this unique content, visit NFB.ca.