History of the World in Three Minutes Flat | |
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Directed by | Michael Mills |
Written by | Michael Mills |
Produced by | Michael Mills [1] [2] |
Narrated by | Vlasta Vrána |
Production company | Michael Mills Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 3 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
History of the World in Three Minutes Flat is a 1980 Canadian animated short film, [3] directed by Michael Mills.
The film depicts a history of life on Earth, beginning with God (who had been given seven days to create the world but wasted the first six) hurriedly putting together the planet. Scenes rapidly progress from Biblical times to the Romans, Egyptians, the Dark Ages, the World Wars and finally up to the current day, where a group of people are seen arguing. When God yawns, however, the people begin to dance the curry their creator's favour. But God is unimpressed, saying, "Oh, well. Better try again." [4] (Despite the title, the film is actually three minutes and 24 seconds long.)
The short was animated by Bill Speers, John Gaug, Jim Hiltz, and Rick Bowan. [5]
This hugely successful film won a multitude of international awards. [6] The film received a Genie Award nomination for Best Theatrical Short Film at the 2nd Genie Awards in 1981, [7] and an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film [8] at the 53rd Academy Awards. [9] It won the award for Best Film Under Three Minutes at the 1980 Ottawa International Animation Festival, [10] the Short Film Golden Bear at the 1981 Berlin Film Festival, [4] a Golden Reel Award from the Canada Council's inaugural Canadian Short Films Showcase, [11] and the American Film and Video Festival's Blue Ribbon Award. [6]
The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards, covering the year 1931–32, to the present.
The National Film Board of Canada is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and alternative dramas. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions since its inception, which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It has bilingual production programs and branches in English and French, including multicultural-related documentaries.
The History of Canadian animation involves a considerable element of the realities of a country neighbouring the United States and both competitiveness and co-operation across the border.
Ryan is a 2004 short animated documentary film created and directed by Chris Landreth about Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who had lived on skid row in Montreal as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. Landreth's chance meeting with Larkin in 2000 inspired him to develop the film, which took 18 months to complete. It was co-produced by Copper Heart Entertainment and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and its creation and development is the subject of the NFB documentary Alter Egos. The film incorporated material from archive sources, particularly Larkin's works at the NFB.
Ryan Larkin was a Canadian animator, artist, and sculptor who rose to fame with the psychedelic Oscar-nominated short Walking (1968) and the acclaimed Street Musique (1972). He was the subject of the Oscar-winning film Ryan.
Frédéric Back was a Canadian artist and film director of short animated films. During a long career with Radio-Canada, the French-language service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, he was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning two, for his 1981 film Crac and the 1987 film The Man Who Planted Trees.
The Big Snit is a 1985 animated short film written and directed by Richard Condie and produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
Richard Condie, is a Canadian animator, filmmaker, musician and voice actor. Condie is best known for his 1985 animated short The Big Snit at the National Film Board of Canada and has won six international awards for Getting Started in 1979. Condie lives and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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The Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian animated short film. Formerly part of the Genie Awards, since 2012 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.
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Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are a Canadian animation duo. On January 24, 2012, they received their second Oscar nomination, for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) animated short film, Wild Life (2011). With their latest film, The Flying Sailor, they received several nominations and awards, including for the Best Canadian Film at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and on January 24, 2023, they received a nomination for the 95th Academy Awards under the category Best Animated Short Film.
Michael Mills is a British-born Canadian producer and director of short films. He has received two Oscar nominations. He also made the Canadian Anthem Animation for Television stations, still being used by CBC Television and Ici Radio-Canada Télé.
Claude Cloutier is a Canadian film animator and illustrator based in Quebec. He has made seven short films with the National Film Board of Canada. He began his animation career with the 1988 short The Persistent Peddler , which was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. He became widely known for his 2000 film From the Big Bang to Tuesday Morning , which was both a Genie Award nominee for Best Animated Short Film at the 21st Genie Awards, and a Jutra Award nominee for Best Animated Short Film at the 3rd Jutra Awards.
The Genie Award for Best Theatrical Short Film was a Canadian film award, historically presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television through its Genie Awards program to a film judged as the year's best short film. The award has been inclusive of short films in the live action drama, animated and documentary genres.
David Fine is a Canadian filmmaker, who works in animated film alongside his British wife Alison Snowden. The couple are best known as the creators of the Nelvana animated television series Bob and Margaret, and as the directors of several animated short films which have won or been nominated for Genie Awards and Academy Awards.
Paradise is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Ishu Patel and released in 1984.
Tables of Content is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Wendy Tilby and released in 1986. Made as her graduating class project in the filmmaking program at Emily Carr College of Art and Design, the film depicts an elderly man dining alone in a restaurant and observing the sights and sounds around him.