This September, the NFB moves to the Quartier des Spectacles in downtown Montreal. Official inauguration and opening event for the public to follow in 2020.

September 4, 2019 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada

After 63 years on Côte-de-Liesse Road, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is moving its headquarters to Îlot Balmoral, in the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles. The move marks a new chapter in the NFB’s history. From September 9 to the end of October, nearly 400 people—staff, creative crews, experts, and creators—will be moving to a new space devoted to the production and distribution of documentaries, auteur animation, and interactive and immersive works.

Originally slated for November 2019, the official inauguration of the NFB’s headquarters is now scheduled for 2020, allowing time to fully complete the design of the NFB’s new public space and screening room so that members of the public can visit them at the opening event.

As for the NFB’s conservation rooms (a.k.a. “the vaults”) and digitization facilities, they’re moving to a new building in the borough of Saint-Laurent during the fall of 2019.

A wealth of expertise under one roof

Located in the heart of Montreal’s cultural and economic centre, the new NFB headquarters will house a wealth of expertise in production and distribution, covering every stage of a project, from initial concept through to international distribution. The new space includes animation, documentary, and interactive production studios, along with post-production facilities for editing and mixing, as well as a photo library, library, and archives. The building will be home to a variety of teams, including staff working on festivals, national and international sales, marketing, and technical services, all collaborating closely with the NFB’s 12 studios across the country.

The NFB produces an average of about 80 titles a year, in addition to offering technical assistance to more than 60 filmmakers every year through the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) and the Aide au cinéma indépendant – Canada (ACIC) program.

The NFB will be inaugurating its new screening room and public space in 2020, welcoming the public, creators, and creative crews into its new headquarters. Designed for people of all ages and backgrounds to be able to come together and participate in a dynamic exchange of ideas, the public space will offer its visitors various activities and special programming.

An iconic new building at Place des Festivals

The new NFB headquarters is located at Îlot Balmoral, a property of the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), designed by the architectural firm Provencher_Roy. The NFB will occupy six of the 13 floors in this prestigious building, which will be sporting the illuminated NFB logo by mid-September.

Digitization and conservation rooms move to a new location

Later this fall, the conservation and collection-digitization facilities will be moving to a new building at 4725 Cousens Street in the borough of Saint-Laurent. Some 15 experts will continue the process of conserving, restoring, and digitizing the collection, which consists of more than 13,000 titles produced over the last eight decades. Much of this living collection—the audiovisual heritage of all Canadians—is available for free online, at NFB.ca.

Inauguration and public opening in 2020

While employees, creators, and artists will begin moving on September 9, the NFB’s opening event will take place in 2020. Members of the public, as well as all current and former creators and NFB staff, are invited to celebrate the opening of the new public space and screening room. Media will be invited to take a tour of the new facilities before the inauguration. More to come!

About the NFB

The NFB is Canada’s public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB producers are embedded in communities across the country, from St. John’s to Vancouver, working with talented creators on innovative and socially relevant projects. The NFB is a leader in gender equity in film and digital media production, and is working to strengthen Indigenous-led production, guided by the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. NFB productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 24 Canadian Screen Awards, 21 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 100 Genies. To access this award-winning content and discover the work of NFB creators, visit NFB.ca, download its apps for mobile devices or visit NFB Pause.

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, videos, information: NFB Balmoral

Associated Links

Îlot Balmoral
Quartier des Spectacles
Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal
Provencher_Roy

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