Animation for the People: An Illustrated History of the National Film Board of Canada

by Charles Solomon

A gorgeous celebration of the influential and Academy Award–winning animators of the National Film Board of Canada

For over eight decades, the National Film Board of Canada has been a global leader in animated storytelling, pushing boundaries with its visionary artists and groundbreaking techniques. In Animation for the People, acclaimed animation historian Charles Solomon offers a richly illustrated journey through the NFB’s legacy, from its earliest experiments to its most celebrated works.

Featuring interviews with filmmakers and animators, behind-the-scenes insights, and original artwork from iconic shorts like The Sweater and Neighbours, this book reveals how the NFB became a hub of innovation, collaboration, and artistic freedom. With 78 Academy Award nominations and 12 wins, the NFB’s influence spans generations and genres, inspiring creators around the world.

This is not just a history—it’s a celebration of animation as a public good, a cultural force, and a medium of limitless possibility.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Ross Blocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book about important animation history! Animation historian, critic, and author Charles Solomon delves deep into the significant contributions of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB | ONF) from its founding in the early 1940s to today. You'll learn about animation pioneers such as Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart, George Dunning, Grant Munro, René Jodoin, Ryan Larkin, Lotte Reiniger (she made her final films with the NFB), Co Hoedeman, Caroline Leaf, Ishu Patel, Jacques Drouin, Janet Perlman, Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby... oh my, the list goes on and on. Solomon shares the stand-out works and stories behind their innovations in drawing, stop motion, pixilation (using human actors for animation posing), film manipulation, pinscreen ("arguably the most arcane animation device ever created"), ink, encaustic paint, cel animation, and CG. The volume is richly illustrated, and there are quotes from accomplished U.S. animators about the impact of NFB films on their own work. As I was reading, I started watching many of the described films, but after 16 shorts I realized this was going to take me too long at that pace. Instead, I started saving films on my YouTube "watch later" list, and ended up with an additional 68 that I'm still working my way through. That's one of the great things about the NFB: as a project funded by the government, the resulting films don't live behind a paywall. Most of them are available on YouTube, and there's a free "NFB" app with a massive collection - anything I couldn't find online I could find there.

[Alec Longstreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tore through this book in about a week and loved it. It could have been twice as long and I still would have loved it. It was so inspiring to learn more about this institution, and all of the creative people who made films there. After I finished it this morning I set up an account at NFB.ca and will be going through and watching dozens of the films covered in this book which I had never seen before. It's free! What an incredible resource for animators (and anyone who loves animation)