Canadian animator, director and producer Robert Verrall died Friday at the age of 97, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced in a press release. Rewarded throughout his career with numerous awards, Robert Verrall also distinguished himself by working for more than four decades within the NFB.
Posted at 5:40 p.m.
Quentin Dufranne
The Canadian Press
“Robert leaves us a rich heritage of more than 50 films that he directed or produced before leaving the NFB in the summer of 1986 to retire on his farm in the Eastern Townships,” we can say. read in the ONF press release.
He joined the NFB in 1945 as a simple summer job while still a student. He was then hired a year later, as part of the animation team, by director Norman McLaren.
-It was with McLaren, Colin Low and Wolf Kœnig that Robert Verrall created Sports et transports. This short film won the prize for best animated short film at the Cannes Film Festival and received the first nomination for an NFB film in the Animation category at the Oscars.
Robert Verrall then distinguished himself from 1967 to 1972 as producer and director of the NFB’s animation department. These years will be marked by several works which marked cinema throughout the world, such as Walkingby Ryan Larkin and Hot Stuffde Zlatko Grgić.
“Robert truly contributed to shaping the modern NFB and we are deeply grateful for the legacy he leaves us,” said Government Film Commissioner and NFB President Suzanne Guèvremont.
His career then continued as Director of English Production from 1972 to 1976. It was during this mandate that he contributed to the establishment of two studios located in Montreal. His own son followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the NFB in 1977 and directing the English Animation Studio in Montreal.
