The National Parks Project film anthology is a collection of 13 short films that showcase the beauty and diversity of Canada’s national parks, as seen through the eyes of some of the country’s best filmmakers.
A landmark documentary project, The National Parks Project features the collaborations of 52 leading artists (Zacharias Kunuk, Louise Archambault, Hubert Davis, Tagaq, Cadence Weapon and Sarah Harmer to name a few) who ventured into the wildness to explore the connection between nature and creativity. Teams of one filmmaker and three musicians visited a national park in each Canadian province and territory to find inspiration for a short film and soundtrack, recorded entirely in the natural environment. The results: 13 short films showcasing the beauty and diversity of Canada’s national parks, and breadth of artistic talent.
13 x various / 127min feature, FilmCAN / Primitive Entertainment (2011)
Watch Zacharias Kunuk’s Genie Award-winning short, Sirmilik on Vimeo.
The National Parks Project docuseries is an arts-adventure series that follows the artists of the National Parks Project as they face the challenges of working in the wilderness. Each half-hour episode highlights the pitfalls and epiphanies of creative collaboration, and showcases the beauty of Canada’s national parks, as three musicians and one filmmaker journey through different landscapes to find inspiration for a short film and soundtrack.
13 x 30min, Discovery Channel (2011)
Watch the Gemini Award-winning National Parks Project docuseries on YouTube.
The National Parks Project interactive is an immersive interactive portal through which users can screen the NPP films and music, and engage with over 3hrs of additional documentary segments following the creation of the NPP films and music.
www.nationalparksproject.ca, Online / Flash (2011)
Select Festivals, Awards & Press:
World Premiere: Berlinale (SIRMILIK, dir. Zacharias Kunuk)
US Premiere: SXSW Film
Canadian Premiere: Hot Docs International Documentary Festival
Winner, GENIE AWARD, Best Short Documentary (SIRMILIK, dir. Zacharias Kunuk)
Winner, GEMINI AWARD, Best Arts Documentary Series (Discovery Channel series)
Winner, ATOMIC AWARD, Best Transmedia
Winner, FWA Site of the Day
Finalist, SXSW Interactive Awards, Best Art Interactive
Nominated, BANFF ROCKIE AWARDS - Best Cross-Platform Project: Non-Fiction
Nominated, GEMINI AWARD, Best Cross-Platform Project: Non-Fiction
Nominated, INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AWARDS, Best Limited Series
“Often mesmerizing, the results are nature films like none you’ve ever seen.”
— Jason Anderson, EYE Weekly
“National Parks Project is a little 13-episode miracle…achingly beautiful.”
— Stephanie Earp, HuffPostTV