The Norman McLaren Heritage Award, the animation world’s equivalent to film’s Lifetime Achievement Award, has been given to Rene Jodoin.

Jodoin, a student of McLaren (considered the father of Canadian animation), is a longtime contributor to the National Film Board and the first head of the board’s French animation unit.

The Norman McLaren Heritage Award was created in 1988 when Ottawa became the permanent host of the International Animation Festival. *