The National Film Board took the opportunity of Hot Docs to announce a pair of international initiatives, including a new prize at the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to animated shorts pioneer Norman McLaren.

The Norman McLaren Prize will be presented each year to the winner of the Short Film Palme d’Or, Jacques Bensimon, chair of the NFB and government film commissioner, announced to a packed room during a Hot Docs cocktail party in Toronto.

McLaren won the Short Film Palme d’Or for his film Blinkity Blank in 1955. ‘Fifty years later, we are happy to create the Norman McLaren Prize in his memory,’ said Bensimon, who added more good news for fans of the late filmmaker. ‘To make his work more accessible and to give everyone the world over the pleasure of rediscovering this master of the short-film genre, the NFB is restoring all of McLaren’s films with the best digital technologies available.’

The prize includes a cash award of $3,000 plus an offer from the NFB to distribute the winning short internationally and to coproduce the winner’s next short film.

Bensimon also used the party as a platform to launch a partnership with the New Israeli Foundation for Cinema and Television to provide development funds for five doc proposals.

The agreement is similar to other joint initiatives between the NFB and public film organizations in Europe, including one with BBC and the UK Film Council to create the World Doc Fund. The board also has a coproduction agreement with broadcaster France 2.

‘International agreements like this are vital to today’s National Film Board, where we’re forging bonds with socially responsible public film organizations around the world to explore issues that impact the lives of people everywhere,’ Bensimon said.

The NFCT agreement will be run as a pilot project, providing a total of $60,000 for the development of five feature docs focused on social issues. Projects must have the support of both a Canadian and Israeli producer.

The deadline for entries is Sept. 15.

-www.nfb.ca