The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has named Michael Fukushima as Executive Producer of the acclaimed English Program Animation Studio in Montreal. The celebrated director first joined the NFB in 1990, directing the Hot Docs award-winning animated documentary Minoru: Memory of Exile, and became an animation producer there in 1997. Fukushima led the creation of the Hothouse emerging filmmaker program, and has since worked hard to offer eclectic fare that opens up the genre to new creators, audiences and technologies.
“I have high regard for Michael’s considerable experience, his expert reflections on our animation history and his thoughtful, progressive ideas for the future,” said NFB English Program Director General Ravida Din, in making the announcement. “I believe his leadership will advance the NFB’s profile as a global leader in animation, and I’ve been especially impressed with Michael’s commitment to finding and encouraging creators and team members with diverse experiences. The Hothouse program—now in its ninth edition—is an NFB success story and a testament to his dedication to emerging creators.”
Fukushima’s most notable films during his NFB production tenor include Patrick Doyon’s Sunday (2011), Koji Yamamura’s Muybridge’s Strings (2011), Ann Marie Fleming’s I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (2010), Iriz Pääbo’s HA’Aki (2008) and Chris Hinton’s visual music short cNote (2004).
