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Colin Low

Known For
Directing

Known Credits
0

Gender
Male

Birthday
July 24, 1926 (100 years old)

Place of Birth
Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Colin Low

Biography

Colin Archibald Low CM RCA (July 24, 1926 – February 24, 2016) was a Canadian animation and documentary filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was known as a pioneer, one of Canada's most important filmmakers, and was regularly referred to as "the gentleman genius". His numerous honors include five BAFTA awards, eight Cannes Film Festival awards, and six Academy Award nominations.

Low was born and raised in Cardston, Alberta, to Gerald and Marion Low, ranchers who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The town borders the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe), which later became the subject of two of his films; his 1960 film Circle of the Sun marked the first time the Kainai Nation's sacred Sun Dance was filmed.

Low studied graphic design and animation at the Banff School of Fine Arts and then the Calgary Institute of Technology. In 1946, while he was at the latter, the National Film Board of Canada was hiring and put out a call for student submissions; one of Low's teachers suggested that he send in his portfolio and, a week later, he was hired by the prominent NFB filmmaker Norman McLaren. McLaren placed Low under the tutelage of George Dunning, who would act as his mentor for five years. To hone his animation skills, he was also put to work with NFB animator Evelyn Lambart.

Low was recognized as a filmmaker in 1949. In 1950, he was appointed Head of the Animation Unit. From 1972 to 1976, he was an executive producer for the NFB's Studio C; in 1976, he became Director of Regional Production. He would stay with the NFB for the rest of his life, making 203 films and acting as a researcher and advisor on many others. He officially retired in 1997, but continued to write about animation and large-format film, and to work on film projects.

Known For

Directing

2000Moving Pictures...Director
1992Momentum...Director
1988Emergency...Director
1986Transitions...Director
1983The Contour Connection...Director
1982Standing Alone...Director
1979A Pinto for the Prince...Director
1972When I Go - That's It!...Director
1970The Winds of Fogo...Director
1968Introduction to Fogo Island...Director
1967Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay...Director
1967In the Labyrinth...Director
1967The Children of Fogo Island...Director
1967Billy Crane Moves Away...Director
1967Jim Decker's Party...Director
1967A Wedding and Party...Director
1967The Mercer Family...Director
1967A Woman's Place...Director
1967The Merchant and the Teacher...Director
1967The Founding of the Co-operatives...Director
1967McGraths at Home and Fishing...Director
1967Jim Decker Builds a Longliner...Director
1967The Songs of Chris Cobb...Director
1967Citizen Discussions...Director
1967Thoughts on Fogo and Norway...Director
1967The Story of the Up Top...Director
1967Some Problems of Fogo...Director
1967Dan Roberts on Fishing...Director
1967Joe Kinsella on Education...Director
1967William Wells Talks About The Island...Director
1967The Fogo Island Improvement Committee...Director
1967Fogo's Expatriates...Director
1967Discussion on Welfare...Director
1967Fishermen's Meeting...Director
1967Brian Earle on Merchants and Welfare...Director
1967Tom Best on Co-operatives...Director
1964The Hutterites...Director
1963Seven Surprizes...Director
1961Circle of the Sun...Director
1961The Days of Whisky Gap...Director
1960Universe...Director
1959City Out of Time...Director
1957City of Gold...Director
1955Gold...Director
1955The Jolifou Inn...Director
1954Riches of the Earth...Director
1954Corral...Director
1952Age of the Beaver...Director
1952The Romance of Transportation in Canada...Director
1950Teamwork - Past and Present...Director
1948Time and Terrain...Director

Writing

1988Emergency...Writer
1961Circle of the Sun...Writer
1960Universe...Writer
1954Corral...Writer

Production

1977River (Planet Earth)...Executive Producer
1976The Mad Canadian...Executive Producer
1976Christ Is Risen...Executive Producer
1976Blackwood...Executive Producer
1976The Sword of the Lord...Executive Producer
1976Los Canadienses...Producer
1976No Way They Want to Slow Down...Executive Producer
1975Waiting for Fidel...Executive Producer
1975Descent...Producer
1975Alberta Girls...Executive Producer
1975Lumsden...Executive Producer
1975Earthware...Producer
1975Metal Workers...Producer
1975Musicanada...Executive Producer
1974King of the Hill...Executive Producer
1974Another Side of the Forest...Executive Producer
1974In Search of the Bowhead Whale...Executive Producer
1974The New Alchemists...Producer
1974The Boat That Ian Built...Producer
1974In Praise of Hands...Producer
1974Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut...Executive Producer
1974Freshwater World...Executive Producer
1974Cree Hunters of Mistassini...Producer
1973Coming Home...Producer
1973Kainai...Producer
1972A Memo from Fogo...Producer
1972Cell 16...Producer
1971I Don't Think It's Meant for Us......Producer
1964Free Fall...Producer
196321-87...Producer
1963The Ride...Producer
1962My Financial Career...Producer
1962Pot-pourri...Producer
1961Very Nice, Very Nice...Producer
1960Appetizers...Producer
1959A is for Architecture...Producer
1954One Little Indian...Producer
Log House...Executive Producer
I Am an Old Tree...Executive Producer

Visual Effects

1962The Living Machine...Animation
1948Time and Terrain...Animation
1947Cadet Rousselle...Animation

Art

1960Universe...Production Design

Crew

1958The Living Stone...Cinematography

Camera

1957City of Gold...Director of Photography

Editing

1955The Jolifou Inn...Editor
1948Time and Terrain...Editor

Acting