Making Movie History: Robert Forget

Working outside the spotlight, the visionary Robert Forget was a major force of change at the NFB. Alive to the creative potential of new technologies, he was always one step ahead. As a young producer in 1971, he founded Vidéographe, an artist-run video production centre that remains a vibrant player in independent media creation. Forget was appointed head of French animation in 1978 and went on to run the French Program from 1989 to 1993, when he became Director for Technical Service. Not content to simply produce (over 75 films), the tireless Forget oversaw historic advances in computer animation. In 1994, he established Montreal's famous CineRobotheque viewing facility, and in 2000 he pioneered internet distribution with CinéRoute. Technological innovation and creativity were always interconnected for Forget--and the NFB owes a huge debt to his forward-looking leadership.