NFB Collection
Village of Idiots
199912 min 41 secFilm: Animation, Children's film
Direction: Eugene FedorenkoRose Newlove
Production: Michael ScottDavid VerrallJohn SpottonJohn TaylorDennis MurphyGerry FlahiveBarrie Angus McLean
Script: John Lazarus
Weary of daily life in his native village of Chelm, Shmendrik sets out on a quest for knowledge that brings him to a new Chelm, a place remarkably like the old Chelm, down to the chicken's reminiscent clucks. Based on a Jewish folk tale, adapted by John Lazarus, Village of Idiots is the story of Shmendrik's new life and its uncanny closeness to his old life; offering an extremely funny take on our tendency to romanticize what we don't have.
The animators filmed paper cut-outs on layers of glass to achieve the rich, textured visuals.
Availability
Other versions
Subject categories
- Literature and Language > Adaptations of Literary WorksAnimation based on LiteratureLegends, Myths, and Tales
- English Language Arts > Children's Stories/Fables
- Media Education > Film Animation
Credits
- director
- Eugene Fedorenko
- Rose Newlove
- animation
- Eugene Fedorenko
- Rose Newlove
- writer
- John Lazarus
- narrator
- Nicholas Rice
- voice
- Hindy Nosek-Abelson
- Yank Azman
- Gloria Block
- Jack Newman
- dialogue
- Jack Newman
- voice recording
- Greg Shim
- original music
- Normand Roger
- musical arrangement
- Normand Roger
- music performer
- Alain Cazes
- Denis Chartrand
- Michel Dupire
- Normand Roger
- Patrick Vetter
- sound editing
- Jean-Baptiste Roger
- foley
- Andy Malcolm
- foley recording
- Tony Van den Akker
- re-recording
- Serge Boivin
- Geoffrey Mitchell
- post-production coordinator
- Éric Barbeau
- program administrator
- Ed Barreveld
- Ida Di Fruscia
- Gisèle Guilbault
- producer
- Michael Scott
- David Verrall
- executive producer
- John Spotton
- John Taylor
- Dennis Murphy
- Gerry Flahive
- Barrie Angus McLean
- David Verrall
Awards
- Jury Award sponsored by STA Travel - with a cash prize of 1,000$ (AUS)Brisbane International Animation Festival
- Award for Best of International Session 6International Animation Festival
- National Film Board of Canada Award for Best Animated Film - with a cash prize of 1,000$International Film Festival
- Renzo Kinoshita award - with a cash prize of 250,000 yen ($3,450Cdn)International Animation Festival
- Genie Award for Best Animated ShortGenie Awards
- First Prize - Category: Animation - with a cash prize of 200$USInternational Jewish Video Competition of the Judah L. Magnes Museum
- Silver Star Award for Best Experimental Animation California SUN International Animation Festival
- FIPRESCI Award - Prize of the International Film Critics / For expressing the eternal and metaphysical questions of the human condition in a subtile, humorous and concise way.Montreal World Film Festival
- 2nd PrizeMontreal World Film Festival
- Second Place - Category: Animation Competition - with a cash prize of 500$USInternational Short Film Festival
- Special Jury AwardInternational Animated Film Festival
- Grand PrizeInt’l Festival of Animated Films / I Castelli Animati
- Grand Prize for Animation - with a cash award of 500,000PTE (3,450$Cdn)International Short Film Festival
- Audience AwardInternational Animated Film Festival / CINANIMA
- City of Espinho Award (Jury's Special Award) - with a cash prize of 500,000PTE (3,850$Cdn)International Animated Film Festival / CINANIMA
- Honorable Mention from the Jury RTP (Portuguese State Channel) International Animated Film Festival / CINANIMA
- "Centaur" Award for Best Animation - with a cash prize of 2,000$USMessage to Man
- Second Prize - Category: BWorld Festival of Animated Films
- Grand Prize Audience Award - with a prize of 1,000$US in film stockInternational Children's Film Festival