Colin Low (filmmaker) facts for kids

Colin Archibald Low OC RCA (July 24, 1926 – February 24, 2016) was a famous Canadian filmmaker. He made many animated and documentary films for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). People called him a "gentleman genius" and a pioneer in filmmaking. He won many awards, including five BAFTA awards and eight Cannes Film Festival awards. He was also nominated for six Academy Awards.

Early Life and Film Beginnings

Colin Low was born and grew up in Cardston, Alberta. His parents, Gerald and Marion Low, were ranchers. Their town was close to the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe). Later, Colin made two films about this community. His 1960 film Circle of the Sun was the first time the Kainai Nation's special Sun Dance was filmed.

Colin studied graphic design and animation. He went to the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Calgary Institute of Technology. In 1946, the National Film Board of Canada was looking for new talent. Colin sent in his work and was hired by the famous filmmaker Norman McLaren. McLaren helped Colin learn from George Dunning and Evelyn Lambart, who were great animators.

Colin became a recognized filmmaker in 1949. By 1950, he was in charge of the Animation Unit at the NFB. He stayed with the NFB for his whole career. He made 203 films and helped with many others. He officially retired in 1997 but kept working on film projects.

How Colin Low Influenced Other Filmmakers

Colin Low's films inspired other famous directors.

Inspiring Ken Burns

In 1957, Colin made a documentary called City of Gold. In this film, he used slow camera movements and zooms over old photos. This technique became a big inspiration for filmmaker Ken Burns. It's now known as the 'Ken Burns effect'.

Influencing Stanley Kubrick

In 1960, Colin Low and Roman Kroitor directed Universe. This film caught the eye of Stanley Kubrick, who was planning his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colin was invited to work on Kubrick's film. But he had to say no because he was busy making In the Labyrinth for Expo 67. Still, some of Colin's ideas were used in Kubrick's film. Kubrick even used the same narrator from Universe, Douglas Rain, as the voice of the HAL 9000 computer.

Films for Social Change

From 1966 to 1968, Colin Low worked on a special project called Challenge for Change. He went to Fogo Island, Newfoundland and made 27 films with the local people. This project used films to help communities and fight poverty. It showed how media could bring about positive social change.

Pioneering IMAX Technology

Colin Low was a leader in making large-screen films.

His experimental film In the Labyrinth helped create the IMAX film format. He also co-directed the first IMAX 3D film, Transitions, for Expo 86 in Vancouver. Later, he co-directed Momentum. This was the first film made in the super-fast 48 frames per second IMAX HD format for Expo 92 in Seville, Spain.

Awards and Recognition

Colin Low received many important awards for his amazing work.

In 1972, he won the first Grierson Award for his great contributions to Canadian cinema. In 2002, he received the Abel Gance Award for his outstanding work in large format filmmaking.

In 1997, Colin was given the Prix Albert-Tessier. This award honors people with amazing careers in Québec cinema. In 2013, the DOXA Documentary Film Festival started the annual Colin Low Award. This award goes to the best Canadian documentary film at the festival.

Colin Low was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 1996, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This was to recognize his incredible impact on films in Canada and around the world.

Personal Life

Colin Low met Eugénie (Jean) St. Germain in Montreal. They got married in 1947 and had three sons. Colin passed away in Montreal on February 24, 2016, leaving behind his wife and sons.

Selected Filmography

All films listed below were made for the National Film Board of Canada.

• Cadet Rousselle - animated short, George Dunning 1946 - co-animator
• Christmas Carols - animated short, Jim MacKay 1947 - co-animator
• Time and Terrain - documentary short 1948 - director, animator, co-editor
• Teamwork - Past and Present - animated short, Michael Spencer 1950 - editor, animator
• Challenge: Science Against Cancer - documentary short, Morten Parker 1950 - co-animator
• The Fight: Science Against Cancer - documentary short, Morten Parker 1950 - co-animator
• The Outlaw Within - documentary short, Morten Parker 1951 - co-animator
• Age of the Beaver - documentary short 1952 - director
• The Romance of Transportation in Canada, Part 1 - animated short 1952 - director
• The Romance of Transportation in Canada, Part 2 - animated short 1953 - director
• A Thousand Million Years - documentary short 1954 - director
• One Little Indian - puppet film, Grant Munro 1954 - co-producer
• Corral - documentary short 1954 - writer, director
• Riches of the Earth - documentary short 1954 - director
• Gold - documentary short 1955 - director
• The Jolifou Inn - documentary short 1955 - editor, director
• It's a Crime - animated short Wolf Koenig 1957 - production designer
• City of Gold - documentary short 1957 - co-cinematographer and co-director
• The Living Stone - documentary short, John Feeney 1958 - co-cinematographer
• City Out of Time - documentary short 1959 - director
• A is for Architecture - documentary short, Gerald Budner and Robert Verrall 1960 - co-producer
• Hors-d'oeuvre - animated short, Gerald Potterton, Robert Verrall, Arthur Lipsett, Derek Lamb, Jeff Hale and Kaj Pindal 1960 - co-producer
• Universe - documentary short 1960 - co-director with Roman Kroitor
• Circle of the Sun - documentary short 1960 - writer, director
• The Days of Whiskey Gap - documentary short 1961 - director
• Very Nice, Very Nice - documentary short, Arthur Lipsett 1961 - co-producer
• Do You Know the Milky Way? - documentary short 1961 - director
• My Financial Career - cartoon, Gerald Potterton 1962 - co-producer
• The World of David Milne - documentary short, Gerald Budner 1962 - co-producer
• Pot-pourri - montage, Jeff Hale, Derek Lamb, Austin Campbell, Kaj Pindal, Grant Munro, Cameron Guess, Rhoda Leyer 1962 - co-producer
• 21-87 - documentary short, Arthur Lipsett 1963 - co-producer
• The Ride - short film, Gerald Potterton 1963 - producer
• I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - animated short, Derek Lamb 1963 - producer
• The Hutterites - documentary short 1964 - director
• Free Fall - experimental short, Arthur Lipsett 1964 - co-producer
• An Essay on Science - documentary short, Guy L. Coté 1964 - co-animator
• Riches of the Earth, Revised - documentary short 1966 - director
• McGraths At Home and Fishing - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Mercer Family - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Merchant and the Teacher - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Songs of Chris Cobb - documentary short 1967 - director
• Tom Best on Co-Operatives - documentary short 1967 - director
• A Wedding and a Party - documentary short 1967 - director
• Citizen Discussions - documentary short 1967 - director
• Dan Roberts on Fishing - documentary short 1967 - director
• Discussion on Welfare - documentary short 1967 - director
• Fishermen's Meeting - documentary short 1967 - director
• Some Problems of Fogo - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Story of the Up Top - documentary short 1967 - director
• Two Cabinet Ministers - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Fogo Island Improvement Committee - documentary short 1967 - director
• Fogo's Expatriates - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Founding of the Co-operatives - documentary short 1967 - director
• Jim Decker Builds a Longliner - documentary short 1967 - director
• Jim Decker's Party - documentary short 1967 - director
• Joe Kinsella on Education - documentary short 1967 - director
• Thoughts on Fogo and Norway - documentary short 1967 - director
• Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay - documentary short 1967 - director
• Billy Crane Moves Away - documentary short 1967 - director
• Brian Earle on Merchants and Welfare - documentary short 1967 - director
• The Children of Fogo Island - documentary short 1967 - director
• William Wells Talks About the Island - documentary short 1967 - director
• A Woman's Place - documentary short 1967 - director
• In the Labyrinth - documentary short 1967 - co-director
• Introduction to Fogo Island - documentary short 1968 - director
• The Winds of Fogo - documentary short 1969 - director
• Of Many People - documentary short, Stanley Jackson 1970 - co-editor
• Cell 16 - documentary short, Martin Duckworth 1971 - producer
• The Sea - documentary short, Bané Jovanovic 1971 - co-producer
• Time Piece - documentary short, Albert Kish 1971 - producer
• God Help the Man Who Would Part with His Land - documentary, George C. Stoney 1971 - co-producer
• I Don't Think It's Meant For Us... - documentary short, Kathleen Shannon 1971 - co-producer
• Here is Canada - documentary short, Tony Ianzelo 1972 - producer
• The Question of TV Violence - documentary, Graeme Ferguson 1972 - producer
• That Gang of Hoodlums? - documentary short, Robert Nichol 1972 - co-executive producer
• A Memo from Fogo - documentary, Roger Hart 1972 - producer
• When I Go...That's It! - documentary short 1972 - co-producer and co-director
• Child, Part 1: Jamie, Ethan and Marlon: The First Two Months - documentary short, Robert Humble 1973 - executive producer
• Child, Part 2: Jamie, Ethan and Keir: 2-14 Months - documentary short, Robert Humble 1973 - executive producer
• Child, Part 3: Debbie and Robert: 12-24 Months - documentary short, Robert Humble 1973 - executive producer
• The Greenlanders - documentary short, Hubert Schuurman 1973 - co-executive producer
• Rock-A-Bye - documentary short, Jacques Bensimon 1973 - executive producer
• Kainai - documentary short, Raoul Fox 1973 - producer
• Do Your Thing - documentary short, Len Chatwin 1973 - production team
• The Man Who Can't Stop - documentary, Michael Rubbo 1973 - executive producer
• Coming Home - documentary, Bill Reid 1973 - co-producer
• Sub-Igloo - documentary short, James de Beaujeu Domville and Joseph B. MacInnis 1973 - executive producer
• Freshwater World - documentary short, Giles Walker 1974 - executive producer
• King of the Hill - documentary, William Canning and Donald Brittain 1974 - executive producer
• Another Side of the Forest - documentary short, Raoul Fox and Strowan Robertson 1974 - executive producer
• Running Time - feature, Mort Ransen 1974 - executive producer
• Sananguagat: Inuit Masterworks - documentary short, Derek May 1974 - executive producer
• Thoughts on the Future with George McRobie - documentary short, Roger Hart 1974 - executive producer
• The Boat That Ian Built - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1974 - co-producer
• Cree Hunters of Mistassini - documentary, Boyce Richardson and Tony Ianzelo 1974 - producer
• In Praise of Hands - documentary short, Donald Winkler 1974 - co-producer
• In Search of the Bowhead Whale - documentary, Bill Mason 1974 - executive producer
• The New Alchemists - documentary short, Dorothy Todd Hénaut 1974 - producer
• Our Land is Our Life - documentary, Boyce Richardson and Tony Ianzelo 1974 - producer
• Sisters of the Space Age - documentary short, James Carney 1974 - executive producer
• Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut - documentary short, Tony Ianzelo 1974 - executive producer
• Waiting for Fidel - documentary, Michael Rubbo 1974 - executive producer
• Bill Loosley's Heat Pump - documentary short, Kenneth McCready 1975 - executive producer
• I Am an Old Tree - documentary, Michael Rubbo 1975 - executive producer
• In All Seasons - documentary short, Ernest Reid 1975 - executive producer
• Jack Rabbit - documentary short, William Brind 1975 - executive producer
• The Lady and the Owl - documentary short, William Canning 1975 - executive producer
• Metal Workers - documentary short, Robert Fortier and Donald Winkler 1975 - co-producer
• Musicanada - documentary, Malca Gillson and Tony Ianzelo 1975 - executive producer
• A New Bargain - documentary short, Roger Hart 1975 - executive producer
• Vietnam Recall - documentary, Desmond Dew 1975 - executive producer
• Operation G.A.T.E. - documentary short, Don Virgo 1975 - executive producer
• Descent - documentary short, Giles Walker and Paul Cowan 1975 - executive producer
• Earthware - documentary short, Rick Raxlen and Donald Winkler 1975 - co-producer
• First Born - documentary short, Joan Henson 1975 - executive producer
• The Forest Watchers - documentary short, Peter Raymont 1975 - executive producer
• Hinchinbrook Diary - documentary short, Rick Raxlen 1975 - executive producer
• Niagara for Sale - documentary, William Canning 1975 - executive producer
• No Way They Want to Slow Down - documentary short, Giles Walker 1975 - executive producer
• Operation High Test - training film, Douglas Cameron 1975 - executive producer
• Alberta Girls - documentary short, Malca Gillson and Tony Ianzelo 1975 - executive producer
• Arctic IV - documentary, James de Beaujeu Domville 1975 - producer
• Lumsden - documentary short, Peter Raymont 1975 - executive producer
• The Mad Canadian - documentary short, Robert Fortier 1976 - executive producer
• The Other World - documentary short, Claudia Overing 1976 - executive producer
• The Land: A New Priority - documentary short, Roger Hart 1976 - executive producer
• Blackwood - documentary short, Tony Ianzelo and Andy Thomson 1976 - executive producer
• A Sense of Place - documentary, René Bonnière 1976 - executive producer
• The Sword of the Lord - documentary, Giles Walker 1976 - executive producer
• Threads - documentary short, Donald Winkler and Anne Henderson 1976 - co-producer
• Waterloo Farmers - documentary short, Italo Costa 1976 - executive producer
• Wax and Wool - documentary short, Donald Winkler and Rick Raxlen 1976 - co-producer
• The Whales are Waiting - documentary short, Tony Ianzelo, Andy Thomson and Strowan Robertson 1976 - executive producer
• The Canadian Air Connection - training film, Douglas Cameron 1976 - executive producer
• Christ is Risen - documentary short, William Canning 1976 - executive producer
• Potatoes - documentary short, Robert Lang 1976 - executive producer
• A Sense of Hummus - documentary short, Christopher Chapman 1976 - executive producer
• We Can't Stand Still Can We? - documentary short, Kenneth McCready 1976 - executive producer
• Coaches - documentary, Paul Cowan 1976 - executive producer
• First Steps - documentary short, Philip Bridgeman and Alec MacLeod 1976 - executive producer
• The Great Clean-Up - documentary, James Carney 1976 - executive producer
• A Great White Bird - documentary, Michael McKennirey 1976 - executive producer
• Log House - documentary short, Michael Rubbo and Andreas Poulsson 1976 - executive producer
• Los Canadienses - documentary, Albert Kish 1976 - co-producer
• Have I Ever Lied to You Before? - documentary, John Spotton 1976 - executive producer
• High Grass Circus - documentary, Torben Schioler and Tony Ianzelo 1976 - executive producer
• Little Big Top - documentary short, Torben Schioler and Tony Ianzelo 1977 - co-executive producer
• Path of the Paddle: Solo Basic - documentary short, Bill Mason 1977 - executive producer
• Path of the Paddle: Doubles Basic - documentary short, Bill Mason 1977 - executive producer
• Path of the Paddle: Solo Whitewater - documentary short, Bill Mason 1977 - executive producer
• Path of the Paddle: Doubles Whitewater - documentary short, Bill Mason 1977 - executive producer
• Child, Part 4: Kathy and Ian: Three-Year-Olds - documentary short, Robert Humble 1977 - executive producer
• River (Planet Earth) - documentary short, Peter Raymont 1977 - executive producer
• You're Eating For Two - documentary short, Malca Gillson 1977 - executive producer
• Forest Under Siege - documentary short, Desmond Dew 1977 - executive producer
• The Biosphere - documentary, William Pettigrew 1979 - co-producer
• A Pinto for the Prince - documentary short 1979 - co-director
• Atmos - documentary short 1980 - director
• Standing Alone - documentary 1982 - director
• The Contour Connection - documentary short 1983 - director
• Starlife - documentary short, Sidney Goldsmith 1983 - producer
• Starbreaker - short film, Bruce Mackay 1984 - special effects
• Transitions - documentary short, IMAX 1986 - writer and director
• Emergency - short film, IMAX 1988 - writer, co-director
• Echoes of the Sun - documentary short, IMAX, Nelson Max and Roman Kroitor 1990 - writer
• Momentum - documentary short, IMAX 1992 - co-director
• Making Momentum - documentary short 1996 - director
• Path of the Paddle: Quiet Water - documentary, Bill Mason 1996 - producer
• Path of the Paddle: White Water - documentary, Bill Mason 1996 - producer
• Louisbourg Under Siege - documentary, Albert Kish 1997 - co-cinematographer
• Moving Pictures - documentary, 2000 - director and writer

Film Awards and Honors

Here are some of the awards Colin Low's films received.

• Cadet Rousselle (1946)
  • Filmfestival del Garda, Gardone Riviera: Award of Merit, 1949
  • American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, 1960

• The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952)
  • 1953 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France: Award for Best Animation, 1953
  • 7th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Special Award, 1954
  • 25th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee, Best Short Subject, Cartoons, 1953

• Corral (1954)
  • Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy: First Prize, Documentary Films, 1954
  • Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland: Diploma of Merit, 1954

• City of Gold (1957)
  • 1957 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France: First Prize, Documentary, 1957
  • 10th Canadian Film Awards, Toronto: Genie Award, Film of the Year 1958
  • 30th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee, Short Subject, Live Action, 1958

• Circle of the Sun (1960)
  • 14th Canadian Film Awards: Genie Award for Best Film, 1962
  • Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, First Prize, 1962

• Universe (1960)
  • Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France: Jury Prize for Exceptional Animation Quality, 1960
  • 14th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, 1961
  • 13th Canadian Film Awards: Genie Award for Film of the Year, 1961
  • 33rd Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee: Best Documentary Short Subject, 1961

• Very Nice, Very Nice (1961)
  • 34th Academy Awards – Nominee, Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, 1962

• My Financial Career (1962)
  • Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: First Prize, Animated Film, 1962
  • 36th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee, Best Short Subject, Cartoons, 1963

• The Hutterites (1964)
  • Montreal International Film Festival, Montreal: First Prize, Shorts, 1964
  • Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, First Prize, 1964

• The Sea (1971)
  • 23rd Canadian Film Awards, Toronto: Genie Award for Best Documentary Under 30 minutes, 1971

• Coming Home (1973)
  • 25th Canadian Film Awards, Montreal: Genie Award for Best Theatrical Documentary, 1973

• Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974)
  • 28th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary (Robert Flaherty Award), 1975
  • 26th Canadian Film Awards, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON: Genie Award for Best Documentary, 1975

• In Search of the Bowhead Whale (1974)
  • American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, 1975

• Blackwood (1976)
  • Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, Best Short Film, 1977
  • 49th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee, Best Documentary Short Subject, 1977

• High Grass Circus (1976)
  • Yorkton Film Festival, Yorkton, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, Best Film of the Festival, 1977
  • 50th Academy Awards, Los Angeles: Nominee: Best Documentary Feature, 1978

• Los Canadienses (1976)
  • International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Mannheim: Special Prize for the Best Film, 1976
  • 30th British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, 1977

• Path of the Paddle: Doubles Whitewater (1977)
  • International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany: Grand Prix, 1977
  • 31st British Academy Film Awards, London: BAFTA award for Best Specialised Film, 1978

• Momentum (1992)
  • International Audiovisual Festival (FIAV), Seville, Spain: Award for Technical Quality of the Image, 1992