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 films and documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). People called him a "gentleman genius" because he was so talented and kind. Colin Low was a pioneer in filmmaking, meaning he was one of the first to try new things. He won many important awards, including five BAFTA awards, eight Cannes Film Festival awards, and was nominated for six Oscars.

Colin Low's Early Life

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

Starting His Film Career

Colin Low studied graphic design and animation at the Banff School of Fine Arts. Then he went to the Calgary Institute of Technology. In 1946, the National Film Board of Canada was looking for new talent. One of Colin's teachers told him to send his artwork. A week later, he was hired by Norman McLaren, a very important NFB filmmaker. McLaren had Colin learn from George Dunning and Evelyn Lambart, who were both great animators.

Colin Low 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.

Inspiring Other Filmmakers

Colin Low's films inspired many famous directors. His 1957 documentary City of Gold used special camera moves. It slowly zoomed and panned (moved across) old photos. This technique inspired Ken Burns, a famous documentary filmmaker. He used it so much that it's now called the 'Ken Burns effect'.

In 1960, Colin Low and Roman Kroitor co-directed Universe. This film caught the eye of Stanley Kubrick, who was planning his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colin Low was asked to work on Kubrick's film but couldn't. He was busy making In the Labyrinth for Expo 67. Still, some of Colin's ideas were used in 2001. Kubrick even used the narrator from Universe (Douglas Rain) as the voice of the HAL 9000 computer.

Films for Change

From 1966 to 1968, Colin Low worked on a special NFB program called Challenge for Change. He went to Fogo Island, Newfoundland and made 27 films with the local people. The goal was to use films to help communities. It was a way to bring about social change and fight poverty.

A Pioneer in IMAX

Colin Low was a leader in making films for huge screens. His experimental film In the Labyrinth helped create the IMAX film format. He also co-directed Transitions, the first IMAX 3D movie, for Expo 86 in Vancouver. Later, he co-directed Momentum, which was the first film in a super-fast 48 frames per second IMAX HD format. This was for Expo 92 in Seville, Spain.

Awards and Recognition

Colin Low received many honors for his amazing work. In 1972, he won the first Grierson Award for his "outstanding contribution to Canadian cinema." In 2002, he received the Abel Gance Award for his work in large format filmmaking like IMAX.

In 1997, he was given the Prix Albert-Tessier, an award for great careers in Québec cinema. The DOXA Documentary Film Festival even created an annual award in his name, the Colin Low Award, starting in 2013.

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 is one of Canada's highest honors, given for extraordinary contributions to the country.

His Family Life

Soon after joining the NFB, Colin Low met Eugénie (Jean) St. Germain in Montreal. They got married in 1947 and had three sons. Colin Low passed away in Montreal on February 24, 2016. He was survived by his wife and sons.